Senior Systems Engineer

Submission Information
Publish Date: 
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Archive Date: 
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Job Summary
Job Category: 
Science Engineering
Institution Classification/Type: 
Research Laboratory
Institution/Company: 
STFC
City: 
Edinburgh
State/Province: 
Edinburgh
Country: 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Announcement
Job Announcement Text: 

Salary: Band E £39,748 - £44,166, Band F £50,702 - £56,336, per annum (dependent on skills and experience). A Specialist Allowance of up to £ 5000 per annum is also available for this role.
Benefits: 30 days holiday + 8 bank holidays + 2.5 privilege days + exceptional defined average salary pension + excellent work life balance
Hours: Full time (minimum 37.5 hours per week)
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh

Closing date for applications Sunday 15th January 2023
 

Come and do the kind of engineering that made you want to be an engineer. Stretch your technical skills while building human understanding. Promote sustainability and create new materials. And, alongside world-leading scientists and technologists, shape projects that improve lives, and daily life, in the UK and far beyond.

Put simply, come and discover the impact you can make when you’re equipped, encouraged and inspired to perform to your very best.

The UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) has an excellent opportunity for a Systems Engineer to work in a leading science environment offering exceptional employee benefits.

The UK ATC designs and builds ground and space-based instrumentation for large astronomical observatories around the world. Projects are typically on 5 to 10 year life-cycles and are carried out by teams made up from a variety of international consortium partners. The main area of expertise is in optical and infrared instrumentation and we have an excellent reputation for project leadership and system integration. Within the astronomy community the systems engineer is normally seen as the technical leader of the project, with responsibility for the performance of the delivered product and has a significant customer-facing role.

About the role
The Systems Engineering group is seeking an accomplished System Engineer with proven experience as a practicing Systems/Project Engineer in addition to having been an accomplished design engineer in any of the primary engineering disciplines (optical, mechanical, electronics, control, and/or software engineering). To work on a range of ground based instrumentation projects for leading observatories worldwide.

As a senior systems engineer, you will be a key player and will be part of the project management team. You will be responsible for the requirements engineering, the overall system architecture, assembly, integration, verification, installation, commissioning, and delivery of our astronomical and scientific products. Working as a senior member of the team, you will have the freedom to define and execute your own work plan without the need to be supervised and you will have many opportunities to innovate and develop new technical solutions, with considerable scope to be creative.

Responsibilities will include:
Development of the overall system architecture.
Overall responsibility for the flow of information within the consortium team and with the external stakeholders.
Definition and control of internal and external interfaces.
Application of end-to-end systems analysis and modelling and the subsequent allocation and management of technical budgets/tolerances.
Requirements engineering.
The development of integration and test plans which will verify compliance with sub-system and instrument requirements.
Verification testing and acceptance at sub-system and system level.
Installation and commissioning of products at deployment sites, typically observatories.
Technical leadership.
Conduct technical risk and safety assessments.
Responsible for product assurance.

Person Specification
Shortlisting Criteria
Essential

  • Degree in an applicable engineering subject area (Optical, Mechanical, Electronics, or Software), Physics degree, or equivalent experience.
  • Proven industry systems engineering experience with architectural design of complex systems.
  • Proven experience in managing engineering teams.
  • Knowledge of a wide range of technologies.
  • Ability to prioritize.
  • Excellent written communication skills.

Desirable

  • Multi-engineering subject-area degree or degree in systems engineering.
  • Knowledge or experience with astronomical instrumentation.
  • Knowledge of risk assessment.
  • Knowledge of safety and hazard analysis.
  • Knowledge of reliability analysis.

Interview Criteria

  • Proven industry systems engineering experience with architectural design of complex systems.
  • Proven experience in managing engineering teams.
  • Excellent analytical and technical problem solving.
  • Knowledge of a wide range of technologies.
  • Eye for detail while keeping the bigger picture in mind.
  • Good at prioritising.
  • Excellent verbal communication skills.
  • Knowledge or experience with astronomical instrumentation

We are offering a permanent position with a whole host of benefits including:

  • 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).
  • Flexible working hours.
  • An excellent defined average salary pension scheme.
  • Employee shopping/travel discounts.
  • Excellent learning and development opportunities.
  • Visa Sponsorship for candidates applying outside of the UK.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are invested in creating an environment that is welcoming and supportive of all, to help us achieve the highest possible standards in our work and organisation together. In this regard, we encourage applications from under-represented groups.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

Application Deadline: 
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Selection Deadline: 
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Current Status of Position: 
Accepting Applicants
Apply to Job
Attention To: 
HR
Institution/Company Job ID or Reference Code: 
220001A6