Principal Software Engineer

DEA Specialised Airborne Operations; Retford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

DEA Aviation, the UK-based lead operational company within the DEA Group, seeks a Principal Software Engineer to own airborne software architecture and AWS cloud infrastructure in a highly regulated setting. You will deliver robust, secure, end-to-end aviation mission systems and collaborate across the organisation to raise technical standards.

The role combines hands-on software development with system design, cybersecurity updates, and observability practices.

Qualifications

• Hold a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Proven track record of owning software delivery from inception through to production and maintenance.
• Thorough understanding of software development lifecycles, requirements management and traceability - e.g. Agile, V-model, DOORS.
• Must be eligible for UK SC clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable applications using Python and React.
• Contribute to solutions from design through to delivery and support, with guidance from senior engineers.
• Develop applications, including Progressive Web Apps, using React, Flask, and Python backends.
• Build and integrate REST APIs and contribute to event-driven services.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across business and aviation systems, owning resolution.
• Deliver robust changes consistently and communicate progress clearly.
• Write and maintain clear technical and user documentation.
• Work within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to customer and regulatory requirements.
• Write clean, maintainable code and continuously improve your approach.
• Build reusable components and contribute to front-end architecture using React.
• Apply basic resilience patterns such as retries and timeouts, with support from senior engineers.
• Consider performance and scalability, including latency and reliability.
• Contribute to microservices-based systems and API development.
• Follow secure development practices and support security requirements.
• Help implement observability through logging and monitoring tools.
• Use CI/CD pipelines to build, test, and deploy your work.

Skills

Python

React

AWS

REST APIs

OOP

Linux

Data-driven decisions

Communication

Teamwork

Observability

Regulated environments

Education

Degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering

Tools

Docker

Git

CI/CD

Job description

DEA Aviation is the UK-based lead operational company within the wider DEA Group. As part of a strategic corporate structure, the Group includes European Specialised Aviation Operations (ESAO), a wholly owned subsidiary based in Malta.

Our technology is at the core of what we do. We design and build integrated software and hardware systems that bring together complex sensor technologies and different technical standards. The result: flexible, reliable systems that perform under pressure and deliver on tight timelines.

The Principal Software Engineer has responsibility for, owning both the airborne software architecture and the AWS cloud infrastructure, including regular updating of end-to-end cybersecurity in accordance with Secure by Design, development, and delivery of robust, critical business & aviation mission systems.

In this hands-on role, you build high-quality software, collaborate closely across the organisation while growing your technical influence in a highly regulated environment. You take ownership of your work, contribute to team standards, and continuously develop your skills while solving real-world problems.

You care about clean code, reliable systems, and delivering value in a safe and efficient way.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable applications using Python and React
• Contribute to solutions from design through to delivery and support, with guidance from senior engineers
• Develop applications, including Progressive Web Apps, using React, Flask, and Python backends
• Build and integrate REST APIs and contribute to event-driven services
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across business and aviation systems, owning resolution
• Deliver robust changes consistently and communicate progress clearly
• Write and maintain clear technical and user documentation
• Work within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to customer and regulatory requirements
• Write clean, maintainable code and continuously improve your approach
• Build reusable components and contribute to front-end architecture using React
• Apply basic resilience patterns such as retries and timeouts, with support from senior engineers
• Consider performance and scalability, including latency and reliability
• Contribute to microservices-based systems and API development
• Follow secure development practices and support security requirements
• Help implement observability through logging and monitoring tools
• Use CI/CD pipelines to build, test, and deploy your work

Technical Experience & Qualifications

• Hold a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• Have a proven track record of owning software delivery from inception through to production and maintenance
• Thorough understanding and experience in software development lifecycles, requirements management and traceability - e.g. Agile, V-model, DOORS
• Must be eligible for UK SC clearance

Skills Profile

• Working knowledge of relational and NoSQL databases (e.g. PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB)
• Expertise in software engineering fundamentals, including object-oriented programming
• Exposure to AWS services (e.g. EC2, Lambda, CloudWatch)
• Familiarity with Git and collaborative development workflows
• Some experience with Docker or containerised environments
• Strong skills with CI/CD practices and automated testing
• Strong understanding of Linux environments
• Strong problem-solving skills and a lifelong learner
• Communicate clearly and work effectively in a team
• Working within regulated environments
• A proactive mindset
• Naturally default to data-driven decision making