Lead Specialist - Software Development

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 78,750; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 12.5%

Benefits Allowance of £2,200

12% employer pension contributions

Private Medical Insurance

28 days holiday plus public holidays

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited is seeking a Lead Specialist in Software Development to provide technical leadership in enhancing engineering analysis through innovative software solutions. This role offers flexible working, requiring attendance at key sites including Warrington, Derby, or Manchester.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, with a strong background in software development and technical leadership. The position comes with a competitive salary ranging from £60,000 to £78,750, plus a performance-related bonus and extensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience developing and implementing software tools for engineering analysis.
• Strong technical leadership capability with oversight across teams.
• Solid understanding of regulated industry standards and quality management.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and implementation of software for engineering analysis.
• Define strategic direction for software development in engineering.
• Act as technical authority ensuring quality across software tools.

Skills

Software development

Engineering analysis

Python

Azure DevOps

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science

Chartered Engineer status or progress towards it

Tools

Abaqus

Ansys

Job description

Location

Flexible (Warrington, Derby or Manchester) with hybrid working. Attendance required at one of the key sites for collaboration.

Mission

At Rolls‑Royce SMR we are pioneering a new era of clean, affordable nuclear energy. Our Small Modular Reactor programme delivers low‑carbon power at scale, helping to tackle climate change and support global energy security.

Team

You will join our Engineering organisation, working within a highly collaborative, multi‑disciplinary environment across structural analysis, thermal, fluid dynamics and beyond.

Role – Lead Specialist – Software Development

Provide technical leadership in the creation and application of software solutions that enhance engineering analysis across the organisation. Shape how software is developed and used to automate methods, improve quality and enable multidisciplinary integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, verification and implementation of software solutions for structural and multidisciplinary analysis.
• Define and drive the strategic direction for engineering software development, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, quality and integration across analysis domains.
• Act as the technical authority for software quality, ensuring robust validation and verification across internally developed and supplier‑delivered tools.
• Resolve complex and ambiguous technical challenges, enabling effective decision‑making across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Coach, mentor and develop engineers engaged in software development activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams, supply chain partners and external forums to influence technical direction and incorporate emerging technologies into strategy.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree (or equivalent experience) in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status or progress towards it.
• Strong experience developing, verifying and implementing software tools for engineering analysis, ideally within structural or defect‑tolerance applications.
• Solid understanding of software development environments such as Python and Azure DevOps, and familiarity with Abaqus or Ansys.
• Experience working across the full product lifecycle within a regulated industry, with knowledge of relevant standards, quality management and compliance frameworks.
• Demonstrated technical leadership capability, with experience providing oversight across teams and supply chain partners while driving continuous improvement.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, and ability to mentor others and contribute to shaping technical strategy through awareness of industry trends and innovation.

Salary and Package

Salary band: £60,000 – £78,750, dependent on skills, values and knowledge.

• Bonus – Performance‑related target opportunity up to 12.5%.
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum for a bespoke package.
• Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
• Holidays – 28 days (+ public holidays) with the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days.
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover.
• Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay.
• Home Office Support – £250 one‑off payment for new starters.

Equity & Inclusion

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. As a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.