Our world-leading Time & Frequency department are seeking an experienced and practicing Principal Software Engineer.

You will be oining our team at an exciting time - we maintain the UK’s National Time Scale, UTC (NPL), and are currently developing theNational TimingCentrethat will under pin our Critical National Infrastructure. This will address the risks associated with our dependency on global navigation satellite systems (such asGPS) that are vulnerable to both natural and intentional interference.

As the Principal Software Engineer, you will enjoy collaborating with prominent Scientists, Engineers and specialists in Cyber Security, to design and implement a Software Solution to time, quality and cost.

Key Responsibilities:

• Working as part of a multi-discipline team take leadership accountability for all Software Development required to support NPL’s delivery of its scale, mission critical programmes.
   
• Build and maintain a Software Development team within NPL. Scope the requirements of this team and resources needed to support the strategic growth plans for the business.
   
• Act as a hands-on leader of this team in order to a) deliver what is needed whilst the team grows over time and b) provide coaching and mentoring to more junior members of the team.
  
  
• Build and maintain an understanding of NPL’s own capabilities and strategic intent. Drive its Software development strategy to match this ambition.
   
• Lead on the development/implementation of an industry leading/best practice Software Governance regime, ensure it is in place, understood and adopted across the team.
  
  
• Ensure that the overall Software Designs for all NPL programmes are defined in accordance with the overall Technical Architecture
   
• Ensure that the Software Designs for all NPL programmes are fully documented in accordance with the applicable standards and governance throughout the project life cycle.
   
• Promote understanding across the Software and wider teams to ensure that all are aware of the part the Software Plans play in the overall delivery including its critical path, dependencies, resourcing, risks so that the whole team understands its role and the timescales by which they need to deliver.
  
  
• Monitor the critical path along with risks/opportunities throughout the life of the project. Proactively manage all deliveries to accommodate any emerging risks/opportunities so that timescales for delivery are optimised/maintained.
  
  
• Maintain an accurate picture of spend to date and estimate costs at completion across all deliveries
   
• Work in concert with the Project Management team to monitor progress of the programme as a whole.
   
• Support progress reporting to NPL leadership in particular, in relation to Software aspects of the delivery including risks, opportunities, progress/spend/costs
   
• As required liaise with the end client to ensure that they are fully updated on the overall Software Design and Plan
   
• Lead the selection of and subsequently engage with Software delivery partners to ensure that they are fully aware of their role in delivery of the Software Design and Plan along with the dependencies that rest with them.

We are now working in a hybrid way, with a mix of remote and office working. We strive to offer a great work life balance - if you are looking for part time or flexible options, we will try to make this work where business possible. This will be dependent on the kind of role you do and part of the business you work in.