Software Engineer (Defence)

Software Engineer - National Security & Defence

UK-Based | Hybrid and Secure On-Site Working | eDV Clearance Required
Solve complex engineering challenges that help protect the UK.

We're recruiting Software Engineers to join a high-impact engineering team operating at the heart of the UK's national security and defence mission. You'll work on sophisticated, mission-critical systems that support real-world operations, collaborating with experts across engineering, intelligence and defence.

This is a role for engineers who want to work on problems that genuinely matter - in an environment where quality, security and rigour are paramount.

The Role

As a Software Engineer, you'll design, develop and maintain secure, resilient and scalable software solutions for some of the most sensitive and challenging technical environments in the UK. You'll work within multidisciplinary teams that include systems engineers, analysts, data specialists and security professionals.

Engineering excellence, attention to detail and collaboration will sit at the core of your day-to-day work.

What You'll Be Doing

• Designing, developing and maintaining secure software components used in operational defence systems
• Contributing to technical design and architectural decisions
• Writing clean, robust, well-tested code for highly secure environments
• Working with cross-functional teams including systems engineers, cyber specialists and mission domain experts
• Supporting continuous integration and deployment pipelines in restricted environments
• Troubleshooting complex issues across distributed systems and secure infrastructures
• Applying strict security, coding and compliance standards
• Documenting designs, processes and configurations to a high level of rigour
• Working exclusively on secure networks within SCIF/SPOF environments

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Active eDV clearance (UK Enhanced Developed Vetting) - mandatory
• Strong background in software engineering across design, build, testing and deployment
• Experience in one or more core languages (eg Java, Python, C++, C#, JavaScript)
• Understanding of secure software engineering principles
• Experience working in environments with strict security, audit or compliance requirements
• Familiarity with CI/CD tooling and version control (Git)
• Comfortable working on-site in secure facilities
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams

Desirable

• Experience working in UK defence, intelligence or national security organisations
• Knowledge of containerised or distributed systems (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Background in data engineering, pipelines or Real Time processing
• Exposure to event-driven architectures or messaging systems
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code or secure cloud/on-prem hybrid solutions
• Interest in emerging technologies, high-assurance systems or applied cryptography

Who This Role Suits

You'll be a great fit if you:

• Want to work on meaningful problems with real-world national security impact
• Thrive in structured, mission-driven environments
• Enjoy solving complex technical challenges under high assurance constraints
• Take pride in delivering high-quality, secure and reliable software
• Are comfortable working Full time in high-security spaces

What's In It For You

• Purpose-driven work supporting national security and public safety
• Access to unique and complex engineering challenges found nowhere else
• Opportunities for progression into technical leadership, architecture or specialist roles
• Training and development pathways tailored to secure-environment engineering
• Supportive engineering community with strong knowledge-sharing culture

Interested?

If you're an experienced Software Engineer with active eDV clearance and a passion for impactful engineering, we'd love to hear from you.

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.