Dstl
Principal Cyber Digital Signal Processing and Embedded Engineer
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Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JQ
At Dstl, our vision is to have a modern way of working efficiently, accommodating and enabling our people to create, collaborate and deliver. To do this successfully in this job will require attendance at a Dstl location, Government Departments including wider MoD or Delivery and Mission Partner premises for at least 80% of your working time.
Job Summary
Are you an experienced DSP or Embedded Systems engineer looking to influence the future of cyber capability at a national level?
We are seeking a Principal Cyber DSP and Embedded Engineer to provide technical leadership across a diverse portfolio of complex and mission-critical cyber programmes. Working within multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists and technical specialists, you will play a leading role in the development of advanced signal processing, embedded software and FPGA-based solutions that deliver real operational impact.
Why join us?
This role offers the opportunity to tackle challenging technical problems, shape the direction of future capabilities and influence the application of emerging technologies across cyber and national security domains. As a recognised technical authority, you will contribute to technical strategy and roadmaps, guide architectural decisions, and drive innovation across both software and hardware disciplines.
You will work closely with customers, stakeholders and delivery teams to ensure solutions are robust, high-performing and aligned to operational needs. Alongside your technical contribution, you will help develop engineering capability within the organisation by coaching colleagues, sharing knowledge and promoting engineering best practice.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with deep technical expertise, strong leadership skills and a passion for solving complex problems in a collaborative environment. Whether your background is in signal processing, embedded software, FPGA development or systems engineering, you'll have the opportunity to shape innovative solutions that make a meaningful contribution to UK defence and security.
This role is eligible for an additional specialist allowance of £2758 annually subject to meeting extended onboarding requirements. The role may be eligible for additional skills allowances depending on the skills and experience of the applicant.
Job Description
What you'll do
- Lead the development and delivery of advanced digital signal processing, embedded software and FPGA-based solutions across complex cyber programmes.
- Act as a recognised technical authority, providing expert advice and technical leadership across projects, teams and stakeholders.
- Shape technical strategies, roadmaps and capability plans to ensure engineering activities align with future customer and organisational needs.
- Drive innovation across software and hardware domains, influencing system architectures and technology choices.
- Solve complex technical challenges by working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists and specialists.
- Develop high-performance solutions using DSP, embedded software, FPGA and related technologies to improve operational effectiveness.
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to customers, stakeholders and senior decision-makers.
- Mentor and coach engineers, helping to develop future technical leaders and strengthen organisational capability.
- Champion engineering excellence through the adoption of improved tools, methods, standards and best practices.
- Identify opportunities to improve delivery performance, technical quality and organisational effectiveness.
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Person specification
What We're Looking For
- Significant expertise in at least two of the following areas:
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
- Embedded systems development (MCUs, RTOS or Embedded Linux)
- C/C++ software development
- FPGA development using VHDL
- Software and hardware integration and debugging
- Strong analytical, problem-solving and systems engineering skills.
- Experience delivering DSP and embedded solutions within a complex engineering, science or technology environment.
- Experience leading technical delivery, influencing technical direction and establishing engineering standards or approaches.
- Experience working on complex and non-routine technical challenges, bringing together information from multiple sources to develop effective solutions.
- Experience leading or contributing within multidisciplinary teams and supporting successful project delivery.
- Experience coaching, mentoring and developing less experienced engineers.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence both technical and non-technical audiences. Please review the attached job description for more detailed information
Important Information
Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats.
For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.
This role will require Develop Vetting and you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.
Qualifications
- Relevant STEM-based degree such as Electronic Engineering, Embedded Systems, Computer Science, Physics or Mathematics. Individual with equivalent skills qualifications or experience are also actively encouraged to apply.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Changing and Improving
- Leadership
Alongside your salary of £51,568, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £14,939 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Benefits
Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:
- Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.
- Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours, job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).
- Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.
- Where you work: This role requires a minimum of 80% on site attendance.
- Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.
- Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid
- Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.
- Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.
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Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.
At the application stage, we will assess your submitted application against the essential criteria set out in the job profile.
Sifting will take place week commencing the 19th of October with interviews taking place from the 2nd of November.
Your interview will consist of behavioural and technical competency-based questions. You will also be required to deliver a 10-minute presentation. Further details for the presentation will be provided to candidates invited to interview.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting. See our vetting charter.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
Name: Cyber Recruitment Team
Email: cyberrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email: dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk
Further information
Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process
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