About Arkeus:

Arkeus is a world leader in the provision of wide-area autonomous optical search systems in the Search, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance space for Defence, Civil Defence and Environmental Sustainment applications. We specialise in the design, fabrication, manufacture and distribution of these innovative systems.

Backed by the billion-dollar deep-tech and industry expert investors Main Sequence, Beaten Zone Venture Partners, and Salus Ventures we are scaling the deployment of our next-generation hardware-enabled software platform to help our customers improve security and save lives.

We are a small yet fast-growing company with energy, passion and ambition. Our inclusive, transparent and merit-based culture focuses on building a diverse and capable workforce - one that attracts skilled individuals who share our purpose and values.

About the role:  

Arkeus is seeking an Engineering Manager who combines strong technical leadership with exceptional customer orientation, ideally gained within Defence or regulated mission-critical environments. 

This role sits at the intersection of engineering execution, customer delivery and organisational scale. You will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team while working closely with customers, program delivery, product and executive leadership to ensure our solutions are delivered reliably, safely and in line with operational expectations. 

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will play a key role in shaping how engineering supports customer trust, program execution and sustainable growth as Arkeus scales. 

This role is best suited to someone who has thrived in small to mid-sized scale-ups, is comfortable with ambiguity, and enjoys being close to both the technology and the customer. 

About you: 

You are a pragmatic engineering leader who understands that in Defence and mission-critical environments, engineering excellence and customer trust are inseparable. 

You bring: 

• Strong customer-facing experience within Defence, aerospace or similarly regulated sectors. 

• A track record of leading engineering teams in small or scaling organisations. 

• The ability to operate confidently across technical, commercial and customer domains. 

• A calm, structured approach to decision-making in complex, high-stakes environments. 

Key responsibilities: 

Engineering leadership and delivery 

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing engineering team across the full product lifecycle, from development through manufacturing and sustainment.

• Set clear technical standards, engineering practices and documentation disciplines appropriate for Defence and regulated environments. 

• Balance near-term delivery with long-term technical health and scalability.

Customer experience and stakeholder engagement 

• Act as a senior engineering interface for customers, supporting technical discussions, trade-offs and delivery expectations. 

• Translate customer and operational requirements into clear, executable engineering plans. 

• Partner closely with Program Delivery and Customer Success to ensure engineering decisions support delivery commitments and customer confidence. 

Scale-up execution 

• Operate effectively in a small, fast-growing organisation where priorities evolve and leaders remain hands-on. 

• Build lightweight but robust engineering processes that scale without slowing delivery. 

• Contribute to continuous improvement across ways of working, cross-functional collaboration and decision-making. 

Commercial and business alignment 

• Own and manage the engineering budget, with clear accountability for cost, resourcing and forecasting. 

• Ensure engineering effort is aligned to contracted scope, delivery milestones and commercial outcomes. 

• Contribute to leadership discussions on strategy, risk, growth and investment priorities. 

Your experience and skills: 

• Degree in Electronics, Software, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering or a related discipline. 

• Proven experience leading engineering teams delivering hardware-enabled software systems. 

• Experience working directly with Defence or government customers, including managing expectations and constraints. 

• Exposure to product development through to manufacturing and sustainment. 

• Experience operating in scale-ups or lean organisations where leaders remain hands-on. 

• Strong understanding of engineering cost drivers and budget ownership. 

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.

What we offer:  

• Work on technology that directly contributes to national security and life-saving outcomes.

• A leadership role with real influence in a growing deep-tech scale-up. 

• Close collaboration with highly experienced leaders across Defence, aerospace and research. 

• A connected, inclusive and high-trust team environment. 

• Workplace flexibility and a strong focus on sustainable performance. 

• Access to our Employee Share Option Plan. 

• The opportunity to mentor emerging engineering talent and shape the next phase of Arkeus’ growth.  

If this sounds like you, please apply even if you don't check every box listed above and join our growing team in improving security and saving lives!