Viasat, Inc.
Principal Systems Engineer - Product Development
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Principal Systems Engineer - Product Development
Principal Systems Engineer
About Us
One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities.
At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, we’ve helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments, and militaries communicate globally.
We’re looking for exceptional talent—people who think big, act fearlessly, and foster an inclusive environment to drive impact.
About the Role
At Viasat UK, our team provides industry-leading, government-approved Data at Rest encryption solutions for defence and government organisations worldwide. With projects across multiple systems and platforms, we’re seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to lead the technical development of advanced security devices and contribute to key Information Assurance initiatives.
Ideal Candidates
This role suits:
- An exceptional Senior Systems Engineer ready for a transition into a Principal position.
- A highly technical Electronics/Software Engineer looking to take full architectural ownership of a physical product line.
This is a high-visibility, hands-on leadership role. You will:
- Define product features
- Architect end-to-end solutions
- Serve as the Technical Lead on critical projects
- Collaborate with Technical Project Managers to guide a skilled engineering team from concept to deployment
Key Responsibilities
Daily Duties
- System Architecture & Definition:
- Serve as the technical authority for product design, system behavior, and engineering trade-offs.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
-
Requirements Engineering:
- Lead requirements elicitation, structuring, and management (using IBM DOORS) across all engineering disciplines.
-
Engineering Leadership:
- Guide product development teams, addressing technical risks, analysing root causes, and driving resolutions.
- Ensure adherence to standards, timelines, and cost constraints throughout the lifecycle.
-
Lifecycle & Qualification:
- Oversee full product verification, validation, and complex environmental qualification processes.
- Ensure assignment testing and customer acceptance.
-
Bids & Estimates:
- Support commercial teams with engineering cost estimates and technical proposals for competitive bids.
-
Customer Collaboration:
- Directly interface with defence clients to clarify or refine requirements, ensuring the final product meets operational needs.
Essential Requirements
-
Experience:
- 7+ years in defence, aerospace, or space - developing physical electronic/software products.
-
Education:
- Degree in Engineering, Electronic Design, Computer Science, Physics, or a related field.
-
Credentials & Track Record:
- Proven expertise in complex system engineering, including:
- Requirements management
- System design & architecture
- Simulation, modelling, and verification
- Cross-discipline collaboration on electronic/hardware/software projects
- Proven expertise in complex system engineering, including:
-
Skills & Technical Proficiency:
- Strong system-level thinking, able to communicate across hardware, software, FPGA, and mechanical domains.
- Exceptional technical documentation skills.
- Confidence to negotiate technical requirements with defence stakeholders.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
- ** Security Clearances:**
- Sole British nationality (due to UK eyes-only clearance requirements).
- Current or eligibility for UK DV Clearance.
DesirableExperience
- Expertise in handling complexity, uncertainty, and competing demands efficiently.
- Experience with ECSS, DoDAF, ADM, or Mistral-D frameworks for system definition.
- Proficiency in system design languages (e.g., SysML, UML) and use case analysis.
- Knowledge of defence standards (e.g., DEF STAN, MIL-STD, RTCA/DO-178B) for environmental/EMC compliance.
- Experience estimating engineering hours and writing technical proposals for bids.
- Familiarity with NCSC Cloud Assurance Process (CAPS).
Employment Policies
Equal Opportunity
Viasat is a proud equal opportunity employer, dedicated to diversity and inclusion. We invite applications without regard toRace, Color, Religion, Gender Identity or Expression, National Origin, Ancestry, ConclusionAbility, Medical Condition, Marital Status, Genetics, Age, or any other protected characteristic.
Reasonable accommodation for disabilities available. Please request additional support when applying.
(EEO Statement included as submitted, with minimal adjustments for clarity.)
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills