Systems Engineer - EMC
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
MERITUS are recruiting for a Systems Engineer to support communications systems and EMC projects in the Defence and Space industry. Ideally, we are looking for someone with Military ground site installations and communications systems experience.
SYSTEMS ENGINEER - EMC - INSIDE IR35 - £70 PER HOUR - PORTSMOUTH - SC CLEARED (MUST HAVE ON APPLICATION) - 6 MONTHS (+VERY LIKELY EXTENSION) - SINGLE STAGE INTERVIEW PROCESS - SECTOR: SPACE
MERITUS are recruiting for an EMC & TEMPEST Systems Engineer to support a leading defence communications programme focused on secure ground-based infrastructure.
This role will focus on the design, analysis, verification, and certification of communications and control system installations operating within highly regulated defence environments. You will be responsible for ensuring installations comply with EMC and TEMPEST requirements, supporting critical communications capabilities used within secure operational environments.
The role would suit candidates with experience in EMC engineering, TEMPEST compliance, electrical installation design, systems integration, military communications, or secure infrastructure projects.
Key Responsibilities- Develop compliant installation designs for communications, networking, and control systems.
- Capture, analyse, and validate EMC and TEMPEST requirements.
- Support system architecture development and installation design activities.
- Produce EMC and TEMPEST compliance documentation, analysis, and technical reports.
- Develop verification, validation, and acceptance test plans.
- Coordinate with specialist test facilities and certification authorities.
- Conduct engineering analysis, trade studies, and impact assessments.
- Manage system interfaces and support integration activities.
- Support equipment selection, installation, testing, and operational acceptance.
- Work closely with customers, suppliers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams throughout the system lifecycle.
- Experience supporting EMC-compliant electrical or electronic system installations.
- Strong understanding of electromagnetic interference (EMI), electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and mitigation techniques.
- Practical experience of electrical equipment installation, including rack integration, cabling practices, grounding, and bonding.
- Experience developing test plans, compliance evidence, and engineering documentation.
- Knowledge of systems engineering principles across requirements, design, integration, verification, and validation.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Knowledge of TEMPEST standards, testing, or secure communications environments.
- Experience working with EMC standards, test specifications, and compliance activities.
- Military communications, satellite communications, or secure network infrastructure experience.
- Experience with military ground installations and associated standards.
- Previous involvement in regulated defence or security-sensitive programmes.
- Experience engaging with EMC test houses, certification authorities, or defence customers.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Place SC Clearance prominently at the top of your CV — the advert states it is mandatory on application, so burying it risks immediate rejection.
📊 Quantify your EMC/TEMPEST work: e.g. "Produced EMC compliance documentation for 4 ground-based communications installations, achieving certification within 3-month programme milestones."
🎯 Explicitly reference TEMPEST standards (e.g. NATO SDIP-27, AMSG 720) and EMC standards (e.g. DEF STAN 59-411, MIL-STD-461) you have worked to — the advert calls these out as desirable differentiators.
🌐 Highlight any military ground site or satellite communications experience in a dedicated "Key Projects" section, as the advert specifically seeks this background for a Space sector programme.
🤝 Demonstrate cross-functional collaboration in your bullet points — the role requires working with customers, suppliers, test facilities, and certification authorities across the full system lifecycle.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Developed EMC and TEMPEST compliance documentation for 3 secure ground-based communications installations, achieving DEF STAN 59-411 certification 2 weeks ahead of programme milestone.
- •Designed rack integration and grounding schemes for 6 military communications shelters, reducing electromagnetic interference incidents during acceptance testing by 40%.
- •Authored 12 verification and validation test plans for a satellite ground station upgrade, coordinating with 2 external certification authorities and delivering all acceptance evidence within a 4-month window.
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Letter preview — tailored to Meritus Talent
Dear Hiring Manager,
Meritus Talent's EMC & TEMPEST Systems Engineer role on the Portsmouth defence communications programme is precisely aligned with the work I have been doing in secure ground-based infrastructure. With hands-on experience in EMC-compliant installation design, grounding and bonding practices, and producing TEMPEST compliance documentation to DEF STAN 59-411, I am confident I can contribute from day one of this six-month contract.
My background in defence systems engineering spans requirements capture, rack integration, and coordinating with specialist test facilities to achieve certification milestones on schedule. I have developed acceptance test plans for military communications installations and managed system interfaces across multidisciplinary teams, ensuring compliance evidence was audit-ready throughout the programme lifecycle.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Walk us through how you would develop an EMC compliance plan for a new secure ground-based communications installation.
- ›What EMC and TEMPEST standards have you worked to, and how did you apply them during design and verification activities?
- ›Describe your approach to grounding and bonding in a rack-integrated communications system — what are the critical considerations?
- ›How do you structure a verification and validation test plan for a system with both EMC and TEMPEST requirements?
- ›What methods do you use to identify and mitigate electromagnetic interference in a mixed-signal defence installation environment?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you had to manage conflicting requirements from multiple stakeholders on a complex engineering programme.
- ›Describe a situation where you identified a compliance risk late in a project — how did you handle it and what was the outcome?
- ›Give an example of when you had to produce technical documentation under significant time pressure. How did you ensure accuracy?
- ›Tell me about a time you coordinated with an external test facility or certification authority — what challenges arose and how did you resolve them?
- ›Describe a project where you had to integrate systems from multiple suppliers. How did you manage the interfaces and ensure compatibility?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Describe a situation where you identified a compliance risk late in a project — how did you handle it and what was the outcome?
Tell me about a time you coordinated with an external test facility or certification authority — what challenges arose and how did you resolve them?