Principal Software Engineer

TipTopJob; Maidenhead; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

TipTopJob seeks a Principal Software Engineer to lead embedded and application software efforts in a cyber and defence context. You will shape technical direction, mentor a talented team, and deliver high-quality software for mission-critical programmes.

Based in Maidenhead with full-time onsite work, you’ll drive engineering excellence, govern architectural reviews, and champion secure development practices across complex systems.

Qualifications

• A degree in engineering, mathematics or science, or equivalent experience.
• Significant embedded product development experience (bare-metal, RTOS, or embedded Linux).
• Strong C/C++ experience and understanding of lifecycle best practices.
• Proven OO design experience with SOLID principles and design patterns.
• Experience with testing, CI/CD, and automated test tooling.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, implement, document and test embedded and/or application software.
• Apply OO design and patterns for reuse and test framework integration.
• Review system design artefacts and derive software requirements and architecture.
• Maintain high-quality software design with modelling tools and code generation where needed.
• Drive best-practice development including TDD/BDD, CI, DevSecOps and static/run-time analysis.
• Lead technical reviews and mentor engineers to deliver with confidence.

Skills

C/C++

Embedded dev

Testing & TDD

SOLID design

Version control

Education

Engineering/Science degree

Tools

RSA modelling

Enterprise Architect

Job description

Ready to take a big step in software engineering? As a Principal Software Engineer, youll lead from the front in embedded and application software, help shape the technical direction, and mentor a talented team working on cutting:edge cyber and defence technology. This Principal Software Engineer role offers real autonomy, meaningful impact, and the chance to deliver high:quality software into complex, mission:critical programmes.

What You Will Do

• Architect, design, implement, document and test embedded and/or application software to a strong project software development process.
• Apply object:oriented design and design patterns to enable re:use and smooth integration with test frameworks.
• Review system design artefacts and derive software requirements and architecture that meet high:level system needs.
• Maintain high:quality software design using modelling tools such as RSA and Enterprise Architect (EA), supporting accurate code generation where required.
• Drive best:practice development, including TDD/BDD, Continuous Integration, DevSecOps and static and run:time analysis, with a focus on secure software development.
• Lead technical reviews, sign off significant technical documents, and mentor engineers to help the whole team deliver with confidence.

What You Will Bring

• A degree in an engineering, mathematical or science:based subject, or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience with embedded product development (including bare:metal and RTOSes such as ThreadX, QNX or Linux) and/or embedded Linux application, kernel and/or driver development.
• Strong C or C++ experience, alongside a solid understanding of best:practice software development lifecycles.
• Proven object:oriented design experience using principles such as SOLID and practical design pattern use.
• Experience with software testing and design for test, plus a track record of using version control, continuous integration and automated test tooling.

As a Principal Software Engineer, your leadership directly supports the delivery of advanced cryptographic and key management solutions within the cyber industry. Every programme depends on secure, reliable software, and your expertise will help the team balance requirements, schedule and cost while continuously improving tools and processes. The result is higher quality engineering outcomes and a stronger technical standard across software development and verification.

Location:

Based in Maidenhead, United Kingdom, with full:time onsite working expectations aligned to programme needs. There is good flexibility to working hours