Systems Engineer in Christchurch, United Kingdom

About Averna powered by Spherea

Averna powered by Spherea is a global engineering and technology business specialising in test, quality and validation solutions for complex and safety-critical products and systems.

With a heritage spanning more than 70 years, we support leading aerospace, defence and technology organisations throughout the complete product lifecycle – from engineering and development test through production and manufacturing test to in-service support, MRO and obsolescence management.

Our capabilities range from individual automated test systems and specialist test equipment through to complex integrated test facilities, supported by engineering services, software and instrumentation expertise.

The combination of Averna and Spherea brings together approximately 1,800 people worldwide with engineering, manufacturing and support capabilities across Europe, North America and Asia. In the UK we have a particularly strong heritage in aerospace and defence test and support and work closely with major OEMs, defence primes and equipment manufacturers.

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Job Description

The role

You will connect customer needs with the technical solution, translating operational and test objectives into clear requirements, architectures, interfaces and verification strategies for hardware, software, mechanical and production teams. The role spans customer workshops, system design, technical reviews, laboratory integration, acceptance testing and commissioning. Regular in-person work alongside engineers and physical equipment is required; UK and international travel, including some overnight stays, may be required.

Key responsibilities

• Work with customers and stakeholders to understand products, test objectives, operating environments, constraints and acceptance expectations. Plan and lead requirements workshops, resolve unclear or conflicting needs, define concepts of operation and use cases, and translate needs into structured, verifiable system and subsystem requirements.

• Establish requirements baselines and traceability; identify assumptions, dependencies, constraints, exclusions and customer obligations; control changes and assess their technical, cost and schedule impact.

• Develop system concepts and assess feasibility. Define functional and physical architectures, decompose requirements across hardware, software, mechanical and operational elements, and document internal and external interfaces.

• Lead or contribute to technical trade-off studies and evidence-based recommendations. Work with specialists to select technologies, instruments, interfaces and design approaches, balancing performance, safety, reliability, maintainability, obsolescence, cost and schedule.

• Ensure solutions can be manufactured, integrated, tested, commissioned and supported throughout their intended life. Identify technical risks and mitigation actions, support modular and reusable solutions, and maintain technical coherence as detailed design develops.

• Support the full engineering lifecycle: stakeholder-needs analysis, concept of operation, feasibility, requirements, architecture, preliminary and detailed design, manufacture, integration, verification and validation, factory/site acceptance, commissioning, warranty and in-service support.

• Prepare for and contribute to system requirements, preliminary design, critical design and test-readiness reviews. Define evidence needed to demonstrate design maturity, coordinate specialist inputs and ensure decisions, deviations, concessions and changes are controlled.

• Develop verification and validation strategies, define methods such as analysis, inspection, demonstration and test, maintain requirements-verification traceability, and produce or coordinate test plans, specifications, procedures and acceptance documentation.

• Support integration testing, debugging, technical investigations, factory acceptance, customer demonstrations, installation and site commissioning. Coordinate resolution of cross-discipline problems and ensure evidence is complete and controlled.

• Work closely with hardware, software, electrical, mechanical, production, quality and project-management colleagues, customers and international delivery partners. Communicate technical status to the Project Manager and escalate unresolved issues affecting delivery.

Qualifications

Essential skills and experience

Degree, HNC/HND in electronic, electrical, aerospace engineering or a related discipline.

• Relevant systems engineering experience or equivalent practical experience in a related engineering discipline.

• Ability to work directly with customers to elicit, clarify and manage technical requirements and acceptance expectations.

• Experience translating needs into system requirements, architectures, interfaces and verification approaches.

• Understanding of multidisciplinary engineered systems and the lifecycle from concept and design through integration, verification, acceptance and support.

• Ability to analyse technical trade-offs, manage requirements traceability and change, identify risk and maintain alignment between requirements, design and verification evidence.

• Experience contributing to technical reviews, test planning, integration, fault investigation or acceptance activities.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, clear communication, collaborative working and the initiative to pursue missing information and resolve uncertainty.

• Comfortable working alongside engineering teams and physical test equipment, with willingness to travel occasionally in the UK and internationally. Right to work in the UK.

Desirable experience

• Aerospace, defence, space, rail, energy or another regulated sector; automated or special-to-type test equipment.

• Electronic, electrical, software-controlled or electromechanical systems; data acquisition, instrumentation, control or test-system integration.

• Requirements-management tools, formal design reviews, verification and validation, factory/site acceptance and commissioning.

• Legacy-system modernisation, obsolescence, maintainability and long-life equipment support.

• Working with international teams, customers or delivery partners.

Additional Information

We offer:

• A collaborative and supportive team with true international reach
• An attractive salary package with benefits such as generous pension scheme (4% employee / 8% employer, full family health care plan, family health cash plan, 27 days holiday + bank holidays, Life assurance & income protection insurance
• Opportunities for continuous learning and professional growth
• Be part of a company that puts ESG at the heart of its mission, for people, planet, and performance.

Averna is committed to employment equity and to encouraging diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment, regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Security requirements

Due to the nature of our aerospace and defence work, applicants must be eligible to obtain and maintain the level of UK national security clearance required for the role.

Some projects may also be subject to additional nationality, residency or export-control restrictions. Any such restrictions will be considered as part of the recruitment process and will depend upon the programmes to which the successful candidate is assigned.