Lead Software Engineer

Leonardo; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous leave with additional flexi-days

Employer-contributed pension scheme

Free mental health support

Bonus scheme eligibility

Access to online courses

Referral programme reward

Flexible benefits for healthcare and discounts

Flexible working hours

Job summary

Leonardo is looking for experienced Lead Software Engineers in Basildon to act as Technical Authority for defence projects. You will blend technical leadership with strategic influence, and develop innovative software solutions. The role provides autonomy and offers opportunities for career development. The company features generous benefits including flexi-leave, pension contributions, and access to online courses. The position supports hybrid working and requires relevant technical experience in aerospace or defence sectors.

Qualifications

• Several years of C++ software engineering experience in aerospace, defence, or safety-critical domains.
• Ability to set technical direction and define software architecture.
• Hands-on experience with lifecycle from requirements through certification.

Responsibilities

• Develop new generation features and capabilities using innovative software solutions.
• Mentor and coach engineers to promote excellence.
• Collaborate with systems, hardware, and firmware teams.

Skills

C++ software engineering

Technical leadership

Embedded development tools

Agile development

Risk identification

Compliance standards

Tools

Jira

DevOps

Job description

Job Description

Leonardo seeks experienced Lead Software Engineers to serve as Technical Authority within the Integrated Sensors & Protection line of business, working on a range of defence projects.

The role blends technical leadership with strategic influence, providing autonomy and responsibility for critical software components or entire projects. Industry experience is not required – we welcome all backgrounds and provide development for your software engineering career.

Responsibilities

As key member of a world‑class engineering community, you will develop new generation features and capabilities using innovative software solutions, continuously improve, collaborate, and innovate with other engineers to create market‑leading products in the defence industry.

Qualifications

• Several years of C++ software engineering experience in aerospace, defence, or other mission/safety‑critical domains.
• Development of new applications to meet user expectations and formal constraints.
• Familiarity with embedded development tools and approaches.
• Experience developing Windows and Linux applications.
• Experience with iterative development lifecycles (e.g., tailored Agile) and associated tools (Jira, DevOps).
• Familiarity with development to design and coding standards.
• Ability to set technical direction, define software architecture and design strategies aligned with platform and system goals.
• Experience ensuring compliance standards and adherence to internal governance processes.
• Strong skills in technical risk identification and mitigation across software components.
• Hands‑on delivery with lifecycle experience from requirements through certification.
• Background in technical leadership, including architectural design, risk mitigation, or technical governance.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and coach engineers, uplifting capability and promoting software engineering excellence.
• Familiarity with legacy systems, export controls, interoperability, and long‑term product evolution.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines with systems, hardware, and firmware teams for coherent integration.
• Commitment to champion design integrity, acting as accountable technical lead during audits and reviews.

This is not an exhaustive list; we welcome applicants who may not meet every item. A good attitude and willingness to learn are essential.

Security Clearance

This role requires pre‑employment screening under the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Additional personnel security controls may apply, including eligibility for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

Benefits

• Generous leave with up to 12 additional flexi‑days per year.
• Employer‑contributed pension scheme up to 15%.
• Free access to mental health support, financial advice and employee‑led inclusion networks.
• Eligibility for bonus scheme for employees at management level and below.
• Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Referral programme monetary reward.
• Flexible benefits allow up to £500 annual spend on private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech and lifestyle discounts, gym memberships, etc.
• Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

Location & Employment

GB – Basildon Permanent contract – Hybrid working.