At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop secure applications and backend services for National Security.
- Company: Join a leading engineering consultancy with a strong reputation in National Security.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonuses, hybrid work, and a supportive culture.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth in a dynamic and collaborative environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in National Security while working with cutting-edge technologies.
- Qualifications: Experience in software development and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 120000 £ per year.
Location: Opportunities across all compass points, with particular demand across South West, North West and London National Security hubs.
Hybrid: Secure-site working required (typically 3–4 days per week depending on programme).
Salary: £70,000 – £120,000 plus bonus and benefits, depending on experience and SFIA grading.
Clearance: Active DV / eDV clearance preferred.
The Opportunity
You will be joining a specialist engineering consultancy at a particularly exciting stage of growth as it continues expanding its National Security capability. Already well established across Defence and Government, the business has built a reputation around data, geospatial capability, secure software engineering and cloud transformation. With significant investment behind the business and a growing portfolio of National Security programmes, the engineering teams continue to scale across multiple disciplines.
What makes the environment stand out is the combination of technical depth and culture. The organisation has been recognised as a Best Workplace, maintains strong Glassdoor reviews and has built a reputation for transparency, support and genuine investment in its people. Many engineers join from larger organisations looking for more ownership, broader technical exposure and the opportunity to work more closely with both customers and engineering leadership. Teams remain deliberately lean, allowing engineers to influence technical decisions and contribute beyond their immediate area of responsibility. As the National Security capability grows, there is a genuine opportunity to help shape how secure software systems are delivered across the organisation's future programmes.
The Role
As a Software Engineer, you will help design, develop and maintain secure applications, APIs and backend services supporting complex operational systems within National Security environments. You’ll work closely with architects, platform engineers, data specialists and customer stakeholders to deliver secure, scalable and production-grade software across a range of programmes.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Designing and developing secure applications, APIs and integrations using technologies such as Java, Spring Boot, Python, JavaScript or TypeScript.
- Building scalable backend services and distributed systems supporting operational and analytics workloads.
- Developing cloud-native applications integrated with AWS services and modern platform environments.
- Contributing to software architecture, technical design and engineering best practice discussions.
- Supporting DevSecOps delivery through CI/CD pipelines, containerised deployments and cloud-native tooling.
- Integrating applications with data platforms, streaming services and AI-enabled systems.
- Implementing monitoring, logging and observability to support reliable live services.
- Working directly with customers and multidisciplinary teams to solve complex technical challenges.
The environment combines secure software engineering, cloud-native development, operational data and modern platform engineering, providing broad exposure across multiple technical domains. The organisation values engineers who are curious, collaborative and comfortable working directly with stakeholders. Strong communication skills and a pragmatic delivery mindset are often more important than matching every technology perfectly.
Security Requirements
Due to the nature of the work, active DV / eDV clearance is preferred. Candidates should typically be sole UK nationals and comfortable operating within secure National Security environments.
Software Engineer (National Security) in London employer: Forward Role
Join a leading engineering consultancy that is at the forefront of National Security, offering a dynamic work environment across various locations including South West, North West, and London. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, transparency, and collaboration, you will have the opportunity to influence technical decisions and work closely with customers in a supportive culture recognised as a Best Workplace. Enjoy competitive salaries, hybrid working arrangements, and the chance to shape the future of secure software systems in a rapidly expanding sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Engineer (National Security) in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Forward Role or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Forward Role.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Forward Role.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Forward Role that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Software Engineer (National Security) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Forward Role.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Forward Role and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Forward Role
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Forward Role uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
