Contract Software Engineers C# .NET & Ada

Bristol Industrial; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence technology firm is looking for experienced Contract Software Engineers in C# .NET and Ada to develop robust software for mission-critical systems. The position offers a hybrid working model based in Luton, necessitating full UK Security Clearance. Candidates should have expertise in software development lifecycles, experience in Agile environments, and the ability to work independently on complex tasks. This role provides an opportunity to contribute to defence and electronic warfare programmes.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with C# .NET and web-based applications.
• Strong knowledge of Embedded/Real-Time software development, especially in Ada.
• Experience in Agile environments and CI/CD practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop and test robust applications for mission-critical systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-integrity software.
• Engage in rigorous verification and validation activities.

Skills

C# .NET

Object-oriented design

Agile methodologies

Embedded systems

Ada

Tools

Visual Studio

Azure DevOps

COTS RTOS

Job description

We are recruiting multiple experienced Contract Software Engineers to support current and future programmes within a leading defence and Electronic Warfare organisation. These roles sit within a mature engineering environment, delivering mission‑critical software across advanced platforms.

This advert covers two separate contract roles, each with its own focus, responsibilities, and skill requirements.

Role 1: Contract Software Engineer – C# .NET

Location: Luton (Hybrid – 4 days onsite, 1 day remote)

Security Clearance: Full UK SC required (sole UK nationality essential)

Role Summary

We are seeking experienced C# .NET Software Engineers who can work with minimal supervision to deliver robust, high‑quality software for current and future Electronic Warfare programmes. The role offers the opportunity to work within a mature development environment on cutting‑edge defence technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop robust applications using C# .NET within a Windows environment
• Take ownership of complex tasks across the full software lifecycle (requirements through to delivery)
• Apply object‑oriented design principles and verification/validation techniques
• Work collaboratively within skilled Agile teams while maintaining independence
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and modern development practices

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong commercial experience with C# .NET, including web‑based applications
• Solid understanding of object‑oriented design and software development methodologies
• Experience across the full software lifecycle, including automated testing
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices
• Experience working in Agile environments (Scrum, Kanban)
• Ability to deliver high‑quality solutions with minimal supervision

Desirable

• Defence or Electronic Warfare domain experience
• Experience with WPF, WinForms, Visual Studio
• Exposure to DOORS, Cameo, Azure DevOps
• Some C++ experience
• Microservices architecture experience

Role 2: Contract Software Engineer – Ada (Embedded / Real‑Time)

Location: Luton (Hybrid – 4 days onsite, 1 day remote)

Security Clearance: Full UK SC required (sole UK nationality essential)

Role Summary

We are looking for an experienced real‑time embedded software engineer with strong Ada expertise to support Defensive Aids development programmes across advanced Electronic Warfare systems. This role focuses on delivering high‑integrity, mission‑critical software within a structured engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Specify, design, develop, and test real‑time embedded software in Ada
• Deliver software to high‑integrity and mission‑critical standards
• Own complex tasks across the full lifecycle, from requirements through to integration and target testing
• Collaborate closely with hardware, firmware, and systems engineering teams
• Support integration, verification, and validation activities within mature development frameworks

Essential Skills & Experience

• Expert knowledge of Ada, including object‑oriented design
• Strong debugging capability in embedded real‑time environments
• Experience working with COTS RTOS
• Good working knowledge of UML
• Strong understanding of Verification & Validation techniques
• Experience in requirements engineering, hands‑on integration, and target testing
• Background working within structured, high‑assurance development processes

Desirable

• Defence / Electronic Warfare domain experience
• Experience with Dimensions, DOORS, Rhapsody, VxWorks
• Experience with AdaCore GNAT Pro and VectorCAST
• Development to RTCA/DO‑178B or equivalent safety‑critical standards

Meridian Business Support is a recruitment specialist acting on behalf of our client as an Employment Business for this vacancy.