Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Vertical Aerospace; Bristol; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering electric aviation company in Bristol seeks a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to lead the development of Battery Management System (BMS) software. The role involves validation, verification, and certification of safety-critical systems for eVTOL aircraft. Required qualifications include 7+ years in embedded C software development and expertise in MISRA C standards. The position offers a competitive salary, 26 days holiday, and additional benefits to support employee well-being and development.

Benefits

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Additional 4% salary for benefits

Company performance-based bonus

Company Share Scheme

Company Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in embedded C software development for safety-critical systems.
• Experience developing and deploying CAN communication systems.
• Fluent in English, with strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop low-level software functions and drivers for embedded platforms.
• Validate and verify safety-critical software components.
• Support aircraft-level integration and validation activities.

Skills

Embedded C software development

Safety-critical systems

Texas Instruments TMS microcontrollers

CAN communication systems

MISRA C standards

Agile methodologies

English communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Atlassian Jira

Bitbucket

Requirements management tools

Job description

As a Senior Embedded Software Engineer (BMS) at Vertical Aerospace, you will lead the development, validation, verification, and certification of advanced Battery Management System (BMS) software for our pioneering eVTOL aircraft. You'll work within a collaborative, safety‑critical engineering environment, contributing deep technical expertise in embedded systems and supporting the delivery of reliable, high‑integrity software aligned with aerospace standards.

What You’ll Do

• Develop low‑level software functions and drivers for embedded platforms.
• Create and execute unit tests for low‑level verification activities.
• Validate and verify safety‑critical software components.
• Review software implementations and documentation in line with defined requirements, specifications, and certification standards.
• Develop and maintain requirements, designs, documentation, and traceability throughout the software lifecycle.
• Produce both high‑ and low‑level software specifications.
• Conduct hands‑on testing and debugging at the hardware interface level when needed.
• Develop software in compliance with DO-178C standards.
• Follow and improve internal software development standards and participate in continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support aircraft‑level integration and validation activities, collaborating closely with hardware engineers and multidisciplinary teams.
• Participate in technical design reviews with internal and external stakeholders.
• Track deliverables and milestones, assessing progress and outcomes effectively.
• Provide input into software planning processes, supporting alignment with project objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Aerospace, Systems, or Computer Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• At least 7 years’ experience in embedded C software development for safety‑critical systems.
• Proven experience with Texas Instruments TMS microcontrollers.
• Experience developing and deploying CAN communication systems.
• Strong understanding of MISRA C standards, processes, and compliance.
• Knowledge of software development methodologies, toolchains, and processes.
• Experience with ARM embedded microcontrollers.
• Experience with aerospace certification programs.
• Experience in bare‑metal operating system development.
• Proficiency in communication protocols such as CAN, Ethernet, SPI, and I²C.
• Experience in low‑level driver development.
• Working knowledge of Agile or Scrum methodologies, and familiarity with tools such as Atlassian Jira, Bitbucket, or other configuration management software.
• Experience with requirements management tools.
• Understanding of functional safety and certification frameworks, including:
  • DO-178, DO-254, ARP 4754, ARP 4761 and IEC 61508 SIL‑3 or equivalent standards.
• Fluent in English, with strong written and verbal communication skills.

£47,131 per year – estimated.

Full Time

Our Mission At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The VX4, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take‑off and landing), ‘zero emissions’ aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky. We won’t realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to ‘redefine’ aerospace best practices. We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals of having the VX4 in service by 2030.

Our people matter

Which is why our company benefits go beyond the essentials.

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday.
• 5 extra days per year to buy (or sell).
• 5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership.
• Additional 4 % of your salary to spend on extra benefits.
• Award‑winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand).
• Company performance‑based bonus – rewarding company and individual performance.
• Company Share Scheme – open to every Vertical employee.
• Company Pension Scheme – 5 % and we match it.
• Breakfast on us, every day.

We may just be the hardest job you’ve ever had, but we’re confident it will be the most rewarding. Join the team today and help us shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.