Technical Lead Flight Software (Embedded systems) in Edinburgh

TECHNICAL TEAM LEAD (Embedded systems – FLIGHT SOFTWARE Lead the code that flies in space. My client is building spacecraft flight software that runs real missions in real orbit – and they\’re now looking for a Technical Team Lead to guide the engineers writing it. This is a hands-on leadership role. You won\’t be \”managing from the sidelines.\” You\’ll design systems, review architecture, mentor engineers and still write mission-critical code that leaves Earth. What you\’ll lead You\’ll own the technical direction, quality and delivery of spacecraft flight software: Set technical direction and architecture for embedded flight software systems Lead design reviews, code reviews and software standards Remain hands-on in C and embedded development Drive software quality, testing strategies and CI/CD practices Mentor and grow a team of embedded and flight software engineers Work closely with hardware, systems and operations teams Own technical risk, interface definition and system-level decisions Improve engineering workflows, documentation and development processes You\’ll be the technical anchor – the person people turn to when the problem is hard, safety-critical or cross-disciplinary. What you\’ll bring Strong C and embedded systems background Java an added bonus Experience leading technical design and mentoring engineers Deep understanding of real-time systems, multitasking and low-level hardware Confident working with microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M class preferred) Experience diagnosing and resolving complex system-level faults Excellent communication skills – you can explain deep technical decisions clearly Ownership mindset and ability to shape engineering culture Bonus points if you\’ve worked with FreeRTOS, RTEMS or other RTOS platforms Embedded Linux / Yocto / systemd / BusyBox Python, Java or automation scripting CI/CD pipelines, Docker, GitLab or DevOps tooling Spacecraft, robotics, aerospace, automotive or safety-critical environments Why this role stands out Your team\’s code flies in space You define architecture, standards and technical direction You still build – this is a technical leadership role, not a people-only role You shape the engineering culture of a growing space organisation You\’ll work on complete spacecraft, not isolated components This is your chance to lead the engineers who write software that leaves the planet