Sr Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer – C++ Control Systems | Owen Daniels
Job Overview
Owen Daniels is recruiting a Senior Software Engineer specialising in C++ control systems on behalf of a rapidly growing company developing advanced applications for the marine industry. This permanent opportunity focuses on designing and delivering control software for intelligent marine vehicles, with responsibility spanning software architecture, implementation, testing, and sea trials.
The role is particularly suited to an experienced software engineer with a strong background in modern C++ and control systems who wants to contribute directly to the development of innovative marine technology. You will take ownership of the architecture for closed-loop control and vehicle systems management, helping transform system requirements into reliable software for real-world operation.
As a senior technical contributor, you will also act as the technical authority for software on mobile platforms, review engineering designs, and mentor less experienced developers. The position offers the opportunity to work closely with software and engineering teams on a pre-production project, where software reliability, maintainability, and thorough validation are essential.
Key Responsibilities
Design and develop software architecture that meets system requirements, with a focus on closed-loop control and vehicle systems management.
Implement control software for propulsion management, electrical systems, control allocation, and autopilot functionality.
Develop and maintain software using modern C++, specifically C++14 or newer.
Take ownership of software development from initial scoping and architectural design through implementation, integration, and final delivery.
Produce and maintain technical documentation, including software design records and architectural decisions.
Review software designs and code produced by other engineers to ensure solutions remain modular, reliable, maintainable, and aligned with engineering standards.
Mentor and guide less experienced software engineers, sharing technical knowledge and encouraging sound development practices.
Collaborate with software, systems, and wider engineering teams to coordinate development activities and deliver software and documentation on schedule.
Develop unit tests and conduct software verification to identify defects and confirm that requirements have been met.
Validate control software through simulation, bench testing, and sea trials.
Investigate technical issues arising during integration and testing, helping ensure the software performs reliably under operational conditions.
Serve as the technical authority for software on assigned mobile platforms, maintaining oversight of design decisions and implementation quality.
Required Skills And Experience
Modern C++ Development
Candidates must have advanced software development experience with modern C++, specifically C++14 or a later version. You should be comfortable designing complex software, implementing robust functionality, reviewing code, and maintaining high engineering standards throughout the development lifecycle.
Experience working on performance-sensitive or systems-level software will be relevant to the technical demands of this position.
Control Systems Engineering
Professional experience designing and developing software for control systems is essential. You should understand how software translates system requirements into control behaviour and how to develop and validate functionality for physical systems.
The role involves closed-loop control and vehicle systems management, so experience working across software and hardware interfaces will be valuable.
Education and Technical Background
A degree-level qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related discipline is required, although equivalent industry experience may be accepted. Candidates should be capable of understanding complex technical requirements and translating them into practical software architectures.
Desirable Skills And Experience
Experience in any of the following areas would be advantageous:
Closed-loop control: Advanced knowledge of control theory, including PID tuning on physical systems.
Marine or mobile robotics: Experience developing software for marine vehicles, autonomous platforms, or other mobile robotic systems.
Embedded and real-time systems: Familiarity with software that operates under hardware, timing, and resource constraints.
ROS and ROS 2: Experience with robotics middleware and software integration.
CAN bus: Understanding of communication protocols used by vehicle and embedded systems.
Sensor fusion and state estimation: Knowledge of combining sensor data and estimating vehicle state.
Path planning and autonomous systems: Familiarity with navigation algorithms and robotics software stacks.
These skills are desirable rather than mandatory according to the supplied listing. Applicants should emphasise their strongest relevant experience in control software and modern C++.
Benefits And Working Environment
The employer offers a benefits package designed to support financial security, professional development, and work-life balance. Advertised benefits include:
Pension scheme, with the option to contribute through salary sacrifice.
Eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus linked to individual and company performance.
Life assurance worth four times annual salary and critical illness cover.
25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.
A typical Christmas shutdown.
An additional annual wellbeing day.
Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
Private healthcare coverage.
Training opportunities and access to LinkedIn Learning.
Flexible working arrangements, subject to the employer’s policy.
The opportunity provides exposure to technically challenging marine applications and the complete development cycle, including real-world testing. The precise salary and office location are not stated in the supplied description and should be confirmed with the recruiter.
Eligibility And How To Apply
Candidates must have the right to work in the United Kingdom and be able to obtain BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) clearance.
Interested applicants can apply through the Senior Software Engineer listing on BestJobTool. Applications should highlight modern C++ development, control systems experience, software architecture, testing and validation, and any relevant robotics or embedded systems work.
Recruitment note: Owen Daniels is the named recruiter; the end employer has not been identified in the supplied description. Candidates should confirm the employer’s identity, salary, working arrangements, and any clearance requirements during the recruitment process.

Work arrangement
Yes