Lead Software Engineer

Ultra; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Ultra, a leader in aerospace and defence systems, is looking for an experienced Software Team Lead. This position involves overseeing the development lifecycle of a safety-critical embedded C application, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and managing a team of software engineers to deliver high-quality products.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

25 days holiday with options to buy/sell

Life assurance - 4x annual salary

Flexible benefits package

Pension Scheme with employer contributions

Sports and Social club

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Proven experience in developing bare-metal real-time embedded systems in C.
• Knowledge of DO-178C Level A processes and safety-critical systems.
• Experience leading software teams in aerospace environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full software development lifecycle for a real-time safety-critical embedded application.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and report on project status.
• Conduct design and code reviews to ensure adherence to quality standards.

Skills

Technical Leadership

Embedded Systems Development

DO-178C Standards

Real-Time Software Design

Communication Skills

Team Collaboration

Job description

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Description

Ultra PCS is a leader in providing solutions for aerospace and defence systems. We are seeking an experienced Software Team Lead to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the development of a real time, safety critical, embedded C application which controls a nose wheel steering system.

As the Software Team Lead, you will oversee a team of software engineers to derive requirements, compose a spoftware system design, implement, and test a high-reliability safety critical software solution. You will take responsibility for the full software development lifecycle, ensuring compliance with DO-178C level A while pioneering innovation and efficiency. This role requires a combination of technical expertise and strong leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership:

• Lead the requirements definition, design, development, and verification of a bare-metal, real-time software system written in C.
• Ensure adherence to DO-178C Level A processes, including traceability, rigorous testing, and quality assurance.
• Conduct design and code reviews to maintain high-quality standards.

Project Management/Team Leadership:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (hardware, systems, and test engineering) to ensure seamless integration of software with hardware systems.
• Report project status to stakeholders and contribute to program reviews.
• Ensure effective communication across the team.

Required Skills and Experience

Technical Expertise:

• Proven experience developing bare-metal real-time embedded systems in C.
• In-depth knowledge of DO-178C Level A standards, processes, and documentation.
• Experience with safety-critical systems and familiarity with certification requirements including MCDC testing.
• Proficiency in real-time software design and RTOS (optional) concepts.
• Familiarity with debugging tools, hardware interfaces, and safety analysis techniques.

Leadership and Management:

• Demonstrated success leading software teams, ideally in safety-critical or aerospace domains.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of effectively liaising with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience with aerospace systems or similar high-reliability domains.
• Familiarity with other safety-critical standards (e.g., ARP4754, ARINC 653, DO-254, DO-248).
• Understanding of hardware/software integration and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.

Benefits:

Every employee is critical to our success and as such we offer a range of flexible employee benefits along with career development opportunities.

• Flexible working within core working hours
• 25 days holiday (185 hrs) with the option to buy/sell 5 days (37 hrs) plus bank holidays.
• 4 times your annual salary in life assurance
• Flexible benefits package
• Pension Scheme - Less than 5 years' service up to 5.5% employer contributions, 5 years' service + up to 7.5% employer contributions.
• Sports and Social club
• Supportive and friendly working environment with regular team events

You couldn’t be joining the team and Ultra at a more exciting time. Therefore if this sounds of interest, please follow the application process.

Nationality Requirements

Candidates m ust be able to work in the UK without restrictions in accordance with UK National Law and be prepared to successfully undertake an appropriate level of UK National Security Vetting according to UK Government National Security Vetting criteria.

Diverse & Inclusive Employer

Ultra PCS is an equal opportunities employer that values diversity, inclusion, equity and equality. Underpinned by our values, behaviours, and policies, we want you to feel empowered to be your best and authentic self.

We promote a workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds and cultures; believing that this will increase our diversity of thinking, and ultimately ensure we continue delivering on our commitments to our customers.

We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and welcome applications from all candidates.