Head of Software

We're building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience.

We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.

Headquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs over 200 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. Recognised in the Financial Times FT1000 as one of Europe's fastest-growing engineering businesses, there has never been a better time to join,

Role purpose

Rowden is growing, in headcount and in impact. Alongside rapid prototyping and R&D, we are deploying production systems at increasing scale, relied on by customers in demanding operational environments. Our software engineering has to deliver both: the speed to prove new ideas and the depth to turn them into dependable systems.

That growth coincides with a generational shift in how software is built. AI tools are already helping us build, test and develop faster. This is a chance to shape how a growing engineering company works, pairing sound technical judgement with new tools to deliver better software at greater scale.

It’s a rare, potentially career-defining opportunity to join a fast-growing industrial technology company working at the intersection of hardware, software and AI.

Your mission is to build the software function that gives Rowden the speed and capability to deliver, and to set the standard for good software engineering as we scale. Clear vision, disciplined delivery and secure development should be the default, and teams should move at pace without burning out or relying on a handful of individuals.

You will unblock delivery by working directly with teams on hard design, integration, performance and reliability problems, spotting needless complexity and helping find a better way. You will stay technically active where it adds real value and grow strong technical leaders by solving real problems alongside them. You will also step into whichever programme most needs your judgement, while keeping a clear view of capacity, risk and the wellbeing of your people.

And you will shape what comes next. Working with our principal engineers and functional leadership, you will set a clear vision for software engineering at Rowden, covering architecture, practices, tooling and skills, and turn it into a practical roadmap that integrates with hardware and systems practice and holds up as we grow.

Candidates must be eligible for DV clearance.

More information about security clearance is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels

Key areas of responsibility

This is a functional leadership role with real technical ownership. You will lead the development of our most complex software systems while also building a team with industry leading technical capability through setting high expectations, treating people fairly, rewarding great performance, and making sure engineers have the support to sustain their effort and keep learning.

You need enough depth across these areas to work directly with specialists and challenge technical risk.

Standards and Capability

• Own Rowden’s engineering standards for software: architecture principles, code review, testing, CI/CD and release. Keep them practical and maintained by the people who use them.
• Build a clear path for new joiners and a learning programme for the team, capturing what senior engineers know so it can be taught.
• Lead the software vision to the Accelerated Systems Framework (ASF), utilising AI to accelerate development while keeping engineering judgement and accountability with people.
• Build commercial awareness: vendor lock-in, open-source licensing, IP and supplier incentives, and how a contract choice can become a technical constraint years later.

People

• Run a steady rhythm of 1:1s and performance conversations. Know what every engineer is unusually good at and building towards.
• Define team structure and lead roles as we grow, and recruit and onboard with the People team.
• Give engineers exposure to customers, suppliers and operations.
• Track and spot overload early and plan cover and handovers.

Delivery and Resourcing

• Work with the Chief Engineers and VP Engineering to keep delivery on track across our most important programmes.
• Own resource planning and flag gaps early.
• Put ‘Just enough’ documented processes in place so delivery is sustainable and change oriented.
• Balance the effect of scope and priority changes on teams before making a decision.

Assurance and secure development

• Make secure by design the default and embed the approach into our SDLC process’.
• Drive the development and adoption of our automated test infrastructure.
• Hold lead engineers accountable for the safety and security argument for their functions, with specialists challenging through peer review.
• Build the software assurance roadmap alongside the software principal engineers: test and evaluation, build and release integrity, supply chain, and our position on AI-assisted code and ML assurance.

Knowledge and information management

• Own Rowden’s SDLC definition and application end to end, working with the software principals to drive its adoption.

Key skills, experience and behaviours

We expect you to be a strong leader and technically credible in the following areas:

• Architecture and platforms: system design, interfaces, scalability, and the trade-offs that tie architecture to cost and schedule.
• Software Development: Underpinning knowledge of Java, C++, Rust, Python.
• Testing, CI/CD and release: automation, configuration management, software at the edge.
• Secure development and assurance: Build out and own our approach to secure by design, supply chain risk, and evidence that feeds a Def Stan safety case or Secure by Design artefact set.
• Machine learning and data: MLOps, data provenance, and how models behave outside the lab.
• Edge, embedded and networks: embedded software, RF interfaces, and device fleet management in constrained, contested environments.
• Commercial literacy: OSS and commercial licensing, IP, switching costs and supplier incentives.

You will be comfortable operating across software, hardware and systems boundaries, developing senior engineers and team leads, and balancing long-term capability building with the demands of live programmes.

Experience in defence, national security or another safety- or mission-critical sector would be valuable, but sound engineering judgement, learning agility and credibility with technical teams are more important than experience in a particular domain.

Working at Rowden

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!

We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.

Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.

Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!