Software Development Lead (Ground Segment)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 12, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 28, 2026. Lockheed Martin scores A on the Alion truth index.
About the Role
Be part of a team delivering the next generation of secure military communications satellites for the UK Ministry of Defence. This work provides resilient, high-performance connectivity for the UK, its allies and Defence personnel worldwide, playing a critical role in protecting national security as space becomes more contested and demand for secure data continues to grow.
Joining Lockheed Martin also means helping to shape significant investment in the North East space sector, with more than £100 million proposed to support high-skill jobs, advanced manufacturing and long-term economic growth. Opportunities include potential satellite manufacturing in County Durham and collaboration with NESST - the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre at Northumbria University - helping to build a strong pipeline of talent, learning and innovation.
This is your chance to work on mission-critical technology, develop cutting-edge skills and build a meaningful career, while delivering lasting impact for the region and the nation.
The Role
The Software Development Lead will provide technical leadership for the software engineering efforts within the Ground Integrated Product Team (IPT). You will be responsible for the technical architecture, design, development, and delivery of the Ground Segment software, with accountability for technical performance, code quality, schedule, and technical risk management.
This is a high-impact technical leadership role requiring close coordination across software engineering, hardware integration, systems engineering and programme management teams to drive successful software execution. The successful candidate will lead software teams throughout the full Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) - from requirements analysis and architectural design through to implementation, integration, testing, and deployment - while operating with a high degree of autonomy as an engineering lead.
Key responsibilities include:
- Delivering Ground Solution software capabilities including Payload Monitoring & Control (PM&C), Satellite Monitoring & Control (SM&C), STT&C Monitoring & Control, Link Processing, and Crypto Key Management, while maintaining technical baselines throughout the program lifecycle.
- Leading and mentoring software engineering teams through technical excellence and best practices to maximise code quality and delivery performance.
- Supporting the Ground IPT Lead, Ground Chief Engineer, Program, and Executive Leadership in managing technical performance metrics, software maturity, and proactive technical risk and opportunity management.
- Partnering with LM UK RMS Facilities to support software integration within the Ground System Integration Lab (SIL) in Havant and with LM Space US Facilities to support their SIL.
- Working with the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) to develop sustainable software engineering pipelines for LMUK Space.
- Collaborating with Program and Chief Architects to establish standard software engineering processes, CI/CD pipelines, and coding standards aligned with LM Engineering Procedures and technical compliance requirements.
- Supporting Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) from a software impact and implementation perspective.
Required skills, qualifications and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience/combined education, with at least 10 years of professional software development experience.
- Proven experience in leading software development teams within complex, mission-critical environments.
- Technical Leadership experience with demonstrated problem-solving skills in software architecture and design.
- Extensive experience in the design, development, integration, and/or delivery of Satellite Communication software or complex distributed systems.
- Strong understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and experience implementing modern software engineering processes (e.g., Agile, DevSecOps).
- Experience in Software Integration and Test, including automated testing frameworks and continuous integration.
- Experience with software requirements management, including verification and validation (V&V).
- Familiarity with software interfaces and protocols required for spacecraft ground segments.
- Active or current Secret clearance, UK or NATO citizenship is required.