Head of Systems Design

Want to influence the bigger picture? At Saab, you can realise amazing innovations that keep people and societies safe. Together, we can truly make an impact – and your part matters.

Your role

Defence and security are changing fast. At Saab Naval Combat Systems, we are investing for growth and adapting to this shift. To succeed, we need to maintain focus and cohesion at system level across the solutions we deliver to our customers.

As Head of Systems Design, you will lead a department of highly skilled specialists within Technical Project Management, Systems Engineering, Configuration Management and Safety Engineering. The department is responsible for overall system design, ensuring that architecture, requirements and technical solutions are managed throughout the product lifecycle.

The organization currently consists of seven managers and their teams. You will also have a dotted-line responsibility for a team in Germany, playing a key role in strengthening collaboration and harmonizing ways of working across our Swedish and German operations. As a member of the Product Unit management team, you report to the Head of PU Combat Systems.

Your main task will be to initiate and drive a transformation journey for our Systems Design department. Today, we have many parallel projects and a strong delivery focus, but we see great potential to work more efficiently and strategically product oriented. 

Key responsibilities:

• Lead, coach and develop seven line managers and their teams.
• Set the strategic direction for Systems Design and translate it into clear priorities and actions.
• Drive increased reuse of designs, architectures and technical solutions across projects.
• Establish common processes, methods and tools within Systems Engineering, Configuration Management, Safety Engineering and Technical Project Management.
• Strengthen ownership of engineering processes, methods and tools within the line organization.
• Improve onboarding and knowledge sharing to reduce dependency on key individuals and accelerate productivity.
• Ensure consistency and quality in the application of methods, tools and processes across projects.
• Balance operational delivery with long-term capability development by acting as a bridge between projects and the line organization.
• Strengthen collaboration and leverage synergies across our Swedish, German, Finnish and Australian operations.
• Contribute actively to the Engineering Management Team through strategic planning, competence development and resource management.

Your profile

As a person, you are clear, trustworthy and engaging. You create participation, set direction and dare to challenge established ways of working – always with the business, the customer and your people in focus.

We believe you have:

• Solid experience from systems development in a complex, regulated or safety-critical environment.
• Proven leadership experience, preferably with responsibility for managers and senior experts.
• Experience of driving change and improvement work in engineering organisations, for example around process development, reuse/standardisation or CM.
• An understanding for or experience with running large and complex projects.
• A structured and analytical working style, with the ability to see the big picture and at the same time understand operational challenges.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills in English, both spoken and written. Knowledge of Swedish and/or German is an advantage but not a requirement.

This position requires that you pass a security vetting based on the current regulations around/of security protection. For positions requiring security clearance additional obligations on citizenship may apply.

What you will be a part of

Explore a wealth of possibilities. Take on challenges, create smart inventions, and grow beyond. This is a place for curious minds, brave pioneers, and everyone in between. Together, we achieve the extraordinary, each bringing our unique perspectives. Your part matters.

Saab is a leading defense and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe. Empowered by talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world.

Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems. Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defense capability of several nations. Read more about us here.

Kindly observe that this is an ongoing recruitment process and that the position might be filled before the closing date of the advertisement.