{"id":3273818,"url":"https://alion.io/job/rowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer","title":"Principal Systems Engineer","company":{"id":685499,"name":"Rowden Technologies Ltd.","domain":"rowdentech.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/rowdentech","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Pinpoint","truth_index":null},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Bristol, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":72000,"max":95000,"currency":"GBP","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":127057},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Agile","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-25T13:10:53Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-25","last_verified_at":"2026-10-27T12:26:33Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"We’re building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience.\nWe specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.\nHeadquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs around 200 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe’s fastest-growing engineering businesses.\nAbout the role\n\nWe’re looking for a Principal Systems Engineer to lead the design and integration of complex systems across our programmes. You’ll own major elements of a system - defining architecture, driving integration, and ensuring the capability works end-to-end. You’ll work closely with users, engineers and partners to de-risk delivery, resolve system challenges, and ensure solutions are technically robust and operationally effective.\nAcross the business we’re working on challenges including soldier systems, C4I integration programmes, AI/ML capabilities, and new product development. These programmes combine software, hardware, networks and data, often operating in denied, disrupted or constrained environments.\nWe value practical engineering and sound judgement. You’ll use the right tools and level of process for the problem at hand - leveraging modern tooling and automation where it helps, while ensuring the right level of technical assurance. Experience working across waterfall, agile, iterative and spiral delivery approaches is important, as is the ability to work with a range of stakeholders across engineering teams, partners and users.\nThis is a hands-on technical leadership role. You’ll guide engineering decisions, mentor other engineers, and take ownership of key parts of a programme while remaining close to the engineering work. Our culture values clarity, pace and engineering judgement. We focus on user needs, communicate openly and work collaboratively to deliver meaningful capability.\nThis role requires a minimum of 3 days per week on-site at our Bristol HQ. There will also be occasional travel to customer sites.\nCandidates must be eligible for SC clearance.\nMore information about security clearance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels\nKey areas of responsibility\nAs a Principal Systems Engineer at Rowden, you’ll be responsible for:\nOwning and leading the systems engineering design and integration of major system elements within complex programmes, ensuring capabilities perform reliably end-to-end\nDeveloping and maintaining system architectures, interface definitions and integration plans for the areas you are responsible for\nActing as the technical go-to for your system area, guiding engineering decisions and helping teams navigate complex system-level challenges\nApplying pragmatic systems engineering across the V-cycle, balancing appropriate engineering rigour with the pace required to deliver operational capability\nWorking closely with software, hardware, RF, networking and infrastructure teams to design, integrate and deliver multidisciplinary systems\nIdentifying and managing technical risks, system dependencies and integration challenges, using experimentation, modelling and testing to de-risk delivery\nWorking directly with users, partners and stakeholders to ensure systems meet operational needs and perform effectively in real-world environments\nMentoring engineers and contributing to the continuous improvement of Rowden’s systems engineering practices, tooling and ways of working\nKey skills, experience and behaviours\nWe are looking for someone passionate about technology who actively invests in their technical skills and abilities. We are looking for a person with:\nIn-depth knowledge and experience in the practical application of model-based and agile systems engineering tools and techniques \nExperience across the full systems engineering lifecycle using a range of development approaches\nA degree or equivalent experience in a relevant engineering or technical subject \nExperience working across software, hardware and networked systems \nTrack record of effectively mentoring and coaching team members \nExtensive experience working within delivery teams to ensure successful outcomes in challenging and complex projects \nProven analytical thinker, problem solver and decision maker and has strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of supporting all levels of the organisation \n Desirable (not essential)\nA background in regulated sectors delivering complex connected systems, such as defence, national security, telecommunications, financial services, or automotive industries\nDesigning, deploying and supporting solutions to/at the far-edge in denied, disrupted, intermittent or lossy communication environments\nChartered Engineer status\n\nAbout you\nPragmatism: You will adopt a decisive, precise and pragmatic approach to both delivery and the development of systems capability, effectively considering the holistic risk / reward balance \nAttention to detail: You will have a quality mind-set and be in the detail, providing objective assurance of systems activities building high levels of trust and autonomy within the team \nOperational expertise: You will have the experience in delivery, such as making the mistakes, going too-light or too-heavy on process and tools, understanding the real-world complexity and consequences of difficult trade-offs etc, to lead, direct, inform, mentor and coach members of the systems team\n Communication Skills: You can explain complex engineering information clearly and persuasively to both technical and non- technical stakeholders, in a fast-paced environment\nWorking at Rowden\nWe are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!\n\nWe also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.\n\nRowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.\n\nFinally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!","description_format":"text","description_chars":7084,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Flexible schedule"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United Kingdom","iso":"GB","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["National Security","Engineering Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-26T13:10:53Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":1,"expected_fill_days":22,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-27T05:46:45Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":127057,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/rowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/rowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-27T16:30:09Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":5914,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-28T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":685499},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=685499"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Frowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Frowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Frowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/rowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Frowden-technologies-ltd-principal-systems-engineer"}]}