Lead Software Engineer

Job Description:

Salary Range: £65,000 - £80,000

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

The Opportunity

Your Impact

Here at Leonardo, we are seeking experienced Lead Software Engineers to take on pivotal Technical Authority roles within our Integrated Sensors & Protection line of business, working on a range of defence projects.

This role combines technical leadership with strategic influence, offering significant autonomy and responsibility for critical software components or entire projects.

Direct industry experience is not required; we are happy to explore all backgrounds and help develop all our software engineers.

What you will do:

We want to develop a new generation of features and capabilities using innovative software solutions and we need you to create them. You will be a key part in a community of world-class software engineers who will continuously improve, collaborate and innovate with other engineers to create market-leading products within the defence industry.

What You'll Bring:

• Understanding and knowledge of one or more of the following:
• Several years of C++ software engineering experience in aerospace, defence, or other mission/safety-critical domains.
• Development of new applications to meet user expectations and within formal constraints.
• Familiarity with the tools and approaches to embedded development.
• Experience with developing Windows & Linux applications.
• Experience of using Iterative development lifecycles (for example tailored Agile.)
• Experience using tools associated with Iterative development lifecycles (Jira / DevOps.)
• Familiarity with development to design and coding standards.
• Ability to set technical direction, defining software architecture and design strategies aligned with platform and system goals.
• Experience ensuring compliance standards and adherence to internal governance processes.
• Strong skills in technical risk identification and mitigation across software components.
• Hands-on delivery with lifecycle experience from requirements through to certification.
• A background in technical leadership, including architectural design, risk mitigation, or technical governance.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and coach engineers, uplifting capability and promoting software engineering excellence.
• Familiarity with legacy systems, export controls, interoperability, and long-term product evolution.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines, working closely with systems, hardware, and firmware teams to ensure coherent integration.
• Commitment to championing design integrity, acting as the accountable technical lead during audits and reviews.

This is not an exhaustive list, we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.

• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.

• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).

• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.

• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.

• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

Primary Location:

GB - Basildon

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid