Senior C++ Software Engineer
Manchester | National Security | High‑Performance Systems | Up to £80,000 Gross
Operating at the cutting edge of defence, aerospace, and national security technology, delivering advanced, mission‑critical solutions for government and international customers. Teams work across highly secure, high‑impact programmes, developing and supporting systems that protect critical infrastructure and national interests.
The environment is fast‑paced and technically demanding, with a strong emphasis on innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Engineers are trusted to take ownership, challenge assumptions, and contribute directly to systems deployed in real operational environments.
As a Senior C++ Software Engineer, you will work on the development, enhancement, and support of high‑performance national security systems, collaborating with international customers and internal teams to deliver new capabilities and maintain mission‑critical platforms.
You’ll be part of an agile, collaborative engineering team, working across the full software lifecycle in a Linux‑based environment. The work is technically challenging and varied, requiring strong problem‑solving skills, performance‑focused development, and the ability to operate comfortably in complex, production systems.
Your background:
* Strong commercial experience developing software in modern C++, including performance‑critical and concurrent systems
* Solid understanding of Linux‑based development, including build systems, compilers, tooling, and low‑level system behaviour
* Experience working with computer networking concepts and protocols, particularly TCP/IP and related technologies
* Exposure to packet‑level or network‑focused systems, such as traffic analysis, inspection, or monitoring platforms
* Experience using complementary scripting or automation languages such as Python, Ruby, Bash, or similar
* Comfortable working in Agile / Scrum environments, using tools such as Jira or equivalent
* Experience diagnosing, troubleshooting, and supporting complex systems, including remote fault‑finding
* Ability to work autonomously while contributing effectively within a high‑performing engineering team
* Strong communication skills and a proactive approach to problem‑solving
Desired:
* Experience with deep packet inspection or network analysis technologies
* Familiarity with networking protocols beyond TCP/IP (e.g. HTTP, DNS, DHCP, tunnelling technologies)
* Exposure to configuration management or infrastructure tooling (e.g. Puppet or similar)
* Experience supporting deployed or operational systems in a secure or mission‑critical context
* Willingness to travel occasionally to support customer engagement and system deployment