Head of Software Engineering

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Head of Software Engineering to lead the software behind advanced electro-optical products that protect people and critical assets around the world.

Reporting directly to the CTO, you’ll lead a growing team of over 10 software engineers, with the team continuing to expand as OpenWorks grows. You’ll shape its capability, standards and delivery from early concepts through to deployment and in-service improvement.

This is an opportunity for an experienced software leader who enjoys technical complexity, develops talented people and brings clarity to competing priorities. You’ll have the scope to build the team, strengthen how we work and make a visible impact on our products.

Who We Are

OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England.

Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations.

We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world.

The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.

Security Vetting Information

OpenWorks Engineering operates within the defence sector. As part of our recruitment and onboarding processes, we collect information that may be required to support future security vetting and clearance requirements, should these become necessary during employment.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

Join a high-energy, collaborative team where great ideas thrive, challenges are embraced, and people genuinely love what they do.

Here’s what our benefits have to offer:

Rewarding Success - Competitive salary, starting from £90,000, plus a discretionary annual bonus of up to 25% of salary alongside a structured pay progression framework.

Enhanced Pension - Up to 8% employer-matched contributions to help you plan for the future.

More Time to Recharge - 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays, long-service rewards, and the option to buy up to 5 extra days.

Breakfast & Lunch on Us - Enjoy team breakfasts and freshly prepared lunches every day courtesy of Chef Mark and his team.

Health & Wellbeing - Private healthcare and life assurance for added peace of mind.

Sustainable Travel - Salary sacrifice schemes, including EV car and Cycle to Work options.

Team Socials - Regular events, from quiz nights and football to board games and more.

Learning & Growth - A culture that empowers you to challenge, grow and make an impact, plus a £250 annual learning budget to invest in the development that matters most to you.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead and develop the team: Build a high-performing Software Engineering function through clear objectives, performance management, coaching and recruitment.
• Drive engineering delivery: Turn product, customer and business priorities into achievable plans, managing capacity, resources and commitments across multiple projects.
• Provide technical leadership: Shape software architecture, standards and development practices, challenge complex decisions and empower engineers to own delivery.
• Take concepts into service: Lead software development from prototyping through verification, release and deployment, building in supportability and configuration control.
• Deliver integrated products: Work with Hardware & Systems, Intelligence & Autonomy, Product and Operations to turn emerging capabilities into reliable products.
• Align teams and remove barriers: Clarify priorities, ownership, interfaces and dependencies across functions, resolve blockers and escalate trade-offs that need wider business decisions.
• Strengthen how we work: Give the CTO clear visibility of progress and risks, improve productivity and use production and customer feedback to drive product improvements.

What we’re looking for:

Essential

• Proven software leadership: Significant experience leading and developing software teams within complex R&D and product development environments.
• Technical credibility: A strong software engineering background and C++ development experience, supported by a relevant degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, Physics or a related technical discipline.
• Embedded product experience: Experience delivering complex software on real-time embedded platforms, integrating with mechanical and electronic engineering.
• Architecture and lifecycle expertise: Strong understanding of system design, hardware, operating systems and software interfaces, alongside code review, source control, testing, release management and configuration control.
• People and delivery focus: A track record of developing high-performing teams, managing priorities and resources across multiple projects, and maintaining momentum as priorities change.

Desirable

• Relevant product experience: Experience in electro-optical, autonomous, radar, surveillance or counter-UAS technologies, or regulated, safety-critical environments and defence standards.
• Relevant technologies: Experience with NVIDIA Jetson, Linux hardware drivers, network configuration, TCP/IP, CMake, DevOps, Python, cyber security or video streaming.
• Professional development: A relevant master’s qualification, Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional recognition.

You must have the right to work in the UK; we are unable to offer visa sponsorship. Occasional travel may be required.

More about us:

Vision

Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.

Mission

Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for Surveillance applications and Defence

Values

Be a Good Egg: Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest

Do cool stuff: We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done

Be empowered: We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility

We are one team: Look out for each other and the team

Things go wrong: Fail fast, learn and move on

Have fun: We’re doing amazing things with passionate people

We Get It Done: Focus on what matters and work with energy to bring ideas to life