Chief Software Engineer

Please note, this is an onsite role 5 days per week and you must be eligible for SC and DV clearance

An established engineering organisation delivering secure, mission-critical technology solutions is seeking a Principal Software Engineering Manager to provide technical leadership across a portfolio of complex development programmes. This role combines strategic software leadership with hands‑on technical oversight, supporting the delivery of embedded and application software solutions within highly regulated environments. You will work across multiple engineering disciplines, helping to shape software architecture, development practices, tooling, and technical direction while supporting a team of experienced software engineers.

• es Provide technical leadership across multiple software projects, ensuring robust architectures, effective reuse of software components, and adoption of appropriate development tools and methodologie
• s.Support software leads and project teams in defining software requirements, architecture, design approaches, and implementation strategie
• s.Drive consistency in software engineering standards, processes, and best practice across development team
• s.Work closely with systems, hardware and firmware engineers to ensure integrated and coherent technical solution
• s.Support project planning activities, helping teams deliver value to customers through well-structured development roadmap
• s.Review software designs, architectures, and implementation approaches, providing guidance and resolving technical challenges where require
• d.Promote modular software design and the creation of reusable software frameworks and component
• s.Lead the adoption of modern software engineering practices including CI/CD, Dev Ops, Dev Sec Ops , automated testing, and secure development principle
• s.Champion continuous improvement initiatives relating to software tools, processes, standards, and ways of workin
• g.Mentor and develop engineers, supporting technical growth across the wider software functio
• n.Lead technical reviews and approve key engineering documentatio
• n.Contribute to customer proposals, bids and technical solution development, including effort estimation and risk assessmen
• t.Support information security and governance requirements in line with organisational and customer obligation

• nce Significant experience in software engineering leadership within a complex engineering environme
• nt.
  
  Strong background in one or more of the followi
• ng:
  
  C/
• C++R
• ust Embedded software developm
• entReal-Time Operating Systems (RT
• ent Proven track record delivering complex software solutions throughout the full development lifecyc
• le.
  
  Strong understanding of software architecture, design methodologies, coding standards, verification, validation and configuration manageme
• nt.
  
  Experience implementing software development best practice, including automated testing and continuous integration framewor
• ks.
  
  Familiarity with version control, defect management and change management too
• s.Experience working within regulated industries such as defence, aerospace, space, communications or other safety/security-critical secto
• rs.
  
  Knowledge of modelling techniques and tools such as UML, SysML or Enterprise Architect would be benefici
• al.
  
  Exposure to secure software development and cryptographic systems would be advantageo
• us.
  
  Degree qualified in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or a related discipli