About the Role
The world‑leading Time & Frequency department is seeking a Senior Software Engineer with expertise in Unix/Linux software development and containerisation. This is an exceptional opportunity to join the global authority in precision timing at a defining moment for UK digital infrastructure.
Backed by a government investment of £180 million in the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme, we are developing a world‑first resilient time distribution capability that will provide industry with a robust complement to satellite systems (such as GPS) – which are increasingly vulnerable to disruption from solar storms, jamming and spoofing. This will underpin essential services, including telecommunications, online banking, emergency response, transport networks and wider digital and data‑driven operations.
Together, these services form the backbone of modern society – and your leadership will help ensure they remain secure, reliable and robust even if global navigation satellite systems fail.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide technical leadership within the software team, setting and promoting best practice in software design, coding standards, security, testing and CI/CD pipelines.
* Design, develop and implement robust, secure and highly‑available software solutions for production environments, taking end‑to‑end responsibility across the SDLC.
* Identify and implement continuous improvements to software architecture, development processes and operational practices, acting as a process owner for agreed engineering standards and approaches.
* Lead a small software team or workstream, providing direction, prioritisation and technical decision‑making while mentoring engineers and assuring delivery quality.
* Act as Scrum Master when required, leading agile ceremonies, supporting effective delivery, and continuously improving team ways of working.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will have the following skills, experience, and qualifications.
Essential Experience
* Experience building robust software deployed into high‑availability production environments, with a strong emphasis on software quality, reliability and maintainability.
* Proven experience working within Agile/Scrum delivery teams, contributing to iterative, collaborative software development.
Essential Technical Skills
* Software development in a Unix/Linux environment, using any modern language (with Python preferred).
* Hands‑on experience with container runtimes and containerising applications.
* Experience designing, building or maintaining CI/CD pipelines to support automated build, test and deployment processes.
Eligibility & Clearance
We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance. To work in this role in the Time and Frequency department, you will need to have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.
Equal Opportunity & Diversity
We welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or age, and encourage women, disabled, black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular. All disabled candidates who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme. At NPL we are committed to diversity and equality of opportunity, and we ensure every colleague feels supported and welcome. We are also committed to the health and well‑being of our employees, offering flexible working, social activities, a range of rewards and benefits.
#J-18808-Ljbffr