Principal Systems Engineer (On-site in Abu Dhabi)

About the job Principal Systems Engineer (On-site In Abu Dhabi) Be part of a global leader in advanced defense and technology solutions, driving innovation across aerospace, cyber defense, autonomous systems, and precision-guided munitions. Our organization supports national security and global stability through cutting-edge research, engineering excellence, and commitment to mission success About the Role We are seeking an experienced Principal System Engineer to act as the Design Authority for advanced Precision Guided Munition (PGM) systems. This is a senior technical leadership position responsible for the end-to-end systems engineering lifecycle, including requirements definition, system architecture, integration, verification, qualification, and ongoing product enhancement. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in ensuring that weapon systems meet operational, performance, quality, reliability, and safety requirements while collaborating closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams and key stakeholders. Responsibilities Systems Engineering Lead the systems engineering activities for Precision Guided Munition (PGM) programs. Perform requirements analysis and develop system-level requirements specifications. Design and maintain overall system architecture, ensuring alignment between subsystems and mission objectives. Act as the Design Authority for assigned weapon systems throughout the product lifecycle. Develop and maintain System Development Specifications, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and other technical documentation. Conduct trade-off studies and engineering assessments to support design decisions. Integration, Verification & Qualification Oversee integration activities across guidance, navigation, control, seeker, servo, warhead, and other subsystems. Define and execute system verification and validation strategies. Lead qualification activities, including the development of Qualification Test Plans and procedures. Manage quality control processes throughout development and qualification phases. Analyze test data and generate technical reports to assess compliance against requirements. Risk & Compliance Management Identify technical risks and implement effective mitigation strategies. Ensure compliance with applicable military standards, engineering processes, and company procedures. Support safety, reliability, and maintainability analyses throughout the program lifecycle. Technical Leadership & Collaboration Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams, including mechanical, electrical, software, and quality engineers. Participate in Change Control Boards (CCBs) to evaluate, manage, and resolve technical issues. Review subsystem design solutions and ensure alignment with approved requirements. Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineering teams where required. Product Development & Continuous Improvement Support the development, enhancement, and testing of PGM subsystems. Conduct investigations and technology assessments to improve product performance and reduce costs. Monitor emerging technologies and recommend innovations that enhance operational capability, reliability, and maintainability. Support business development activities by contributing to technical proposals, customer presentations, and engineering reviews. Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Support the design, modelling, and validation of GNC algorithms. Evaluate performance metrics including miss distance, stability margins, robustness, and response times. Navigation Systems Support development and testing of navigation algorithms. Contribute to the integration of IMU, GPS, and seeker-based navigation systems. Support robust state estimation and navigation performance under operational conditions. Requirements Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline. Formal training or certification in Systems Engineering is desirable. Experience Minimum 10-15 years of defense industry experience Proven experience in the design, integration, verification, validation, and qualification of complex aerospace or defence systems. Demonstrated experience in systems engineering for weapon systems, guided munitions, missiles, or related aerospace platforms. Experience working within regulated military or defence environments. Experience acting as a technical authority or lead systems engineer is highly desirable. NB: This role does require relocation to Abu Dhabi