Head of Laser DEW Effects

MBDA are leaders in the growing Laser Directed Energy Weapons (LDEW) domain, developing cutting edge solutions and technologies for high profile projects such as DragonFire through to emerging research contracts and IRAD studies. The LDEW Effects group are an integral part of this capability, using their specialist skills to support determination of a laser weapon system’s impact and performance. An opportunity has arisen to become part of this team, leading the evolution of the group through this exciting time.

Salary: Circa £72k depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working: 3 days per week on-site due to workload classification

Security Clearance: British Citizen

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.

What we can offer you:

• Company Bonus: Bonus of up to 21% of base salary
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• 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:

The domain of laser effects is very new, and we value a curious & agile mind that can pick up core technical principles and knowledge quickly, able to take an overarching system level view and to follow complex technical discussions. The team activities range from involvement in trials and experimentation to gather and derive data, to modelling analyses to interpret and understand the resultant effects on particular targets. As the team lead for LDEW Effects, you will manage your teams’ development, recruiting as necessary to support the workload forecast, whilst contributing to the strategic direction of the Effects group in the MBDA laser domain.

What we're looking for from you:

• Passion for developing people and building a high performing team
• The ability to take a vision of the future and lead skill growth and technology development to align
• A proven delivery ethos with experience of research lifecycles and budgetary management
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to communicate at all levels, both within MBDA and with our customers & stakeholders
• A background in physics or engineering would be helpful as a key element of the role is to grow the capability within this area to support current and future work.
• This role requires you to be or be willing to become DV cleared

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.

About Us

What we do matters. Because defence matters.

As a leading company in the defence industry we support our nations by delivering essential military capabilities, both for today and the future.

We are proud to be an award-winning employer and are proud of the growing diversity of our workforce. Our people are the ones who drive our constant innovation and deliver against challenging targets.

Whatever your background, we welcome your application to MBDA UK and look forward to speaking with you soon.