Lead Software and Systems Development Engineer

Lead Software & Systems Engineer | Defence R&D (Defence experience NOT required)
Norfolk, on-site | £65k–£85k (some flexibility both above and below that range for exceptional candidates)

Would you like to lead the next phase of how an R&D team builds software, at a company that genuinely wants modern practice, not just talks about it?

Defence experience isn't required, so if you've fancied moving into the sector, this is a strong way in.

My client designs and builds complex defence systems. Their R&D team works three to five years ahead of live programmes, working out what the next customer requirement will be before anyone's asked for it. Small team, around eight engineers, hard technical problems. They're growing it now, and this is one of the key leadership roles they're creating to do that.
The role
You'll lead software and systems within R&D. What's there works, but it has grown organically: lots of branches, everyone doing things slightly differently, an architecture built on older thinking. Your job is to bring structure without killing the pace. Define how code is written, reviewed, merged, tested and released. Then make it stick.
It's hands-on to start. The team is small right now, so you'll be writing code as well as setting direction, then building the team underneath you.
What you'll do

• Own Git and repository governance across the department: branching, review, merging, releases
• Drive a more modular architecture with clearly defined interfaces, so code can be reused across a product range
• Bring in proper verification and validation at module level, not just at system level
• Review others' code, with authority and diplomacy
• Lead and mentor the software and systems team
• Working closely with physicists, controls engineers and electronics engineers
• Shape the technical roadmap: GUI stack, containerisation and, longer term, more connected, secure and updatable systems
• Hand clean, validated, traceable work over to engineering for production
• Hands-on coding: writing and shipping code yourself, though expect this to decrease in volume as the team grows

What you'll bring

• A strong software engineering background in C++ on Linux. Where Qt / GUI is a bonus
• Setting up and improving software process: Git workflows, code review, testing, release management
• An architecture-first, modular mindset
• Containerisation, ideally Docker on Linux
• Verification and validation experience, ideally on real-time or mission-critical software
• A background in complex products, preferably in a regulated domain such as defence, aerospace, medical, automotive etc.
• Some people leadership (formal or not) as well as technical leadership.
• Happy with occasional UK and international travel.
• Eligibility for SC clearance (don't need to hold it already
• )

Why it's worth a look

• You get to shape the next phase of how a department builds software
• Interesting problems: real-time computation, sensor data, physics-heavy systems
• A new role, not a backfill, with a team to build under you
• A director who actively wants the change, rather than a "we'll modernise one day" setup

Interested, or know someone who'd be good? Drop me a message and I'll talk you through it, including who the client is.