Full-Time

Principal Test Development Engineer

Posted on 5/9/2026

MBDA

MBDA

5,001-10,000 employees

Missile design, development, and manufacturing

Compensation Overview

£55k/yr

Letchworth Garden City, UK + 2 more

More locations: Bristol, UK | Bolton, UK

Hybrid

Hybrid: on-site as needed; monthly travel between Bolton/Bristol and Stevenage.

UK Citizenship Required

Category
Hardware Engineering (2)
,
Required Skills
Software Testing
Requirements
  • Skilled Hardware Design Engineers with proven experience to support the design, integration and validation of test system hardware solutions
  • Knowledge of test needs and techniques in support of product life cycle development
  • Experience of Design Proving and performance testing during development
  • Experience of Environmental and EMC testing during qualification
  • Strong document writing skills associated with Test Equipment hardware design needs
Responsibilities
  • Define and specify test approaches; identifying any potential improvements to test/diagnostic processes
  • Be involved in the design process at all stages, supporting design reviews and manufacturing queries
  • Report into the Technical Lead or Equipment Project Manager
  • Lead on packages of work, manage deliveries and assign work to senior design engineers
  • Work in an international environment and contribute to the delivery of products
Desired Qualifications
  • Technical Leadership - You will take ownership for and lead the development of test equipment technical design solutions. You will be responsible for leading a package or packages of work, manage resourcing needs and deliveries while leading your own team
  • Test Equipment Architect - advising the customer; providing guidance and feedback on Test Equipment requirements; disseminating the requirements into a system design (providing the solution architecture); ensure the developed test system meets its system requirements; act as an authority on test equipment aspects to the design teams and the project
  • Experience of managing packages of work is highly desirable

MBDA designs, develops, and manufactures missiles and related systems for land, sea, and air forces in Europe and among allies. Its portfolio includes Meteor air-to-air missiles, Brimstone and Storm Shadow cruise missiles, Aster surface-to-air systems, and AKERON anti-tank missiles, plus future technologies like AQUILA hypersonic interceptors and DragonFire directed energy weapons. The company operates through national divisions (France, UK, Italy, Germany) and international joint ventures to ensure interoperability and provide full life-cycle support. Its goal is to strengthen sovereign defense capabilities of European customers and their allies by delivering integrated, multi-domain missile and weapons solutions.

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Le Plessis-Robinson, France

Founded

2001

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • €44.4 billion 2025 order backlog ensures multi-year revenue from European rearmament.
  • Roxel acquisition in December 2024 integrates propulsion for faster missile innovation.
  • Aster production doubles in 2026 amid Ukraine-driven air defense demand surge.

What critics are saying

  • US DoD terminates MBDA Inc's Special Security Agreement in 2026 over foreign ownership.
  • Rheinmetall's Skyranger undercuts Aster sales across Europe within 6-12 months.
  • Safran sues MBDA in 2025 over Roxel terms, disrupting Aster propulsion supply.

What makes MBDA unique

  • MBDA merges Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo expertise for integrated European missile systems.
  • 45 weapon systems serve 90 armed forces across air, land, and sea domains.
  • National divisions in France, UK, and Italy preserve sovereign capabilities while enabling global scale.

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Benefits

Performance Bonus

Hybrid Work Options

Flexible Work Hours

Parental Leave

Adoption Assistance

Fertility Treatment Support

Meal Benefits

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Health Insurance

Wellness Program

Mentorship Program

Company News

Yahoo Finance
Mar 26th, 2026
MBDA to double Aster missile production in 2026 amid surging European demand

MBDA, Europe's largest missile maker, plans to double production of its Aster air-defence missile in 2026, CEO Éric Béranger announced. The company will increase overall missile output by 40% this year and double its five-year investment plan to support the expansion. The production surge follows heightened European demand for air defences after conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East exposed capability gaps. MBDA's Aster missiles are used in the SAMP/T system, Europe's only alternative to the American Patriot system. MBDA reported €13.2 billion in order intake for 2025, with its order backlog reaching a record €44.4 billion. Sales rose to €5.8 billion from €4.9 billion. Europe accounted for 70% of orders, reflecting the region's rearmament efforts. The company, owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, had already doubled missile production between 2023 and 2025.

MBDA
Sep 5th, 2025
MBDA Employees revealed as finalists for the 2025 LGBTQ+ Defence Awards

Story MBDA employees revealed as finalists for the 2025 LGBTQ+ Defence Awards.

MBDA
May 22nd, 2025
MBDA invests in UK SME, maker of the innovative Hydra drone

MBDA has invested in Hybrid Drones Ltd, a UK SME that produces the pioneering hybrid Jet-Electric Hydra 400 un-crewed aerial vehicle (UAV).This is one of the first investments by MBDA in a UK SME and a step towards future defence partnerships.

GlobalData
Jan 8th, 2025
MBDA acquires full stake in Roxel

MBDA, a European defence group, has successfully completed the acquisition of Roxel, bringing the company into its European defence conglomerate by purchasing the remaining 50% stake from Safran on 19 December 2024.

EDR Magazine
Nov 4th, 2024
Exocet: an evolving family by MBDA

As the Block 3 maintains the same non-coherent seeker of the Block 2 version, to cope with the current and future demanding scenarios in contested and electronically congested environments, and benefiting from latest homing, guidance and navigation technologies, MBDA has introduced an enhanced electronic package for the Block 3c, which is centred on a new J-band active coherent seeker provided by Thales.