Software Engineer - Speculative Talent Pipeline in Bristol

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 around 160 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe’s fastest-growing engineering businesses.

About the opportunity

We’re growing our team and looking for talented Software Engineers at all levels to work on exciting projects aiming to deliver real value to our key customers. You’ll join a diverse team of engineers at Rowden. You’ll contribute to a hands-on engineering culture, sharing knowledge and lessons with the wider engineering team, and learn new things yourself along the way. Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance.

Key areas of responsibility

• Developing and testing standalone Android apps and plugins.
• Designing and implementing core components of an Android-based operating system, such as kernel modules, device drivers, memory management, and process scheduling.
• Developing system libraries and APIs that facilitate communication between components and applications.
• Debugging complex issues including handling concurrency problems, memory leaks, and system crashes, ensuring stability and reliability.
• Developing and executing comprehensive test plans, including unit tests, integration tests, and performance tests, to validate the operating system’s robustness and stability.
• Utilising version control systems, particularly Git, to manage and track changes to our codebase.
• Working within Agile frameworks, participating in sprints, stand-ups, and other Agile practices.

Key skills, experience and behaviours

We are looking for someone who is passionate about technology and who actively invests in their technical skills and abilities. You will be constantly learning and developing in this role, but some key skills and experience you should already have include:

• Experience in using an OOP language such as Java, C#, C++ etc, and willingness to adapt to Kotlin and Android based applications.
• Capable of writing clean, efficient, and maintainable code, utilising object-oriented programming principles, data structures, and algorithms to solve complex problems.
• Familiar with software development tools, version control systems (such as Git), and build tools to streamline development workflows and maintain high code quality.
• Demonstrates strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to quickly grasp new technologies and adapt to changing project requirements.
• Experience in working on diverse projects, from legacy codebases to modern applications, ensuring seamless integration and enhancement of functionalities.
• Collaborative mindset, with experience working in cross-functional teams in Agile frameworks.
• Exhibits a high level of professionalism, reliability, and effective communication skills. Able to work independently with minimal supervision while also collaborating effectively, contributing to project goals, and delivering quality results within agreed timelines.
• Knowledge of Secure Software Development practices, with a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating potential security risks.
• Experience in developing secure, resilient, and compliant mobile solutions.

• Knowledge of a variety of programming languages such as Python, Rust, Go, C# etc.
• Experience in regulated sectors delivering complex networked systems, such as defence, national security, telecommunications, financial services, or automotive industries.
• Experience in developing Android applications, with a strong understanding of the Android SDK, application lifecycle, Android development tools and UI/UX design principles.

About you

The ideal candidate will have a strong balance of the below technical skills, experience, and the behavioural competencies that we believe are key to success in the role:

• Teamworking and collaboration – you’ll work closely with other engineers and developers as part of a cross functional team. The ability to communicate well, share knowledge and challenge constructively is an essential skill for the role.
• Ability (and desire) to learn - our industry changes rapidly, and you should be comfortable with regularly learning new technologies, programming languages and platforms. Lack of experience in any technology should not be a barrier to your involvement in a project that uses it.
• Adaptability, resilience, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Working at Rowden

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are! We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants. Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible. Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!