Marshall Land Systems
Senior Manager System Design Authority & Independent Assurance
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Brief Description
Why join Marshall Land Systems in this role?
As the Independent Design Assurance Lead / Systems Design Authority within Marshall Land Systems, you will act as the independent technical representative supporting the Chief Engineer. The role provides objective oversight, governance, and assurance across Land Systems programmes and products, ensuring engineering solutions are technically sound, compliant, safe, and fit for purpose throughout the product lifecycle.
Operating independently from programme delivery teams, you will provide authoritative technical challenge, assess design maturity and technical risk, and maintain confidence that engineering decisions align with customer requirements, business objectives, regulatory obligations, and engineering best practice.
Your responsibilities include:
Independent Design Assurance
- Act as the independent authority for technical design assurance across Land Systems programmes
- Provide objective assessment of engineering solutions throughout the system lifecycle, from concept development through design, integration, verification, validation, and in-service support
- Conduct independent reviews of system architectures, design solutions, requirements compliance, and technical evidence
- Assess the adequacy of engineering processes, methodologies, and technical decision-making
- Verify that designs meet contractual, regulatory, safety, quality, and operational requirements
- Ensure appropriate technical risks are identified, managed, and escalated
Systems Design Authority
- Maintain oversight of system-level technical integrity across programmes and product lines
- Provide authoritative guidance on systems engineering principles, architecture development, requirements management, integration, and verification strategies
- Review and endorse key technical baselines and system design decisions
- Ensure consistency between customer requirements, system architecture, subsystem designs, and verification activities
- Challenge technical assumptions and decisions where evidence is insufficient or risks remain unacceptable
- Support the management of technical debt, concessions, and design deviations
Engineering Governance
- Support the Chief Engineer in establishing and maintaining effective engineering governance arrangements
- Chair or participate in independent design reviews, technical gate reviews, and assurance boards
- Review engineering deviations, waivers, concessions, and non-conformances
- Ensure engineering decisions are supported by appropriate evidence and documented rationale
- Monitor adherence to engineering lifecycle processes, standards, and procedures
- Provide assurance input into engineering policy, standards, and continuous improvement initiatives
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Technical Risk and Compliance
- Assess programme technical risks and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies
- Review safety cases, hazard analyses, and certification evidence as appropriate
- Ensure compliance with applicable defence standards, legislation, customer specifications, and internal governance requirements
- Support technical investigations and root cause analysis activities
- Provide independent assessment of design maturity and readiness at key programme milestones
Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a trusted advisor to the Chief Engineer and Engineering Leadership Team
- Engage with Programme Managers, Technical Authorities, Systems Engineers, Design Engineers, Quality Assurance, Safety, and Integrated Logistics Support functions
- Interface with customers, regulators, suppliers, and external technical authorities as required
- Support customer design reviews, technical audits, and assurance activities
- Provide confidence to stakeholders through clear, evidence-based assurance reporting
- Undertake additional activities as required by line management
Apply if you have most of the following:
- Significant experience delivering complex engineering systems within defence or aerospace
- Extensive experience in systems engineering, technical risk management or engineering governance
- Proven track record of leading independent design reviews and providing authoritative technical assurance across the system lifecycle
- Experience assessing system architectures, requirements management, integration, verification, and validation activities
- Strong track record of influencing senior stakeholders and providing independent technical judgement
- Experience operating within matrix-managed, multi-disciplinary engineering environments
Desirable:
- Experience operating as a Design Authority, Systems Design Authority, Chief Engineer representative, or Independent Technical Authority
- Experience with military vehicle, defence platform, or land systems development programmes
- Knowledge of defence acquisition, certification, and assurance frameworks
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Technical Skills & Qualifications:
- Degree-qualified in Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Strong understanding of systems engineering lifecycle processes and associated standards
- Excellent technical report writing, presentation, and communication skills
- Ability to assess complex technical issues and provide independent, evidence-based judgement
- Strong stakeholder management, influencing, and leadership skills
Desirable
- Chartered Engineer (CEng) status
- Lead Auditor qualification or recognised assurance certification
- Knowledge and practical application of ISO 9001, ISO 15288, DEF STAN standards, NATO standards and functional Safety standards (where applicable)
- Familiarity with engineering governance frameworks and assurance methodologies
Additional local needs:
- Hybrid working offered
- Occasional UK and international travel
- Successful candidate will need to be eligible to hold UK SC Clearance
- Ability to operate effectively across complex stakeholder and programme environments
Benefits of this role include:
- Influence the technical direction and integrity of complex defence and land systems programmes while working closely with senior engineering leadership
- Develop expertise in independent design assurance, systems engineering governance, and technical risk management across the full product lifecycle
- Build credibility as a trusted technical authority, engaging with customers, regulators, suppliers, and senior stakeholders
- Shape engineering excellence and continuous improvement initiatives that drive quality, compliance, and operational effectiveness across the organisation
Marshall Land Systems
Marshall Land Systems is a Canadian-owned global company with an unrivalled pedigree of British engineering excellence. From its origins in Cambridge, UK, through more than a century of innovation, pioneering advances from the nose of Concorde to the early Hydrogen fuel cell technology that ultimately powered the moon landings, Marshall engineers now continue to innovate specialist vehicles and infrastructure for NATO forces across the world. From bomb disposal vehicles to deployed shelters, from command and control to CT scanners on the battlefield, Marshall Land Systems protects people in critical situations with the very best in engineering. It employs 600 people with major facilities in the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands.
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