Lead Engineer - Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives (OME)

Location: Hybrid – minimum 2 days per week in office at MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol (or contractor location)

Rate: Up to £550/day (Inside IR35)

Duration: ASAP – 31/03/2027

Deadline for Applications: 04/09/2026 at 12:00 BST

Clearance: Current SC Clearance required for the duration of the requirement. Sole UK nationals only.

Overview

This role is the Lethality & Protection Lead (IDT 1093) within the NA-M Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) team, part of the DE&S Land – Weapons domain. MFP is a 'Category A' Government Funded Project and is the CGS' top priority. This capability is being delivered by Combat Vehicles 1 (CV1) PT.

In 2018 the British Army recognized a requirement to replace the Artillery System 90 (AS90) 39 Calibre, 155mm self-propelled howitzer, which was outmatched by our peers/contemporaries and had an original (OSD 2030). The fleet of AS90s were Gifted in Kind (GiK), to UKR because of a resurgent Russia, thus leaving a capability gap temporarily filled by a limited number of Archer 6X6 (Interim 155).

The RCH155 Howitzer has been down selected by the British Army as the most capable next generation 52 calibre, 155mm, self-propelled howitzer determined to meet the current and future requirements for close support fires with an anticipated ISD 2029 / planned OSD of 2054.

The Project was formally directed by the Army Capability Management Group (ACMG) to accelerate submission of MFP's FBC. Following this, the Project has awarded 4 contracts to facilitate the manufacture of a Divisional Artillery Group (DAG) – 72 x RCH155:

•   Delivery of an Early Concept Demonstrator (ECD)

•   Long Lead Items (LLI)

•   Qualification Range and Accuracy (QRA) of the ECD

•   Series Production 72 x RCH155

Under the Trinity House agreement, the UK, alongside the Federal Republic of Germany have entered into a collaborative procurement activity contracted to procure 4 x ECD RCH155 Platforms from KNDS (Krauss Maffei Wegmann + Nexter Defense Systems – OEM for RCH155) for trials and testing. Alongside this the PT has awarded the production contract for an initial production of RCH155 to provide a Minimum Deployable Capability (MDC) by 2029.

This role is to provide the necessary SME support across the above contracts to achieve the desired outcomes.

Key Tasks and Deliverables

Review and comment on technical requirements deliverables/artifacts for OME systems. - Ensuring OME SR's are met or any deficiencies raised to the lead engineer and SSR and managed accordingly.

Assist or act as OME technical expert, compiling technical data and overseeing the technical quality of engineering documentation, focusing on successful technical outcomes. - Lead and support OME meetings, ensuring OME artefacts or technical documentation is technically accurate, supports compliance or safety claims.

Ensure the contractor has applied relevant OME legislation, regulation, policy, processes, and standards to delivered technical documentation e.g. DSA02. - Ensuring the platform is compliant with OME legislation, regulation and policy, support production of the legislation compliance assessments and OAS activity staffing and supporting applications for disapplications or exemptions.

Identify and analyse technical hazards / project impacts, contribute to the identification and evaluation of risk reduction measures, ensuring that these are adequately documented and managed. - SME support to safety panels, hazard log meetings, project risk reviews.

Lead design reviews to ensure customer requirements are met within realistic constraints of time, cost, and performance, such as co-chairing/influencing design reviews with industry. - Design meets the customer's requirement or any deficiencies are clearly articulated and the impact to the capability is understood.

Collaborate and manage trade-offs with other sub-system teams and specialists, over technical requirements, and design compromises, to maximise successful system implementation and delivery. - Successful integration of all the sub systems into the MFP mission module and mission module onto the Boxer drive module.

Responsible/lead for the OME: test, verification, validation, and evaluation process. - SME input into V&V activity, scrutiny of test results and input into V&V reports.

Manage and participate in assurance, audit, and reviews activity. - Support to OAS activity, 1pa, 2pa and 3pa assurance activity.

Desired Experience / Skills Requirement

•   Previous experience of MOD OME projects/regulations

•   Previous experience of Land artillery systems

Other Information

•   Hybrid working – minimum of 2 days per week in office (at ABW or Contractor location)

•   Travel may be required within the UK and EU.