Senior Software Product Engineer

Cervus; West of England, Westbury; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

24 days annual leave

Cervus Closure days

Generous pension

Discretionary annual bonus

Private health care

Life insurance

Flexible working

Learning & development

Awesome colleagues

Job summary

Cervus, based in the Southwest of the UK, is seeking a Senior Software Product Engineer to lead product direction and architect secure, scalable systems. This hybrid role involves collaboration with product managers, engineers, and senior stakeholders across the UK and international markets.

The role blends product ownership, systems engineering, and senior software development, driving delivery in mission‑critical environments with modern CI/CD and containerisation practices.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in software product engineering or related roles in secure environments.
• Ability to translate user needs into clear requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Strong architecture and system-design skills across software, infra and security domains.
• Experience leading features, APIs, and backend systems with attention to secure coding.

Responsibilities

• Define product vision, roadmap, and success metrics with stakeholders.
• Refine backlog and validate user needs to maximise long-term value.
• Lead system design for end-to-end solutions across software, infra and security.
• Produce architecture diagrams and technical documentation for complex systems.
• Mentor engineers and drive engineering best practices and secure coding.

Skills

Python

TypeScript/Node

C#/C++

Microservices

Distributed systems

REST APIs

Linux

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

Job description

Wanted: Senior Software Product Engineer

A Hybrid Role based in the Southwest, UK

About the job

Demand for Cervus’ products and services continues to grow across the Defence sector. We are looking for a motivated, curious, and technically minded Senior Software Product Engineer to help us scale our data and analytics capabilities across the UK and international markets.

The Senior Software Product Engineer is a multidisciplinary role combining product ownership, systems engineering, and senior‑level software development. The role is responsible for shaping product direction, designing and integrating complex systems, and delivering high‑quality software within secure, mission‑critical environments. The role will acts as a technical product strategist, and systems integrator, ensuring solutions meet user needs, operational constraints, and long‑term architectural goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Product Managers & Technical leads, to define and communicate the product vision, roadmap, and success metrics.
• Ensure our products meet our users and stakeholder needs through continuous backlog refinement and output user validation.
• Prioritise features, technical work, and system improvements to maximise long term product value.
• Collaborate with SMEs, instructors, operators, and leadership to validate assumptions and refine direction.
• Ensure product decisions balance usability, performance, security, and maintainability.

2. Systems Engineering & Architecture

• Work with customers to analyse requirements and convert them into system specifications and architectural designs.
• Design end‑to‑end solutions across software, infrastructure, networking, and security domains.
• Produce system diagrams, interface definitions, and technical documentation.
• Integrate distributed systems, simulation platforms, data‑capture pipelines, and mission‑metrics services.
• Ensure systems meet reliability, scalability, and accreditation requirements.

3. Senior Software Engineering

• Develop high‑quality, maintainable, and well‑tested software components and services.
• Lead implementation of major features, APIs, and backend systems.
• Conduct code reviews, mentor engineers, and drive engineering best practices.
• Implement secure coding practices and support threat modelling and vulnerability remediation.
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, containerisation, and deployment automation.
• Work closely with Product & Delivery Managers, Technical Leads Development teams, QA, Business Development and Customers.
• Break down complex problems into clear, deliverable tasks.
• Provide rapid clarification during development and support sprint ceremonies.
• Lead root‑cause analysis and resolution of complex technical issues.
• Champion continuous improvement across engineering, product, and system processes.

Required Skills & Experience

Technical Skills

• Strong proficiency in languages such as Python, TypeScript/Node, C# or C++.
• Experience with microservices, distributed systems, and event‑driven architectures.
• Deep understanding of REST APIs, messaging systems, and database design (PostgreSQL preferred).
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes and cloud/on‑prem hybrid deployments.
• Familiarity with secure system design, IAM , encryption, and accreditation processes.
• Strong understanding of Linux systems, networking, and monitoring tools.

Product & Systems Skills

• Ability to translate user needs into clear requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Strong analytical skills for evaluating workflows, constraints, and system interactions.
• Experience producing architecture diagrams, system specifications, and technical documentation.
• Ability to balance feature delivery with technical debt, platform stability, and long‑term architecture.

Professional Skills

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Ability to mentor engineers and influence technical direction.
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities.
• Comfortable working in Agile and DevOps‑driven environments.

Experience

• Professional experience across software engineering, systems engineering and product roles.
• Experience delivering business‑critical or secure systems.

Desirable Skills and Experience

Background in defence, simulation & training systems, real-time data capture or regulated environments is highly advantageous.

We would love it if you also have experience of:

• Integrating with tactical networks, secure environments, and air‑gapped deployments.
• Working with military SMEs to understand operational workflows and training requirements.
• Maintaining hardened container images, secure APIs, and accredited system baselines.
• Supporting real‑time data capture, telemetry processing, and performance analytics.
• Secure development and validation processes.
• Distributed real‑time systems and event streaming architectures.

*24 days annual leave, 3 Cervus Closure days plus bank holidays (increasing with service), generous pension, discretionary annual bonus, family private health care, life insurance, flexible working, generous learning and development opportunities and awesome colleagues.

Working location:

This role will be primarily based at either our Bristol or Westbury offices for approximately 2 – 3 days per week. It operates within a flexible hybrid working model, with the option for regular home working. The role will also involve travel within the UK and overseas.

Cervus is a performance analytics and technology company helping defence and security organisations make better decisions, faster. Based in the southwest UK with offices in Bristol and Westbury, we value hybrid working, curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Joining us means contributing to meaningful, high-impact projects, working with talented colleagues, and helping shape the future of data-driven capability development. This role typically involves 1 –2 days per week in the office and travel within the UK and overseas.

Inclusion & Accessibility

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported to thrive. We actively encourage applications from candidates with disabilities and will provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace.