Forward Deployed Software Engineer

UFORCE; Greater London; Remote; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

UFORCE in London, UK, is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to ensure field reliability of our defence-technology systems. You will work with engineers, operators, and customers during trials, demonstrations, and deployments, solving issues and turning field experience into practical improvements.

Software is the primary discipline, but the role is hands-on across the system—from networking to equipment setup and operator workflows.

Qualifications

• Strong software engineering as your primary discipline with Python and/or C++ for debugging and maintenance.
• Ability to read, write, and debug code, scripts, APIs, services and logs.
• Systems-minded with regard to software, compute, networking, and field operations.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, configure, and support systems during trials and customer activity in the field.
• Manage software rollouts, baselines, versions, and rollback procedures.
• Diagnose faults across software, hardware, networking, power, and sensors.
• Read logs, reproduce issues, and provide actionable context to Engineering.
• Develop small tools to automate checks and reduce manual field work.
• Prepare field setups, checklists, spares, and ensure repeatable deployments.
• Translate field observations into feedback for Software, Product, Operations, and Engineering.
• Support demonstrations and training, explaining issues to both specialists and non-specialists.
• Improve software readiness, observability, and release discipline for field use.

Skills

Python

C++

Debugging

Linux

Networking

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

CI/CD

Job description

UFORCE exists to make aggression unaffordable.
Founded in Ukraine and headquartered in London, UFORCE is a defence-technology company with operations across Europe, the United States and Asia.
UFORCE builds uncrewed vessels, ground robotics and aircraft, autonomy software, and the command-and-control layer that operates them together. Each platform is deployable on its own, and stronger as part of the system. Its product lines include the MAGURA family of uncrewed surface vessels, the NEMESIS family of strike platforms, the LIUT family of ground robotic platforms, and counter-UAS systems.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Forward Deployed Engineer to make UFORCE systems work reliably in the field. You’ll work alongside engineers, operators and customers during trials, demonstrations, training and deployments, resolving issues and turning field experience into practical improvements.

Software is your primary discipline, but this is not a desk-based software role. It’s a hands‑on, deployed position where you’ll work across the wider system, from networking and communications to equipment setup and operator workflows.

You don’t need deep mechanical, marine or electronics expertise. We’re looking for strong software skills, practical operational experience and the ability to learn quickly.

The role is a remote based role, with regular travel to field sites and customer locations locally and internationally.

What You Will Do

• Own technical execution in the field: deploying, configuring, and supporting our systems during trials, demonstrations, training, and customer activity, often with limited backup.

• Manage the software side of deployments, including baselines, versions, configuration control, release notes, validation checks, and rollback and recovery procedures.

• Diagnose faults across the whole deployed system using structured fault isolation, separating software, hardware, network, comms, power, sensor, configuration, operator, and environmental causes.

• Read logs, reproduce issues, test hypotheses, and capture clear evidence, then hand issues back to Engineering with enough context to act on them quickly.

• Write scripts and small tools that automate checks, validate configuration, parse logs, and reduce manual work in the field.

• Prepare for field activity by checking equipment, cabling, compute setup, spares, tools, checklists, and documentation. Support practical tasks beyond software, such as system setup and compute swaps, and improve preparation so deployments become faster and more repeatable.

• Turn field observations into clear feedback for Software, Product, Operations, and Engineering, closing the gap between what is built, what is deployed, and what the customer expects.

• Support operators and customers during demonstrations and training, explain technical issues clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, and help customers become more self-sufficient after handover.

• Improve software readiness over time, including observability, release discipline, documentation, and knowledge transfer, so the field depends less on engineering reach-back.

What We're Looking For

• Strong software engineering ability as your primary discipline, with skills in Python and/or C++ for debugging, log analysis, and system maintenance.

• You can read, write, and debug code and scripts and are comfortable with version control, APIs, services, and logs.

• Systems-minded judgment. You can explain interfaces, dependencies, and trade-offs across software, compute, networking, comms, sensors, hardware, and field operations, and you avoid assuming that every problem is a software problem.

• Experience deploying and configuring Linux-based software systems, including package management, services, containers, updates, rollbacks, and repeatable deployment methods.

• Practical field troubleshooting experience in deployed or operational settings, such as military or global operations, motorsport, field engineering, remote production, customer sites, maritime, robotics, aerospace, or automotive environments.

• Working knowledge of networking and integration, including TCP/IP, VLANs, routing, VPNs, DNS, DHCP, firewalls, and how to tell a software failure from a connectivity, sensor, or data-link problem.

• Operational discipline: you prepare thoroughly, use checklists, manage risk, elevate sensibly, and stay calm under pressure.

• Clear technical communication, including structured, unambiguous reporting that Engineering can act on and operators can understand.

• A team-first, high-ownership approach. You work well with a small, multidisciplinary team, including during extended deployments, and are willing to travel regularly and support field activity.

Nice to Have

• Experience with robotics, uncrewed systems, autonomy or mission software, sensors, telemetry, operator interfaces, or defence trials.

• Experience deploying software to edge compute or in disconnected environments, including containers and orchestration, CI/CD, infrastructure automation, observability, and controlled updates.

• Familiarity with tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, Ansible, or Terraform.

• Experience representing a technical team in customer demonstrations, trials, training, or deployments.

• Experience working in security-sensitive or controlled environments.

The nature of combat has changed.

Tomorrow’s battlefield success depends on autonomy, speed, and adaptability.

And UFORCE is ready.

Are You?