DV Cleared Software Developer

The Opportunity Hub UK Ltd; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in company

Flexible working hours around Cardiff

Learning and development budget

Flat structure and direct access to co

Core Cardiff office presence

Job summary

The Opportunity Hub UK Ltd in Cardiff is seeking a DV Cleared Software Developer to help build secure, mission-critical software for Defence & Government. You’ll ship code end-to-end, direct to government stakeholders, in a startup environment with minimal silos.

You’ll collaborate across a small team, influence architecture, and benefit from equity, flexible hours around a Cardiff office, and a direct line to founders and senior engineers.

Qualifications

• Active DV clearance is required for this role.
• Several years of professional software development experience.
• Experience with secure development practices in regulated environments.
• Willingness to work in a startup with ambiguous, evolving requirements.
• Strong communication skills to explain technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design and build software for secure, mission-critical systems in Defence & Government.
• Write, test, and deploy code across the full stack from backend to operator interfaces.
• Work directly with government stakeholders to translate requirements into working systems.
• Review code, catch problems early, and maintain high quality in a small team.
• Contribute to architecture decisions as the product scales and handle classified information correctly.

Skills

DV clearance

Software development

Secure development

Clear communication

Job description

Perfect role for a mid professional looking to grow their Defence & Government career in Cardiff.

Defence technology teams in Wales are quietly building some of the most sensitive software in the UK, and clearance holders who can actually ship code are in short supply. This is a startup, not a prime contractor: small enough that your work touches real systems within weeks, backed by government contracts that don't disappear when the market wobbles. The DV Cleared Software Developer role sits right at that intersection.

Here’s what you’ll be doing:

Design and build software for secure, mission-critical systems within a Defence & Government environment

Write, test and deploy code across the full stack, from backend services to the interfaces operators actually use

Work directly with government stakeholders to translate requirements into working systems, no layers of management in between

Review code, catch problems early, and hold the line on quality within a small, fast-moving engineering team

Contribute to architecture decisions as the product scales, not just implementation

Handle classified information correctly, every time, without needing reminders

Here are the skills you’ll need:

Active DV clearance, non-negotiable for this DV Cleared Software Developer position

Several years of professional software development experience, comfortable across multiple languages and frameworks

A working grasp of secure development practices within Defence & Government or similarly regulated settings

Comfortable operating with ambiguity. Startups don't hand you a finished spec

Strong communication skills, since you'll be explaining technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders regularly

Willingness to wear multiple hats and pick up unfamiliar parts of the stack when needed

Key perks and benefits:

Salary of £43,500 to £65,000, depending on experience

Equity in a growing defence technology company

Flexible working hours around a core Cardiff office presence

Learning and development budget to keep your technical skills current

Flat structure. You'll have direct access to founders and senior engineers, not three layers of sign-off

Why pursue a career in Defence & Government?

Government spending on defence technology is climbing, and Cardiff has become a genuine hub for cleared engineering talent outside London. Clearance itself is an asset that compounds over your career: fewer people hold it, so fewer people compete for the roles that need it. Good engineers with a DV ticket rarely stay unemployed for long in this sector.