Open Innovation Lead - FCAS

Job content

• Working closely with engineering teams to understand how the product development tools and systems work, understand pain points, identify opportunities for automation,integration of toolsets, exploting APIs and datasets.
• Scanning and looking to external partners, including toolset vendors, SMEs, universities, professional institutions to identify specific digital engineering technology, tools and design methods that may be exploited by the FCAS Product Development System (eg multi-disciplinary design optimisation, AI, machine-learning, digital-thread).
• Understand the FCAS Product Development System and identify problem areas and improvement opportunities for innovative technologies that exist in the market to be used.
• Plan and execute prototypes to demonstrate how the technologies identified can be exploited to improve the way FCAS develops and delivers products - ensuring that FCAS continually benefits from the latest emergent technology.
• Building an enduring network of relationships with external partners.
• Ensuring alignment with the overall FCAS Digital Engineering Roadmap to achieve an integrated, end-to-end FCAS product development system.
• Executing proof-of-concept and proof-of-value demonstrations - providing confidence that the new product development approach meets the time and cost goals for the FCAS Programme.
• Leading business change, including communicating with a wide range of stakeholders, building coalitions and creating urgency.
• Liaising with international and UK partners to discuss, agree and deploy a solution works across the whole FCAS enterprise.

• A strong interest in emerging technology and design trends in complex system design, software development and systems engineering (Essential)
• Hands-on experience with cloud service platforms including Microsoft Azure and AWS (Desirable)
• Experience with DevOps and modern software engineering tools and practices (eg Kubernetes, Git, GitOps) (Desirable)
• Experience of AI and machine learning tools and technologies (eg Python, Tensorflow, PyTorch etc.) (Desirable).
• Experience of different stages of the Product Lifecycle - Concept Design through to Integration and Test (Highly Desirable)
• Development of processes, methods and toolsets used in the product development process (Highly Desirable)
• Ability to analyse information and apply engineering judgement to solve problems (Essential)
• Able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, visualisation or modelling, to managers, peers and external parties (Essential)
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary environment influencing adjacent Engineering disciplines and other Stakeholders (Highly Desirable)
• Be comfortable working with ambiguity, challenging established thinking, innovating, creating new ways of working and leading change (Essential)
• Professional Qualification: Relevant Engineering/STEM degree (BEng or Higher) (Essential)
• Professional Registration: IEng or CEng (Highly Desirable)
• At least 2 years experience in an Engineering Discipline role (Desirable)