Software Engineer

About the role

Most software gets written a long way from where it's used. You'll be on the ground with the people who depend on ours, owning the networking and the code that keep our systems working in the field. Your bug reports won't come from a ticket queue; they'll come from someone standing next to you, with the system in their hands and a reason it has to work. Minerva Defence is a UK sovereign defence technology company building the full stack of unmanned systems for modern warfare: hardware, software, networking, autonomy, navigation and effectors. Our mission is simple: to help ensure the UK and its allies can defend themselves in an era where major conflict is no longer unthinkable. We are deliberately low-profile: no hype, no performative marketing, just execution. We ideate, design, and manufacture from start to finish right here in the UK. Our products are in active use on the battlefield today, delivering real operational impact in the most demanding environments. Despite operating largely in stealth, our team of 60 people is delivering disproportionate effect, with tens of millions in annual revenue across UK and non-UK customers. Our culture is elite, innovative and mission-focused. We are built to be asymmetric: small in headcount, relentless in execution, and outsized in battlefield impact. We are looking for people who are not just talented, but committed: to the work, to the team, and to the purpose behind it. You will be the engineer operators and customers rely on when our systems are actually in use, not back at a desk waiting for a ticket. You will deploy and support the platform on-site, own the networking that keeps it connected and secure, and write the software that ties it together. The problems you solve will come straight from the field, and the fixes you ship will go straight back there. It is hands-on, customer-facing, and about as close to the point of use as software engineering gets. Responsibilities Roll out and manage software updates to the systems we have deployed in the field, over the network Configure, secure and diagnose the networks our systems depend on, from setup through to live fault-finding under pressure Debug Linux systems and connectivity issues on the ground, often with limited time and tooling Write and maintain the Python software, tooling and automation that hold the platform together Act as the technical point of contact for operators, turning field problems into reliable fixes Feed real operational issues back to the core engineering team to harden the product Minimum: Proven experience shipping production software; we work mostly in Python, but are language-agnostic for engineers with strong computer-science fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, systems) A solid grounding in Linux and networking fundamentals, with hands-on experience diagnosing both A track record of earning the trust of experienced, demanding end users on their own terms, through substance and straight talk rather than sales polish Able to work on-site in Herefordshire and travel to customer locations, operating with a high degree of autonomy Eligible for UK DV clearance (UK national, normally 10 or more years of continuous UK residency) Preferred: Background in military communications or signals Experience operating in deployed or operational environments Familiarity with secure or air-gapped network architectures Experience shipping software updates to systems already deployed in the field (over-the-air or similar) We try to take the everyday pressures off your plate, so you can do your best work without worrying about the noise, and the benefits are built around that. It starts with real ownership: share options that vest over three years, so you hold a genuine stake in what we are building. You get a Claude Team account on day one and tools that keep up with you. Bupa private health is fully funded from your first day, the pension is a 6% employer contribution, and leave is generous, with 25 days plus bank holidays, your birthday off, and properly enhanced cover for both parents. The full detail comes with your offer.

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