Senior Software Engineer - Defence Services

Shareforce; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A boutique public sector services firm is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to work at the intersection of technology and defence. The ideal candidate will lead technical initiatives, collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams, and develop mission-critical software solutions. The position offers a competitive salary of £85,000 - £90,000, hybrid working conditions, and a chance to make an impact in national security.

Benefits

Bonus

Benefits package

Qualifications

• Expert-level understanding of software systems and engineering principles.
• Proven expertise in Python and C/C++ scripting languages.
• Extensive experience in API design and deployment.

Responsibilities

• Identify user requirements and communicate effectively.
• Tackle complex technical problems across diverse technologies.
• Design and implement APIs supporting multiple protocols.

Skills

Python

C/C++

API development

Data management

DevSecOps

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join our client, a boutique public sector services firm, working at the forefront of technology within the Defence and National Security domains.

In this role, you will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams of Engineers, Scientists, and domain experts to design and deliver mission-critical software systems. The successful candidate will be a strong technical leader who will play a key role in shaping the design and delivery of innovative, operationally deployed solutions.

Responsibilities

• Identify gaps and user requirements and communicate them effectively to stakeholders.
• Tackle complex technical problems across diverse technologies, devising innovative methods where needed.
• Own and manage knowledge sharing across the project and wider engineering communities.
• Produce clear technical documentation.
• Build prototypes and proof-of-concept pilots to evaluate new methods and technologies.
• Design and implement APIs supporting HTTP RPC, WebSockets, TCP, UDP, with data serialization using JSON and Protobuf.
• Collaborate with Engineers and Data Scientists in adopting and understanding APIs and the data they expose.
• Review code in multiple languages, including Python and C++.
• Work closely with domain experts to design and implement data processing pipelines.
• Create and maintain unit, integration, and system-level tests for own and others\' components.
• Deliver reliable software services into containerised orchestration systems such as Kubernetes and Docker.

Required Skills & Experience

• Expert-level understanding of software systems, engineering principles and data management.
• Proven expertise in a scripting language such as Python and a strongly typed language such as C or C++.
• Extensive experience designing, building, and deploying APIs.
• Familiarity with real-time data processing and streaming architectures.
• Skilled at integrating software across multiple teams and suppliers.
• Experienced in delivering software in real-world, secure operational environments.
• Able to thrive in uncertainty, identify capability gaps using domain knowledge, and translate them into clear, actionable requirements.
• Deep knowledge of quality standards with a commitment to robust, maintainable software development practices.
• Exposure to DevSecOps practices and secure coding principles.
• Confident in mentoring and leading small engineering teams.
• Desirable: experience in the Defence or National Security sectors.

Additional Information

• Salary £85,000 - £90,000 (based on experience) + bonus + benefits package
• Location: Hybrid working with up to 3 days a week onsite in Portsmouth and London.
• Active or eligible to undergo SC / DV clearance.
• Candidates must have the right to work and reside in the UK.