Lead Software Engineer - Linux

KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Ltd; Salford; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Travel to Germany

Job summary

KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Ltd. is partnering with a global supplier in the food and beverage sector for a Lead Software Engineer role focused on migrating from Windows to Linux.

You will provide architect-level technical leadership, guiding a 30-40 person team through the migration while remaining hands-on with code. The role requires strong Linux migration experience, embedded Linux, and proficiency in C/C++ with C# integration.

Qualifications

• Experience leading Windows-to-Linux migrations in embedded environments.
• Strong hands-on experience with embedded Linux systems.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and ability to modify C# code for Linux.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership to a Windows-to-Linux migration team.
• Shape platform technical direction with Linux expertise.
• Modify C# code to run on Linux; contribute embedded C/C++ development.
• Collaborate with the Germany office to align platform and application development; travel to Germany.
• Work with the applications team leader to design platform architecture for Debian Linux.
• Elicit requirements, produce technical specifications and documentation.
• Support defect identification and resolution with the Test Team.

Skills

Linux migration

C/C++

C# programming

Embedded Linux

Git version control

Architectural leadership

Tools

Debian

VS/XAML/WPF

Job description

Lead Software Engineer - Windows to Linux Migration

Location: Salford - Hybrid, 3 days/week minimum in office

Salary: Up to £65,000 + Benefits

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, technically-led Software Engineer to join a leading global supplier of industrial equipment to the food and beverage market. This is a genuinely significant project: the business is undertaking a large-scale migration of its core platform from Windows to Linux, and you'll provide the technical leadership to make it happen.

This is not a people-management role - it's about technical leadership. You'll be the architect-level authority the team looks to, someone who's been through a Windows-to-Linux migration before and can bring that hard-won experience to guide roughly 30-40 team members through the transition, while remaining genuinely hands-on with the code yourself.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to a development team currently working in Windows, as they transition to developing for Linux
• Bring architect-level Linux expertise to shape the platform's technical direction - ideally from having led or been closely involved in a similar migration previously
• Get hands-on with modifying existing C# code to run on Linux, alongside embedded C/C++ development
• Liaise closely with the company's Germany office, who have led the Linux platform project, to ensure alignment between platform and application development - including occasional travel to Germany
• Work collaboratively with the applications team leader to develop platform architecture and take full advantage of a Debian-based Linux platform
• Elicit requirements from stakeholders, produce technical specifications and documentation
• Support defect identification and resolution alongside the Software Test Team

Essential Experience

• Architect-level experience with Linux - genuine, hands-on \"been there, done it\" migration experience is essential
• Strong hands-on embedded Linux background, with proficiency in C/C++
• Minimum 3 years' commercial object-oriented development experience in a C-like language (C++ or C#)
• Minimum 5 years' experience developing for embedded Linux systems, with in-depth system architecture knowledge
• Experience developing for resource-constrained embedded platforms
• Experience with git version control on large-scale applications
• Comfortable providing technical (not line-management) leadership to a sizeable team while staying hands-on with development

Desirable

• Experience modifying or porting C# applications to run on Linux
• Development within the Debian ecosystem, including CI/CD
• Experience with GUI/HMI applications for embedded Linux
• Familiarity with Microsoft Visual Studio, XAML/WPF (MVVM)
• Agile methodologies such as SAFe
• Knowledge of M2M protocols (Fieldbus, industrial Ethernet, MQTT)

What's on Offer

• Salary up to £65,000 + benefits
• Hybrid working, 3 days/week minimum in the Salford office
• The chance to lead a major, high-visibility technical migration on next-generation products
• Close collaboration with an international platform development team, including travel to Germany

If you've genuinely led a Windows-to-Linux migration before and want to bring that experience to a business investing seriously in its next-generation platform, we'd love to hear from you