Mission Planning Systems Engineer (Software and Algorithms)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 1, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 27, 2026. MBDA UK scores B on the Alion truth index.
Salary: Up to £53,000 depending on experience
Dynamic (hybrid) working: 3 days per week on-site due to workload classification
Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship.
Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.
You typically need 5 years of continuous UK residency. Not having spent five years in the UK may not automatically disqualify you, but please be aware we cannot guarantee the outcome of the security clearance process and this may impact your ability to work for MBDA; these are processed on a case by case basis.
What we can offer you:
- Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (based on company performance and will vary year to year)
- Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
- Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime
- Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
- Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
- Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
- Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…
- Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more.
The opportunity:
An opportunity to join the team delivering MBDAs future anti-ship / deep strike capability across air and ship launched domains. This is working as part of the wider Mission Planning & Control team developing future deep strike / anti-ship capability. This is a role which requires good systems engineering skills and an enthusiastic approach to work with scope to expand responsibilities as the programme progresses. This role straddles both systems engineering and systems architecture domains and working closely with algorithm and software teams.
The role covers:
- Working within the teams delivering the Maritime and Land based Anti-Ship / Deep Strike Mission Planning products and engaging with the wider Mission Planning team
- Generating software and algorithm requirements and supporting wider systems engineering activities
- Collaborating closely with software and algorithm functional teams to make sure design meets overall Mission Planning system needs
- Refining design within the systems architecture model and system design and requirements modules
- Assessing opportunities for reuse of development across multiple product variants
- Supporting wider Mission Planning team across partner nations to ensure engineering development aligns with international needs
This role provides the opportunity to develop the key link between wider Mission Planning system design and product delivery across variants.
What we're looking for from you:
We are looking for a Systems Engineer who can actively contribute to the delivery of key milestones and engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Desired skills and experience include:
- Proactive approach to engineering challenges
- Systems Engineering capability and experience with particular emphasis on developing subsystem requirements and design
- Good technical problem solving skills
- Ability to communicate effectively within cross functional teams
- Appreciation and understanding of working within a MBSE approach
- Experience with engineering tools and configuration control
- Experience with Mission Planning or offboard user focused systems is highly desirable
- An appreciation of the software development lifecycle.
Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given
MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.
We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more…
We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.
Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.