At a Glance
- Tasks: Accelerate secure software delivery and shape DevSecOps practices across defence programmes.
- Company: Join Leonardo UK, a leader in defence and security technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Other info: Opportunities for career growth and mentoring within a dynamic team.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a collaborative environment focused on innovation and excellence.
- Qualifications: Degree in relevant field and experience in secure software solutions.
Salary Range £54,000 - £70,000
Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.
Your Impact
As a Principal Software Engineer (DevSecOps), you will play a key role in accelerating the delivery of secure, high-quality software across Leonardo's defence and security programmes. You will help shape and evolve our enterprise DevSecOps capability, enabling teams to deliver features and updates rapidly, reliably and securely. Working within our software engineering community, you will champion modern engineering practices, drive automation, and embed security throughout the software development lifecycle. Through your technical leadership and mentoring, you will help build a collaborative DevSecOps culture focused on innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
What You'll Do
- Contribute to the delivery and evolution of Leonardo's enterprise-wide DevSecOps platform.
- Support and mentor teams adopting DevSecOps practices, tools and ways of working.
- Contribute to the planning and implementation of DevSecOps capabilities across cloud, on-premises and hybrid environments.
- Design, deploy and maintain development, test and operational environments.
- Drive automation across software delivery and infrastructure provisioning to improve quality, consistency and efficiency.
- Develop and maintain automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes.
- Apply effective change, configuration and release management practices.
- Support deployed services, ensuring high levels of performance, security and availability.
- Collaborate with engineers, platform teams and stakeholders to improve delivery capability and engineering practices.
- Champion secure‑by‑design principles across the software development lifecycle.
What You'll Bring
You will have a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline, together with experience delivering software solutions within a complex engineering environment.
- Experience designing, building and operating secure‑by‑design environments.
- Hands‑on experience with Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) practices and tooling.
- Knowledge of cloud, on-premises and hybrid environments, including associated security considerations.
- Experience with enterprise DevOps and DevSecOps tools supporting modern software delivery.
- A background in software engineering, platform engineering, IT operations or a related discipline.
- Experience with requirements management, configuration management and version control tools.
- Knowledge of infrastructure‑as‑code, automation and deployment technologies.
- Experience working within Agile development environments.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to mentor and influence technical teams.
- A passion for automation, continuous improvement and engineering excellence.
Security Clearance
This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting.
For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.
As part of our commitment to diversity, inclusion and accessibility, if you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.
Location and Working Details
- Primary Location: GB - Luton - Cap. Green 300
- Additional Locations: GB - Basildon, GB - Edinburgh, GB - Lincoln, GB - Newcastle, GB - Southampton
- Contract Type: Permanent
- Hybrid Working: Hybrid
Principal Software Engineer (DevSecOps) in Basildon employer: Leonardo
Leonardo is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee experience and inclusion, offering a dynamic work culture in the heart of Edinburgh. With flexible hybrid working arrangements, generous leave policies, and comprehensive mental health support, employees are empowered to thrive both personally and professionally. The company fosters growth opportunities, ensuring that every team member can develop their skills and advance their careers in a supportive environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Engineer (DevSecOps) in Basildon
✨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 Leonardo 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 Leonardo.
✨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 Leonardo.
✨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 Leonardo 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!
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 Leonardo.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Leonardo 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 Leonardo
✨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 Leonardo 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.
