Production-grade C/C++ for real-time defence systems that end up deployed on operational platforms rather than sitting in a sandbox.

The role

A specialist defence engineering business in Guildford, building high-performance systems for real operational use. They're growing and need a capable software engineer who writes robust code and isn't fazed by real-time constraints or complex system environments.

This isn't application development or feature-churn SaaS. It's engineered software that talks to hardware, processes serious data, and has to work first time in demanding conditions.

You'd join a tight engineering team building bespoke systems from concept through to deployment — designing and developing for real-time applications, working in Linux, producing proper design documentation, taking part in code and design reviews, writing unit tests, and supporting integration and acceptance. Engineers here see projects through rather than working in silos, and there's occasional travel to UK sites and customer meetings.

Small, specialist team. No corporate theatre and no endless process layers — engineers talk directly to each other and to customers. Five days on-site, as the work requires access to secure facilities and close collaboration with hardware and systems engineers.

What we need to see

A solid degree in engineering, physics, computer science or a similar discipline
At least 3 years developing real-world applications in C/C++ and/or Java
Experience developing and deploying software on Linux
Familiarity with Git-based version control
More to the point: you write code that survives outside your IDE. You think about performance, edge cases and maintainability, and you test properly.

Useful, not essential