Software Development Engineer

Meridian Business Support; Wickford; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A specialized engineering firm based in the UK is seeking an experienced Software Development Engineer to join their team. The candidate will develop secure Windows applications, contribute to communications software, and reverse engineer existing code within a structured lifecycle. Ideal candidates will have strong skills in C# and .NET, and familiarity with Agile tools. The role offers hybrid working and requires UK Security Clearance eligibility.

Qualifications

• Strong professional experience in C# and .NET.
• Working knowledge of C++ for understanding existing code.
• Experience with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF).
• Proven ability to investigate and understand legacy codebases.
• Familiarity with software development lifecycles, ideally in regulated environments.
• Self-driven and able to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Windows applications.
• Contribute to secure communications software.
• Review and reverse engineer existing code.
• Work within a formal software development lifecycle.
• Participate in design reviews and technical discussions.
• Collaborate using Agile-style development.

Skills

C#

.NET

C++

WCF

Agile development

Software development lifecycle knowledge

Tools

Jira

Azure DevOps

Configuration management tools

Job description

Overview

Our Client based in Basildon are looking for an experienced Software Development Engineer to join a specialist engineering team delivering secure Windows-based software systems for safety-critical and defence-related applications. This is a Temporary position until April 2026 with the possibility of extension.

This role would suit a self-motivated engineer who is comfortable joining a project mid-stream, investigating existing code, and contributing to the next phase of development within a structured software lifecycle. You will receive an initial onboarding period, followed by hybrid working with occasional on-site access to specialist test hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Windows applications using C#/.NET
• Contribute to secure communications software, including WCF-based components
• Review, understand, and reverse engineer existing code where documentation may be limited
• Work within a formal software development lifecycle (requirements, design, implementation, verification, compliance)
• Participate in design reviews and technical discussions
• Collaborate with other engineers using iterative / Agile-style development
• Ensure software meets quality, safety, and user expectations

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong professional experience in C# and .NET
• Working knowledge of C++ (reading and understanding existing code)
• Experience with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
• Proven ability to investigate and understand legacy or in-flight codebases
• Familiarity with software development lifecycles, ideally within aerospace, defence, or other regulated environments
• Comfortable working to coding standards, processes, and documentation requirements
• Self-driven, proactive, and able to work with minimal supervision

Desirable Experience

• Background in aerospace, defence, or safety-critical systems
• WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) for UI development
• Agile tools such as Jira or Azure DevOps
• Configuration management tools
• Exposure to embedded or systems-level software

Security Requirements

• Must be eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC)
• UK national or NATO dual national required

Meridian Business Support is a recruitment specialist acting on behalf of our client as an Employment Business for this vacancy.