Embedded Software Engineer - Contractor

DEA Specialised Airborne Operations; Laneham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

DEA Specialised Airborne Operations is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to design, develop and deliver robust, mission-critical software. You will work with Bash, Python and JavaScript, building scalable systems in a highly regulated setting.

You will mentor engineers, contribute to coding standards, and help shape testing strategies while delivering high-quality, reliable software in a secure, data-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent.
• Proven software delivery from inception to production and maintenance.
• Experience with Bash, Python and JavaScript is valuable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and enhance core software applications using Bash, Python and JavaScript.
• Design and deploy low-level security architectures and secure boot features.
• Engineer reliable connectivity and data pipelines between components and GPUs.
• Author and maintain comprehensive technical documentation; mentor others.

Skills

Python

React

AWS

Linux

Git

Docker

CI/CD

Mentoring

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent

Tools

Docker

Git

React

PostgreSQL

MongoDB

DynamoDB

Kubernetes

Job description

DEA Aviation is the UK-based lead operational company within the wider DEA Group. As part of a strategic corporate structure, the Group includes European Specialised Aviation Operations (ESAO), a wholly owned subsidiary based in Malta.

Our technology is at the core of what we do.

We design and build integrated software and hardware systems that bring together complex sensor technologies and different technical standards.

The result: flexible, reliable systems that perform under pressure and deliver on tight timelines.

As a Senior Software Engineer you will be contributing to the design, development and delivery of robust, mission-critical systems. Building high-quality software, collaborating with experienced engineers and growing your technical expertise in a highly regulated environment.

Taking ownership of your work, contributing to team standards and continuously developing your skills while solving real-world problems.

You care about clean code, reliable systems, and delivering value in a safe and efficient way.

Key Responsibilities

Software Engineering

• Develop and enhance core software applications using Bash, Python and JavaScript.

Embedded Systems & Hardware Security

• Design and deploy low-level security architectures, specifically implementing Intel Secure Boot and Arm TrustZone.
• Engineer reliable software connectivity and data pipelines between Intel host boards and Eizo (ARM/NVIDIA) GPGPUs.
• Design and integrate Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) solutions for robust hardware management.
• Implement Ubuntu and relevant driver infrastructure

Technical Operations

• Author and maintain comprehensive, high-quality technical documentation for all engineered solutions.
• Act as a technical Subject Matter Expert (SME), providing ad-hoc mentorship and technical support to internal engineering teams.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Hold a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• Have a proven track record of software delivery from inception through to production and maintenance

Skills Profile

• Ability to obtain SC Clearance
• Experience with Python and building applications using React
• Working knowledge of relational and/or databases such as PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB
• Understanding of software engineering fundamental
• Comfortable with AWS services (e.g. EC2, Lambda, or similar)
• Familiarity with Git and collaborative development workflows
• Some experience with Docker and containerised environments
• Awareness of CI/CD practices and automated testing
• Understanding of Linux environment
• Strong problem-solving skills and a lifelong learner
• Ability to communicate clearly and work effectively in a team
• Working within regulated environments
• A proactive mindset and eagerness to develop your skills
• Naturally default to data-driven decision making
• Champion engineering excellence, leading code reviews, shaping automated testing strategies, and writing clean, maintainable code
• Mentor and upskill mid-level and junior engineers, acting as a technical multiplier for your team
• Architect and build reusable, performant front-end components and drive front-end architecture using React
• Design and scale microservices-based systems and APIs, proactively addressing latency, reliability, and system bottlenecks
• Implement robust system resilience (e.g., retries, timeouts, circuit breakers) and drive a security-first approach to development
• Define and implement observability strategies using modern logging and monitoring tools to ensure system health
• Optimise and manage CI/CD pipelines to ensure smooth, predictable, and secure deployment lifecycles
• Collaborate with product and design teams to translate complex business requirements into scalable technical solutions