hackajob
Senior Software Engineer / Senior Software Developer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Senior Software Engineer / Senior Software Developer
Externship Collaboration: Senior Software Engineer at UKTL with National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
About the Role
At UKTL, your work strengthens the UK’s technological, cyber, and national resilience. You’ll collaborate with expert engineers, government partners, and industry specialists to detect, understand, and counter emerging security threats.
If you thrive in an inclusive environment that values curiosity, teamwork, and continuous learning, this opportunity will challenge and excite you.
Role Overview: Senior Software Engineer
As a Senior Software Engineer, you’ll be a pivotal force in shaping high-impact projects that defend critical national infrastructure. You’ll drive the design and development of secure, resilient systems supporting cybersecurity testing and research, directly influencing how secure, high-quality software is delivered.
This is a hands-on, ownership-driven role where technical excellence drives meaningful outcomes. You will:
- Work across multiple programming languages, frameworks, and platforms to solve complex technical challenges.
- Help define and evolve engineering best practices, including branching strategies, deployment pipelines, and scalable development workflows.
- Review pull requests, mentor colleagues, and raise code quality standards across teams.
- Champion innovation—bring forward-thinking ideas to future-proof our systems against evolving threats.
- Collaborate with technical and non-technical stakeholders to shape priorities and deliver scalable, high-impact solutions.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
You will also be part of a technical community that shares knowledge, encourages experimentation, and supports career growth.
Location Requirement: Twice-weekly on-site attendance at the UKTL offices in Birmingham is mandatory for this role.
Flexibility Options: We balance work-life harmony and are available to explore full-time, part-time, or hybrid arrangements where feasible—though specific options depend on role requirements and departmental needs.
Key Competencies for This Role
Technical Depth & Vision
You operate confidently in deep technical domains and effortlessly navigate cross-technology landscapes—making informed decisions about architecture, scalability, and engineering trade-offs.
- Innovative mindset: Enthusiastically discover and apply cutting-edge techniques with a focus on maintainability, longevity, and resource availability.
- Bespoke and COTS competencies: Equally proficient at:
- Leading custom software development for niche requirements.
- Guiding teams to effectively implement and tailor commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions.
- Polyglot proficiency: Lean on Linux and open-source tools daily; adapt to new languages platforms without hesitation.
Leadership & Collaboration
Confidently bridge technical and non-technical discussions, translating business needs into robust solutions.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
- Mentorship readiness: Adept at coaching or leading teams—whether fostering high performers or serving as a Problem-solver’ start for a specialism.
- Stakeholder alignment: Engage both experts and non-technical counterparts to synthesise requirements into impactful outcomes.
Practical Expertise
- Has experience working in Agile frameworks (e.g., Scrum, Kanban).
- Deep understanding of DevOps/DevSecOps principles, embedded in CI/CD pipelines, security-as-code, and secure deployment.
- Sophisticated testing: Uses techniques like Test-Driven Development (TDD) or Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) to craft rigorous, reusable tests.
- Problem-solving rigor: Enjoys tackling unusual or novel challenges—turning technical constraints into advantages.
- Technical communication: Documents clarity (architectural decisions, code comments, usage guidelines) to enable future teams.
- Curiosity and learning: A proactive adopter of new tools—quick to assess viability, create business justification, and diversify our technological landscape.
Why It Matters
Your contributions here build resilience against threats. You become part of a mission that not only protects critical infrastructure but also safeguards society.
Commitment: Twice-weekly office presence at Birmingham headquarters is required. Flexibility is possible but subject to role/business needs.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills