Senior Software Developer- Low-Level and Embedded (Defence)

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Security clearance: must be eligible for UK SC-level security clearance (UK national)

Visa sponsorship: we are not able to sponsor visas for this role

Closing date: applications reviewed on a rolling basis

About Neptune North

Neptune North is a high-performing technical consultancy. We build data, AI and software solutions for clients in defence, financial services and private capital, working on demanding problems in challenging environments.

We were founded in 2024 as a joint venture between Oliver Wyman and Rokos Capital Management. We’re headquartered in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, with a growing international footprint, and we’re recruiting exceptional engineers across every level.

The role

We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to lead low-level and embedded development on demanding defence projects and to help provide technical oversight to a new and rapidly growing team. You will help define and strengthen the systems engineering capabilities that differentiate Neptune North and build a trusted reputation across defence clients.

Responsibilities also include contributing to business development, providing technical expertise and mentoring, overseeing the quality of deliverables, and hands-on involvement in projects.

This is a technical leadership role for an engineer who wants to stay close to the code. Potential projects span fully engineered solutions, developing Proof of Concepts (POCs), and applied work on embedded, real-time and resource-constrained platforms.

Responsibilities

Influence the technical direction and play a key role in strengthening Neptune North’s low-level and embedded capabilities

Provide leadership and hands-on delivery in a wide range of systems projects

Set and maintain technical direction, architecture and standards, and make pragmatic trade-offs between speed, quality and long-term maintainability

Run code and design reviews, set the bar for quality, and hold the team to it

Work directly with clients to shape requirements, manage expectations, and to build trust

Contribute to winning work by helping to write compelling bids and high-quality technical proposals

Demonstrate flexibility in taking on work aligned to evolving company priorities

Advocate knowledge sharing across the team and identify opportunities for reuse of capabilities

Regularly provide career and technical mentorship to other engineers to build a high calibre engineering team

What makes a great candidate

Minimum 5 years employment experience delivering and/or overseeing low-level, embedded or real-time software

Excellent programming skills in C++ or Rust

Experience of embedded, real-time or resource-constrained environments, including peripheral interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART and CAN bus

Experience developing for industrial computing platforms, single-board computers or real-time operating systems

Experience of high-assurance engineering practices, such as safety-related standards or secure development lifecycles

Experience of high-performance computing, low-latency systems, or performance profiling and optimisation

Linux or macOS development, including low-level toolchain and build system knowledge

Experience of modern end-to-end software engineering workflows, including requirements management, design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance

Experience integrating AI-assisted tools into development workflows without compromising on quality, security or compliance

A solid understanding of software engineering processes, and a drive to embed best practices in teams

Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to adapt communication according to the audience

Experience working effectively in a team and a commitment to knowledge-sharing and collaboration

Strong academic foundations, typically a first-class or 2:1 degree from a leading university in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics or Mathematics, or a related discipline

Ability to work effectively with ambiguity, while maintaining a disciplined, outcome-focussed approach

Experience in defence or national security is a strong plus

Experience writing technical proposals or bids is a plus

What you can achieve

Shape systems that strengthen UK defence and national security

Play a critical role in building and nurturing a rapidly expanding world-class engineering team

Gain broad experience across interesting systems projects applied to challenging environments

Be part of a collaborative, low-ego team

Why join us

Work on a wide variety of interesting problems alongside high-calibre colleagues. Our culture is collaborative and supportive. Neptune North is a place where people help each other grow and feel a real sense of belonging

25 days’ holiday allowance plus bank holidays

Matching pension contributions up to 6%

Private health insurance through Bupa

Discretionary bonus

Travel

Neptune North works with clients across the UK’s defence sector. Many engagements involve regular travel and time on client site. This could mean two to three days per week over an entire assignment, or shorter periods of full-time on-site working anywhere in the UK, at sites including Cheltenham, Bristol, Glasgow, Portsmouth or other defence hubs. We support travelling staff with full expenses and hotel arrangements, and we discuss client placements with you in advance. We are looking for engineers who see this variety as part of the appeal of consultancy work rather than a downside.

Interview process

Our interview process is rigorous because the standard internally is high. For this role, it has three stages:

Written questions, which you complete at a time that suits you

A first interview covering your CV, experience and career aspirations

A technical interview with members of our engineering team

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At Neptune North we are committed to a work environment that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences help us attract, develop and retain the best talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, race or ethnicity, identification as an LGBTQIA+ individual, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by relevant local law.