Lead Configuration and Change Manager

We’re recruiting an experienced a Lead Configuration and Change Manager to oversee a growing portfolio of defence programmes, within our Electronic Warfare (EW) and Future Combat Air (FCA) Lines of Business.

As the Lead Configuration and Change Manager, you will provide oversight and support to Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), while leading the Configuration and Data Management team. You will be responsible for implementing and continuously improving Configuration Management processes across the full programme lifecycle, ensuring robust governance and control from concept through to in-service support.

Working at the forefront of advanced defence technologies, you will ensure that hardware, firmware and software product baselines are accurately defined, maintained and controlled in accordance with contractual requirements, regulatory obligations and company standards.

Your responsibilities include:

• Identification, agreement, and control of Configuration Items in alignment with programme and regulatory requirements.
• Approval and oversight of configuration management plans, including baselines, updates, and change implementation plans.
• Ensuring compliance with the Five Pillars of Configuration Management and all relevant aerospace and defence standards.
• Configuration Identification - defining, documenting, and controlling CIs, baselines (Functional, Allocated, Product, As-Built, As Maintained), and their relationships in PLM systems.
• Configuration Control - managing changes via First Pass Filters (FPF), Configuration Control Boards (CCB), and Configuration Implementation Boards (CIB) to ensure structured, compliant change approval and embodiment.
• Configuration Status Accounting (CSA) - capturing, maintaining, and reporting CI status, change records, and KPIs, providing actionable intelligence to the Line of Business.
• Configuration Audits - planning and leading Functional Configuration Audits (FCA), Physical Configuration Audits (PCA), and internal/supplier audits to verify conformity between design, production, and documentation.
• Configuration Planning and Governance - establishing the Configuration Management Plan (CMP), managing team capacity, workload forward load, training, and KPI performance to ensure CM governance aligns with programme and contractual obligations.

• Extensive experience leading configuration and change control in defence, aerospace, or similarly regulated environments.
• Advanced experience using TCU at an organisational level.
• Experience defining and reporting KPIs to senior leadership.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience working with classified and export-controlled information.
• Understanding of supporting enterprise-wide CM frameworks or transformations.
• Knowledge of airworthiness or safety-critical systems.
• Familiarity with additional PLM/CM tools (e.g. Windchill, Teamcenter, Dimensions).

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work-life balance. Whether you’re looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team-they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.