Lead Software Architect

Are you passionate about engineering? Do you want to make a difference?

ALTEN is a global engineering and technology consultancy operating across over 30 countries worldwide. We partner with industry leaders across sectors including Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Naval, Automotive, Energy, Rail, and many more to deliver innovative engineering solutions that drive technological advancement and support sustainable transformation. Our teams of passionate and agile engineers work on cutting-edge projects that shape the future of technology and sustainability. At ALTEN, we empower talented engineers to innovate, solve complex challenges, and deliver impactful solutions that build tomorrow’s world—today.

Help design the next generation of underwater surveillance systems by leading the software architecture of complex distributed platforms. At ALTEN, we're supporting a critical programme that demands high-integrity, safety-related software developed to exacting standards. As a Software Architect, you’ll play a key role in defining architecture, guiding design decisions, and ensuring robustness across the system. This is a chance to apply your expertise in C/C++, Java, and safety-critical frameworks to shape software that supports defence operations worldwide.

Key Details:

Location: On-site – Manchester (5 days/week)

Experience Level: 8+ years in Software Engineering

Clearance Required: SC Clearance with no caveats (5 Years in the UK minimum)

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and maintain the software architecture for a complex, large distributed system within a safety-critical defence domain
• Oversee design reviews, mentor engineers, and lead on architectural governance throughout the development lifecycle
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align software architecture with system-level requirements
• Ensure compliance with relevant safety standards such as DO-178, DEF STAN, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, or ISO 26262
• Contribute to Software FMEA, risk analysis, and the implementation of high-integrity coding practices
• Produce robust technical documentation and artefacts to support project delivery and certification
  
  

Required Skills & Experience:

• Minimum 8 years’ experience in software engineering roles
• Strong knowledge of C/C++ and Java, including experience with their respective toolchains and development environments
• Demonstrated experience designing safety-critical or safety-related software in regulated industries
• Deep understanding of software lifecycles, unit testing, static analysis, and best practices in high-integrity coding
• Expertise in Software FMEA and architectural-level fault handling
• Skilled in writing technical documentation for complex systems
• Must hold or be eligible to hold valid SC clearance (without caveats)

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with UML, SysML, or other modelling methods
• Background in defence projects or mission-critical systems
• Knowledge of IP networking protocols and secure communications
• Familiarity with virtualisation and containerisation technologies (e.g. Docker, VMware)
• Use of Atlassian toolsets (JIRA, Confluence, Bitbucket)
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and tools like Jenkins, JFROG Artifactory

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• OR a technical military background with experience in high-integrity, embedded, or defence systems
• Candidate will ideally already hold active SC Clearance, or be eligible to obtain it (5 years permanent residency in the UK minimum requirement)
  
  

Why join us?

We foster a community of dually talented individuals who are both entrepreneurs and technology specialists. Our teams embody the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, enabling us to develop solutions most efficiently.

Our commitment to sustainable growth is unwavering, and we continuously strive for accelerated transformation and continuous improvement. Through ALTEN labs, mentoring programs, internal universities, and more, we are always pushing boundaries and embracing new possibilities.

We offer incredible opportunities to join inspiring projects in the most innovative companies.

We prioritise your career development with personalised support plans tailored to your own aspirations. We're here to empower you and help you reach your full potential.

Join our passionate team and start building tomorrow, today!

In short you get:

• A personalised career path and a rewarding management style
• A chance to work on the most exciting engineering projects and technologies along with Premium Customers
• A huge diversity of engineering projects and industries
• A competitive salary
• Private Medical Insurance
• Pension Scheme
• Cycle-to-work Scheme among many additional benefits
• Social atmosphere, regular gatherings, and team buildings
• Flexible way of working (role dependent)