Job Title – Software Lead

Job Location – Tewkesbury, UK

Job ID – 18846

About this opportunity and L3Harris UK

From 11 UK sites, our team of nearly 1,000 people delivers unique capabilities across space, air, land, sea and cyber for military, security and commercial customers across the UK and worldwide.

L3Harris in Tewkesbury and Fleet form part of our ICI division. In the land domain, our T7 and T4 multi-mission robots deliver next-generation remote capabilities and uncompromised performance. We design and manufacture world-leading land force protection systems, cyber and electromagnetic activities (CEMA), electronic warfare (EW) and encryption capabilities. Our cyber capabilities provide an information advantage in the fields of kinetic conflict, cyber warfare, force protection and counterterrorism.

Your role will combine individual project contributions with line management responsibilities for a small team of software engineers within the engineering department. This may include working with Project Managers to oversee software team budgets and schedules, providing technical leadership, supporting change management, managing risks and opportunities, and forecasting software workloads and tasks.

We welcome applications from individuals who bring diverse skills and experiences. If you are passionate about this role and believe you can make a meaningful contribution, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every requirement. We value a commitment to growth and are open to potential.

A few of our employee benefits are:

• £3,000 to £6,000 DV Bonus – please note this level of clearance isn’t essential for this role. This bonus is subject to individual clearance and project requirements – discussed upon application.
• Half day finish on a Friday
• 25 days holiday per year (plus bank holidays), increasing with long service and with the opportunity to buy/sell up to 5 days
• Private medical insurance with optional family cover
• Pension scheme of up to 7% employer contribution
• Life Assurance 4x salary (flexible up to 10x)
• Group income protection
• Flexible opt-in extras such as a health care cash plan, dental insurance, gym membership, critical illness cover and cycle to work scheme
• Employee assistance program providing mental health and wellbeing support
• Professional registration with the IET (Engineers only)

What the role will involve

The responsibilities of your role will include the following:

• Applying your software expertise as an individual contributor in the development of complex software systems and, where required, taking a lead role as the technical authority to guide the software solution;
• Establishing and enforcing clear standards and procedures for software development and delivery, including any necessary department-level processes;
• Ensuring team members are working toward defined milestones with well-understood estimates;
• Holding yourself and team members accountable to meet cost and schedule targets;
• Promoting proactive communication around budget and schedule challenges;
• Reinforcing an understanding of project scope to distinguish in-scope and out-of-scope work;
• Regularly tracking software progress, identifying potential issues or achievements, and producing relevant metrics for stakeholders (e.g., completion percentages, dates, ETC, EAC, and forecasts), while fostering this mindset within the team;
• Developing and presenting material for internal reviews;
• Collaborating closely with other project stakeholders, including Project Management, Project Technical Authority, and other engineering domains (e.g., Systems, Hardware);
• Line-managing a team of approximately 8 to 10 software engineers, supporting their professional development through timely feedback and ongoing coaching;
• Ensuring the team has the necessary technical competencies, skills, and behaviours, and developing talent to support future growth and technology/product roadmaps;
• Assisting the Software Engineering Manager in advancing the Software Engineering Function by promoting best practices, tools, processes, and training initiatives;
• Contributing to the preparation of technical proposals, bids, and presentations;
• Potentially participating in trials, customer demonstrations, conferences, and on-site testing in various international locations.

What you’ll bring

The role requires the following experience and skills:

• Practical expertise in object-oriented design and programming (OOD, OOP);
• Proficiency in embedded C++ and experience with other languages like embedded C, Python, or Rust, with a strong commitment to staying current with industry best practices;
• Experience with Linux development environments;
• Familiarity with software development lifecycles and methodologies, including V-model, Waterfall, and Agile;
• Experience with tools such as Jira, GitLab, and Confluence;
• Experience architecting software systems that interface with hardware;
• Knowledge of containerisation technologies (e.g., Docker) is ideal;
• A proven track record of delivering reliable, maintainable software across the lifecycle, including planning, requirements gathering, architecture, design, coding, unit testing, integration, release, and peer review;
• Experience leading software engineering projects through the full development lifecycle;
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Proven ability to document, plan, and complete assigned work within schedule and budget constraints;
• A degree (or equivalent experience) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Desirable Skills

• Although not necessary for the role, any of the following experience or skills would be highly advantageous:
• Experience of C# and JavaScript;
• Experience with the Angular framework;
• Familiarity with any of .NET Core, RESTful APIs, microservices, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, RxJS, NPM;
• Background in Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD);
• Understanding of DevSecOps practices.

Important to know

Due to the nature of our work many our roles require a UK nationality and the ability to obtain a security clearance. Applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment must meet the requirement of right to work in the UK and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information and will be subject to government security checks.

As an equal opportunities employer, L3Harris is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join L3Harris.

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