About this role
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 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.