Chief Software Engineer

Overview

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.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across multiple software projects, ensuring robust architectures, effective reuse of software components, and adoption of appropriate development tools and methodologies.
• Support software leads and project teams in defining software requirements, architecture, design approaches, and implementation strategies.
• Drive consistency in software engineering standards, processes, and best practice across development teams.
• Work closely with systems, hardware and firmware engineers to ensure integrated and coherent technical solutions.
• Support project planning activities, helping teams deliver value to customers through well-structured development roadmaps.
• Review software designs, architectures, and implementation approaches, providing guidance and resolving technical challenges where required.
• Promote modular software design and the creation of reusable software frameworks and components.
• Lead the adoption of modern software engineering practices including CI/CD, DevOps, DevSecOps, automated testing, and secure development principles.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives relating to software tools, processes, standards, and ways of working.
• Mentor and develop engineers, supporting technical growth across the wider software function.
• Lead technical reviews and approve key engineering documentation.
• Contribute to customer proposals, bids and technical solution development, including effort estimation and risk assessment.
• Support information security and governance requirements in line with organisational and customer obligations.

Skills & Experience

• Significant experience in software engineering leadership within a complex engineering environment.
• Strong background in one or more of the following:
  • C/C++
  • Rust
  • Embedded software development
  • Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS)
  • Windows or Linux application development
  • Device driver development
• Proven track record delivering complex software solutions throughout the full development lifecycle.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, design methodologies, coding standards, verification, validation and configuration management.
• Experience implementing software development best practice, including automated testing and continuous integration frameworks.
• Familiarity with version control, defect management and change management tools.
• Experience working within regulated industries such as defence, aerospace, space, communications or other safety/security-critical sectors.
• Knowledge of modelling techniques and tools such as UML, SysML or Enterprise Architect would be beneficial.
• Exposure to secure software development and cryptographic systems would be advantageous.
• Degree qualified in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or a related discipline.