Head of Software Engineering- Quantum - Birmingham

Full Time,Permanent or Temporary (immediate start)considered

Office basedwith WFH provision -minimum 3 days per week in office

Salary:COMPETITIVE

Benefits:25 days holiday plus bank holidays, Private Medical Insurance, 5% Pension, Death in Service, EMI Share Options, Free Parking, On Site Cafe, Electric Vehicle Charge Points.

A unique opportunityto shape the future of quantum

Step up and shape the future of technology as Head of Software Engineering at one of the UKs most innovative, VC-backed scaleups. This is your chance to build and lead a new in-house engineering function, deliveringcutting-edgeproducts that will transformcivilengineering,securityanddefence.

Youllarchitect the next generation ofour productand customer facing cloud software,grow your own team, and drive the transition from outsourced to in-house capability, all while working at the forefront of quantum technology.

What You Bring

Board level:You are comfortable working with founders, boards and investors and you can communicate progress,risksand decisions clearly, takingfullresponsibility fordeliveringtheengineering goals (software and hardware).Ideally you will have contributed to board packs or sat on board meetings, presenting the plan and progress.Alternativelyyou have sat on a Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Management:You have managed and grown teamstoten or more and you have experience handling the full management cycle including hiring,coachingand performance management.If you haveonlycoached and mentored juniors, this role is not for you.

SeniorResponsibility: You have beenultimatelyincharge ofbudgets,roadmapsand architecture.

Outsourced teams:You have also managed outsourced teams andbuilt business cases forinternalisingcapabilitywhere possible.

Technology:You have delivered complex products thatare a mix ofhardware, embedded softwareC++and science.Cloud / SaaS experience would also beadvantageousbut this alone will not qualify you for the role.

Security:You will have a strong grasp of securityand will have either implemented ISO27001or worked with outsourced partners to plug security gaps in tech products.

Where You Add Value

Planning:You have experienceof delivering on company milestones,defining roadmaps and architecturesacross products incorporating hardware and embedded software.

Delivery:You have delivered projects on time and budget,which have led to demonstrable commercial success.

Coding / review:You enjoy hands on contribution when needed-as a minimum you will be proficient in C++ version 17 upwards. In a perfect world you should also be familiar with Python,Rustand otherrelevantprogramming languages.Youare able toreviewand appraise other peoplescodeacross C++ / Python / Rust as a minimum.

Management:Youenjoy getting the best out of a team and developing people to a high standard. You will haveexamples of how you have led teams andbeen pivotal inleadingthe people to successin their careers.

Technical Requirements

You should have experience with:

• C++17 or later,Python,Rust

• Embedded Linux includingYoctoandPetalinux

• Drivers,firmwareand ADC pathways

• STM32, Raspberry Pi and Arduino

• Sensor fusion or PNT technologies

• Git, GitHub, Bitbucket and branching discipline

• CI and CD with GitHub Actions or Jenkins

• Automated testing with Robot,GoogleTestor Selenium,Zephyr Scale for test case management

• Jira, Confluence, Miro, Monday

Desirablebut not essential:

• FPGA includingVivado, Quartus and VHDL and Spartan class devices

• Hardware interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, RS485 and Ethernet

How You Work

• You collaborate well, with high integrity and excellent communication skills

• You bring no ego,and high-trust management

• You are strategic and commercial, yet stillcapable of leading by example and gettinghands-on

• You know how to prioritise work, develop people andlead teams to success

Are you eligible to apply? Heres a checklist for you:
Have you prepared technical packs and presented confidently to senior or board-level engineering leaders?Have you defined hardware and software architecture and roadmaps aligned to business milestones?Do you have recent hands-on embedded C++ experience (C++17 or later)?Have you led engineering teams of 510+ with responsibility for hiring, coaching and performance?Have you transitioned outsourced engineering teams in-house, including reviewing their code?Have you delivered at least one complex product (ideally several) to market over several years with hardware, manufacturing and cross-functional teams?

If so, we look forward to hearing from you!