C++ Software Engineer

Leonardo; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Free online courses (Coursera/LinkedIn

Referral bonus

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Leonardo UK is recruiting for a Principal Engineer in Edinburgh. The role sits within a grade-based framework with a salary band reflecting the appointed grade.

You will contribute to high‑impact defence/aerospace projects, including fast jets platforms, and operate within a structured, market-aligned salary scheme. The role requires strong C++ skills, experience in agile environments, and the ability to collaborate across teams.

Qualifications

• Strong C++ programming experience, ideally in regulated environments.
• Experience working in an agile team and with the software development lifecycle.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and work with others.
• Git or equivalent source control expertise.
• Ability to develop software from requirements and trace issues with a debugger.

Responsibilities

• Work on cutting-edge defence/aerospace projects.
• Contribute to software design, development, and integration for high-assurance systems.
• Support and improve current software in a complex codebase.

Skills

C++ programming

Agile software development

Git

Debugging

Collaboration

Embedded environments

Tools

CMake

Atlassian toolset

Job description

Principal Engineer £54000 - £70000

Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Your impact

Are you interested in working on one of the most cutting-edge defence and aerospace projects in the UK? We are enhancing the capability of fast jets such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen and the emerging 6th generation fighter jet platform, Tempest. We are looking for top engineers to join our team and help us with our industry leading contributions to these projects.

Job Description

Salary Range:

Engineer £38000 - £50000

Senior Engineer £45000 - £60000

Principal Engineer £54000 - £70000

Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Your impact

Are you interested in working on one of the most cutting-edge defence and aerospace projects in the UK? We are enhancing the capability of fast jets such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen and the emerging 6th generation fighter jet platform, Tempest. We are looking for top engineers to join our team and help us with our industry leading contributions to these projects.

What You’ll Bring

To be successful in this role, we really need you to have the following experience:

• Experience working within an agile team and familiarity with agile software development lifecycle


• Strong C++ programming skills, ideally in a highly regulated environment.


• The ability to collaborate and work with others


• Git (or equivalent) source control expertise


• The ability to develop suitable software solution from solution requirements


• The ability to trace, diagnose and resolve potential software issues. Familiarity with a debugger.

If you have the above skills, the following will really help you stand out:

• Familiarity with Signal Processing


• Experience working on complex products and codebases


• Familiarisation with component-based development


• Experience with working in embedded environments


• Experience using static analysis and code coverage tooling


• Knowledge of best practises for incremental development


• Familiarity with the Atlassian toolset


• Familiarity with Cmake.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company‑funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.


• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.


• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).


• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.


• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.


• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.


• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.


• Flexible Working: Flexible hours are available, however, due to the nature of this work, full time on‑site working will be required. For part time opportunities, please talk to us

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location

GB - Edinburgh

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Onsite