Senior Hardware Engineer

General Dynamics Mission Systems engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of more than 13,000 top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defence and scientific arenas. In the UK, we are leading the way in avionics and communication systems. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency.

General Dynamics in St Leonards-on-Sea currently provide avionic mission computing systems for a wide range of military fast jets, helicopters, and UAV’s. Recent success has resulted in General Dynamics developing the next generation of Advanced High Performance, Safety Critical Mission Computer Systems to meet the needs of latest platforms in development by several aircraft manufacturers. These Mission Computing Systems provide the functionality that integrates aircraft systems, sensor systems and stores management systems with the information and control systems required by the aircrew to meet the demanding operational needs of these aircraft.

Join our TEMPEST team and help develop the technologies that will support the UK’s next generation of combat air capability.

As a Senior Hardware Engineer, you will play a key role in the design, development, integration and qualification of advanced electronic hardware for safety-critical mission computing systems. Working within a multidisciplinary engineering team, you will take ownership of hardware activities throughout the development lifecycle and help ensure that designs meet demanding performance, reliability and environmental requirements.

You will collaborate with engineers across industry, government and academia, contributing to a major multinational programme and the development of sovereign UK defence capability.

In this role, you will

• Design and develop advanced electronic hardware, from initial concept through to production
• Produce and review electronic schematics, component selection and supporting design documentation
• Support PCB development, prototype manufacture, board bring-up and integration
• Lead hardware verification, qualification and troubleshooting activities
• Undertake technical analysis and ensure designs meet performance, reliability and environmental requirements
• Participate in technical and design reviews, clearly communicating design decisions and supporting evidence
• Work closely with systems, firmware, FPGA, software, mechanical and manufacturing engineers
• Provide technical guidance and support to less experienced engineers
• Contribute to the development of technologies that will shape combat aviation for decades to come
• To be successful in this role, you will ideally have:
• A degree-level qualification, or equivalent experience, in electronic engineering or a related discipline
• Proven experience designing and developing electronic hardware
• Practical experience of schematic capture, component selection, board-level design and hardware debugging
• Knowledge of high-speed digital design and the integration of FPGA-based devices
• Experience supporting hardware through verification, qualification and integration
• The ability to analyse technical problems and develop practical, robust solutions
• Experience contributing to technical and design reviews
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams
• Demonstrated motivation, integrity and professionalism
• Flexibility, innovation and a commitment to delivery within a fast-paced engineering environment
• Experience working with or familiarity with AI/ML models is preferred.
• Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous:
• Aerospace, defence or other safety-critical engineering environments
• Analogue or mixed-signal electronic design
• Power supply or power distribution design
• EMC, environmental or qualification testing
• Hardware design standards and structured engineering lifecycles
• Supporting or mentoring other engineers
• This role has a salary of between £45,600 - £60,000 plus our flexible benefits package.
• We are open to this role being spent with time working from home and in the office (hybrid - typically 3 days working in office) on a weekly basis or fully in our offices.
• We pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose, offering impressive benefits:
• A compressed nine-day fortnight and compressed hours - which means every other Friday off.
• A personalized career development plan, alongside regular progress reviews - supporting and valuing your progression within the Company.
• A flexible working environment where your contributions are recognized and rewarded with flexible benefits
• We believe in maintaining a diverse workplace - inclusive of beliefs, cultural background, job experiences, thoughts and ideas. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we welcome you to join our inclusive team!
• Our success is fuelled by our colleagues and the wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills they bring to the Company.
• We are a Disability Confident Employer, as such we offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job.
• Please email [email protected] if you would like your application to be considered under the DC Scheme.
• All successful/appointed applicants must be able to obtain a level of UK Security clearance that is appropriate for the role and undertake suitable Right to work checks.
• Every application matters to us. We want you to know that each application we receive is reviewed by a real person—not just an algorithm. Our screening questions are also carefully considered to help us understand your experience and fit for the role.
• We appreciate the time you take to apply.