Job Description:

We are looking for a highly capable and adaptable Software Engineer to join the Software Simulation team here at Stevenage.

Salary: Circa £65,000 depending on experience
Dynamic (hybrid) working: mostly office based due to workload classification, but with opportunities to work from home.
Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship.
Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you:

• Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (based on company performance and will vary year to year)
  
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
  
• Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime
  
• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
  
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
  
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
  
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more...
  
• Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more .
  

The opportunity:

This is a very hands-on role and requires the continued design and development of complex system architectures and the instantiations for future products. Perfect for a Software Engineer who is proactive and takes the initiative. clear communication skills, and commitment to maintaining quality will contribute to your success in this role.

We offer an encouraging working environment with the opportunity to develop your skills across a wide range of products and technologies. Our team develop software to test, and to be used in some of the most advanced weapon systems in the world within a critical and influential Software Engineering Directorate.

We apply small, focused teams of engineers to complex problems - you will be working with a dedicated group of experienced software, and systems engineers. We maintain an impactful team culture!

What we're looking for from you:

We are currently looking to recruit an experienced self-starting Software Engineer for a position in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The role is 100% on site. The successful candidate will join our development team responsible for building and integrating real-time test and data capture systems. The role will focus on developing and maintaining software in a Linux environment, working closely with high-speed multi-channel SFPDP cards, real-time data flows, and complex multi-threaded processing pipelines.

Proficient in C++ and with knowledge of C#, you will play a critical part in the design, development, integration, and verification of test software solutions that are central to our system validation and delivery capabilities.

Responsibilities:

• Design and develop real-time test and capture software on Linux systems using C++.
  
• Integrate and interface with high-speed SFPDP cards across multi-channel data pipelines.
  
• Architect and implement robust, scalable, and maintainable multi-threaded applications.
  
• Define and implement data sequencing and synchronisation logic to support deterministic capture and replay.
  
• Work with hardware teams to ensure seamless integration and timing alignment between software and capture cards.
  
• Lead and contribute to system integration, verification, and testing at both component and system levels.
  
• Conduct performance analysis, debugging, and optimisation of real-time systems.
  
• Document architecture, interface definitions, and test procedures to support handover and formal test activities.
  

Skillset/experience required:

• Experience in C++ development in a Linux environment.
  
• Proficiency in C# for tooling, test interfaces, or Windows components as needed.
  
• Proven experience working with real-time data systems, preferably involving SFPDP or other high-speed digital protocols.
  
• Demonstrable skills in multi-threaded and concurrent programming.
  
• Experience with low-level I/O, DMA, or driver-level interactions with PCIe cards or similar.
  
• Familiarity with software sequencing frameworks or custom state machines for test execution.
  
• Strong experience with integration, system test, and debugging complex interactions between software and hardware.
  
• Strong understanding of software design principles, memory management, and performance optimisation.
  
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and CI/CD pipelines.
  

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with SFPDP (Serial Front Panel Data Port) specifically in defence, aerospace, or data acquisition contexts.
  
• Knowledge of FPGA-based data acquisition systems and synchronisation methods.
  
• Familiarity with unit testing frameworks, automated test rigs, or hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) setups.
  
• Experience developing or integrating with real-time operating systems (RTOS) or using real-time Linux extensions.
  
• Experience of development using LabVIEW suite of packages would be an advantage
  

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more...

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.

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