Senior C++ Software Engineer

KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Ltd; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working (50/50)

Small, growing Glasgow team

Work with international colleagues

Challenging, meaningful work

Job summary

KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Ltd invites a Senior C++ Software Engineer to join a Glasgow team working on advanced cheminformatics software. You will modernise a core C++ codebase, implement complex algorithms, and mentor juniors as part of a small, growing group with colleagues in Germany and France.

Hybrid WFH (50/50) in Glasgow, with a competitive salary up to £65,000 DOE and opportunities to influence architecture and code quality.

Qualifications

• Significant commercial modern C++ experience, 17+ years preferred.
• Architectural mindset with OOP, SOLID and design patterns.
• Experience applying modern idioms to legacy code.
• Strong code review skills with thorough feedback.
• Understanding of concurrency, multithreading, and data races.
• Familiarity with Linux toolchain: CMake, GCC/Clang, gdb, dynamic linking.
• Experience with static and runtime analysis tools like clang-tidy and Valgrind.
• Experience of AI-assisted development and code-automation guidance.
• Knowledge of network programming (TCP/IP).
• Experience with Python and pytest/Catch2; Docker and containerised builds.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and modernise a legacy C++ codebase to modern standards.
• Implement new cheminformatics algorithms from SMEs.
• Review specifications for feasibility and clarity.
• Act as primary code reviewer to protect architecture quality.
• Own test strategy: unit/integration tests, edge cases, regression.
• Maintain CMake build system and Linux tooling.
• Mentor junior developers on clean code and patterns.
• Collaborate with Glasgow, Germany and France teams.

Skills

Modern C++

Concurrency

Architectural design

Code review

Multithreading

Linux toolchain

Python testing

Docker

TCP/IP networking

OO / SOLID

Tools

CMake

GCC/Clang

gdb

RPATH / SONAME

clang-tidy

Valgrind

Sanitisers

Docker

Job description

Senior C++ Software Engineer - Scientific Software

Location: Glasgow, hybrid WFH (50/50 split between home and office)

Salary: Up to £65,000 DOE

KO2's client develops advanced cheminformatics software. Their software helps scientists understand and work better with chemical data. They're looking for an experienced Senior C++ Software Engineer to join their small, growing team in Glasgow. You'll modernise their core C++ codebase and turn complex scientific algorithms into robust, high-performance code.

The company is international and close-knit. The Glasgow team works closely with colleagues in small offices in Germany and France, so you'll be part of a collaborative, multicultural engineering group.

You'll work closely with chemistry subject-matter experts and implement their algorithms using sound design patterns and modern C++. You'll be one of the main code reviewers, protect the quality and consistency of the architecture, and mentor junior developers as they continue to grow.

Key responsibilities

• Maintain and modernise a legacy C++ codebase, migrating it gradually to modern C++
• Implement new cheminformatics algorithms specified by the SMEs
• Review algorithm specifications for feasibility and clarity before implementation
• Act as a primary code reviewer, protecting the team's architectural consistency and code quality
• Own the test strategy for your work, covering unit and integration tests, edge cases and regression protection
• Maintain the CMake build system and related Linux tooling
• Mentor junior developers on clean code, architecture and design patterns
• Work with colleagues in Glasgow, Germany and France

Essential skills and experience

• Significant commercial modern C++ experience, 17 onwards ideally.
• An architectural mindset, with OOP, SOLID principles and design patterns as part of your everyday work
• Confidence applying modern idioms to legacy code you didn't write
• Strong code review skills. You give thorough, constructive feedback and can spot subtle logic errors and design drift
• A solid understanding of concurrency, including writing, debugging and reasoning about multithreaded code, synchronisation and data races
• Experience with the Linux development toolchain: CMake, GCC/Clang, gdb, and dynamic linking (RPATH, SONAME)
• Familiarity with static and runtime analysis tools such as clang-tidy, Valgrind and sanitisers
• Experience of AI-assisted development, such as using Claude Code and directing coding agents on architectural decisions
• Implementing algorithms from specifications, and reasoning about their efficiency and complexity
• Network programming (TCP/IP and sockets)
• Python, and testing frameworks such as pytest and Catch2
• Docker and containerised build environments

What's on offer

• A competitive salary, depending on experience
• Flexible hybrid working, split 50/50 between home and the Glasgow office
• A small, growing Glasgow team that you can help shape
• Working with international colleagues in Germany and France
• Challenging, meaningful work on scientific software
• A senior role with real influence over architecture and code quality