We are working with a global Software, Systems & Engineering company in the Defence Sector, supporting them with appointing a Software Development Engineer. This is not a traditional software development role. They're looking for engineers who understand the engineering behind autonomous systems and can develop production-quality software to solve complex real-world problems. The successful candidate will work on the design, development, modelling, integration and testing of autonomous control systems for both crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
Salary: £47,250-£52,500 + benefits
Location: Farnborough - Initially 5 days onsite. Longer-term hybrid may be possible (typically 3+ days onsite) once established.
Duration: perm, full time
Requirements: sole UK nationals or dual nationals living and working in the UK for the past 5 years
What They're Looking For The hiring managers stressed that software capability is more important than an aerospace background. Ideal candidates will have around 4–7 years' commercial experience and be comfortable taking ownership of technical work packages while mentoring or directing more junior engineers. They are not looking for someone who simply writes code—they want engineers who can solve engineering problems through software.
Ideal Backgrounds
Suitable candidates could currently be working as:
Software Development Engineer
Software Engineer
Software Developer
Autonomy Engineer
Autonomous Systems Engineer
Control Systems Engineer
Robotics Engineer
Algorithm Engineer
Simulation Engineer
Systems Engineer
Research Engineer
Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer
AI / Machine Learning Engineer (Autonomy focused) Industries could include:
Defence
Aerospace
Aviation
Robotics
Autonomous Vehicles
UAV / Drone Technology
Research & Development
Control Systems
Advanced Engineering They are also very interested in engineers coming from Physics or Mathematics backgrounds who have developed strong software engineering skills.
Essential Technical Skills
The strongest candidates will have experience with:
Programming
C
C++
MATLAB
Python Engineering
Autonomous systems
Control systems
Systems Engineering
Algorithm development
Modelling & Simulation
Software development for complex engineering systems Experience with any of the following is highly desirable:
UAVs
UAS
Drone technologies
Decision support systems
Military aviation
Flight control
Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC)
Personality Fit
The hiring managers highlighted they want someone who:
Enjoys solving difficult engineering problems
Has genuine enthusiasm for autonomous systems
Can take ownership of technical work
Works well within multidisciplinary teams
Can provide technical direction to others
Wants to work on leading-edge defence technology They used the word "passionate" about autonomy—even though they admitted it's an overused term! They want someone who genuinely enjoys this area of engineering.
Qualifications
Ideally:
Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Physics
Applied Mathematics
Computer Science (with strong engineering exposure) A PhD would be attractive if it is directly relevant to autonomy or autonomous air systems, although they still want some commercial experience rather than someone coming straight from academia
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