Principal Software Engineer

Salary: £76,000 - 94,000 per year

Requirements:

• Several years of C/C++ software engineering experience in aerospace, defence, or other mission- or safety-critical domains
• Networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP, UDP, and socket programming
• Knowledge of RTOS concepts, including multi-threading and inter-process communication (IPC)
• Experience with DDS middleware
• Experience with Microsoft Visual Studio, CMake, Git, and Ubuntu Linux
• Experience with embedded SoC platforms, such as Xilinx, Texas Instruments, or similar processors
• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills on embedded platforms
• Experience developing and debugging embedded Linux custom target hardware
• Experience with iterative development lifecycles, such as tailored Agile, and related tools such as Jira or DevOps
• Familiarity with development design and coding standards
• Nice to have: Python scripting for development support and experience with unit test frameworks
• Nice to have: Skills in identifying and mitigating technical risk across software components
• Nice to have: Hands-on lifecycle experience, from requirements through to certification
• Nice to have: Ability to mentor and coach engineers and promote software engineering excellence
• Nice to have: Ability to collaborate across disciplines with systems, hardware, and firmware teams
• Eligibility for full security clearance is required
• We welcome applicants who may not meet every listed criterion; a positive attitude and willingness to learn are important

Responsibilities:

• Create a new generation of features and capabilities using innovative software solutions
• Contribute to technical work on a range of defence projects within our Integrated Sensors & Protection line of business
• Collaborate with other software engineers to continuously improve, develop, and deliver market-leading products

Technologies:

• DevOps
• Embedded
• Firmware
• Git
• Hardware
• Support
• JIRA
• Linux
• Network
• Python
• Security
• TCP/IP
• Ubuntu
• Visual Studio
• C++

More:

We are Leonardo, a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security, headquartered in Italy, with more than 53,000 employees worldwide, including 8,500 across nine UK sites. This Principal Software Engineer role is based in Basildon, is permanent and full time, and offers hybrid working. We offer flexible hours and part-time options, flexible benefits, above-average employer pension contributions, an annual bonus, 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays and 12 flexi days, and employee network groups supporting carers, people with disabilities, gender balance, and LGBTQ+ equality. We also partner with the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers. We are committed to an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace and can support accessibility requirements during recruitment. Direct industry experience is not required, and we welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds.

last updated 39 week of 2026