Embedded Software Engineer

Embedded Software Engineer (C/C++) | Defence & Autonomous Systems | West Wales | Hybrid | Up to £75,000

We’re working with a fast‑growing defence and autonomous systems company based in West Wales, developing cutting‑edge UAV and autonomous platform technology. As they scale their engineering capability, they’re looking for an Embedded Software Engineer to step into a senior technical position within the team.

This is a rare opportunity to join a business at an exciting stage of growth, where your code will run on real hardware, on real platforms, doing things that genuinely matter.

You’ll be working at the heart of the platform, writing and owning embedded software that controls and coordinates the behaviour of UAV and autonomous systems. Working closely with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering colleagues, you’ll bridge the gap between hardware and high‑level system behaviour, delivering robust, reliable software in C and C++.

• Developing and maintaining embedded software in C and C++ for UAV and autonomous platform programmes
• Writing low‑level firmware and drivers to interface with sensors, actuators, communication buses, and onboard hardware
• Working closely with hardware engineers to define and implement software/hardware interfaces
• Contributing to software architecture decisions and helping to establish best practices within a growing team
• Supporting integration, testing, and verification activities, including hardware‑in‑the‑loop and on‑platform testing
• Debugging and optimising embedded code for performance, reliability, and safety in a real‑time environment

• Strong hands‑on experience in embedded software development using C and/or C++
• Solid understanding of real‑time operating systems (RTOS) and bare‑metal programming
• Experience working with communication protocols such as CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, or similar
• Comfortable working directly with hardware, reading schematics, using test equipment, and debugging at the board level
• A pragmatic, solutions‑focused engineer who thrives in a fast‑paced, hands‑on environment
• Eligibility for SC security clearance (British nationality or long‑term UK residency required)

• Background in UAV, drone, aerospace, or autonomous systems
• Familiarity with MoD or defence programme environments
• Experience with safety‑critical or certified software development (DO‑178C or similar)
• Knowledge of MAVLink, ROS, or other autonomous systems middleware

• Salary up to £75,000 depending on experience
• Hybrid working with a base in West Wales
• A senior, influential role in a team that’s growing fast
• The chance to work on genuinely complex, meaningful autonomous systems technology