Head of Software Engineering

Location: Oakley, United Kingdom

Company

hirify.global is a defence and security company developing solutions for defence, aviation, space, civil security, aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors, and underwater systems.

What you will do

• Lead the Software Engineering function across research, product development, and customer-funded programmes.
• Define and execute the software engineering strategy in line with business objectives and product roadmaps.
• Provide technical direction, governance, architectural oversight, and delivery leadership across software activities.
• Drive software quality, reliability, safety, security, automated testing, CI/CD, DevOps, and release management.
• Lead, coach, recruit, and develop the software engineering organisation, including workforce planning and succession planning.
• Support customer engagement, bids, proposals, technical reviews, demonstrations, and business development.

Requirements

• Experience leading software engineering delivery across R&D, product, and customer programmes.
• Capability in software architecture, engineering standards, governance, quality, configuration management, and release management.
• Experience with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, test automation, development tooling, and engineering infrastructure.
• Strong people leadership, mentoring, performance management, and organisational development skills.
• Ability to collaborate with Engineering, Product, Programme, HR, customers, suppliers, and hirify.global stakeholders.
• Applicants must hold National Security Vetting clearance to SC level or be able to obtain it.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a growing UK organisation with more than 600 employees across eight sites.
• Contribute to defence and security technology designed to keep people and society safe.
• Access opportunities for career growth, technical development, and personal fulfilment.
• Work in an environment focused on innovation, collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Workforce screening may include baseline personnel security checks, reference checks, working-rights verification, and a security interview.