Lead Software Engineer

Matchtech; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace technology company is seeking an experienced Software Team Lead to manage the development of safety-critical embedded applications. The role involves guiding a team through the software development lifecycle while ensuring compliance with rigorous safety standards. Excellent leadership and communication skills are essential. Benefits include flexible working hours and generous holiday policies.

Benefits

Flexible working within core hours

25 days holiday plus option to buy/sell days

Life assurance at 4x your salary

Flexible benefits package

Pension with up to 7.5% employer contribution

Sports and social club

Supportive environment with regular team events

Career growth opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience developing bare-metal real-time embedded systems in C.
• Strong knowledge of DO-178C Level A standards and certification processes.
• Demonstrated success leading software teams, preferably in aerospace.

Responsibilities

• Lead requirements definition, design, development, and verification.
• Ensure adherence to DO-178C Level A processes.
• Collaborate for software-hardware integration.

Skills

Developing bare-metal real-time embedded systems in C

Knowledge of DO-178C Level A standards

Leading software teams

Excellent communication skills

Job description

Overview

We are looking for an experienced Software Team Lead to join our client's team and lead the development of a real-time, safety-critical embedded C application that controls the aircraft's nose wheel steering system.

In this key leadership role, you will guide a team of software engineers through requirements gathering, design, implementation, and rigorous testing. You will take ownership of the full software development lifecycle and ensure compliance with DO-178C Level A safety standards, while driving innovation and quality.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership:

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

Project & Team Leadership:

• Collaborate with hardware, systems, and test teams for smooth software-hardware integration.
• Report project status to stakeholders and participate in program reviews.
• Foster clear communication and teamwork within your group.

Required Skills and Experience

Technical:

• Proven experience developing bare-metal real-time embedded systems in C.
• Strong knowledge of DO-178C Level A standards and certification processes.
• Experience with safety-critical systems and MCDC testing.
• Familiarity with debugging tools and hardware interfaces.
• Optional: Experience with RTOS concepts.

Leadership:

• Demonstrated success leading software teams, preferably in aerospace or safety-critical fields.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences.

Desirable Qualifications

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

Benefits

• Flexible working within core hours.
• 25 days holiday plus option to buy/sell days, and bank holidays.
• Life assurance at 4x your salary.
• Flexible benefits package.
• Pension with up to 7.5% employer contribution.
• Sports and social club.
• Supportive environment with regular team events.
• Career growth opportunities.