Software Engineer
Location: Kent, GBPost Date: 2026-10-17
Company Overview
AALTO HAPS is a global leader in Stratospace. Based in Farnborough, AALTO is an Airbus subsidiary that manufactures, operates, and delivers services with its solar-powered, stratospheric platform: Zephyr. Zephyr’s persistence enables continuous flight for months at a time, with a current flight-time record of over 67 days in the stratosphere. Operating from above 60,000+ feet, or 20 km, AALTO can deliver applications including direct-to-device connectivity and high-resolution Earth observation. Stratospace operates in a new layer between most air traffic and low-Earth orbit, where high-altitude platforms led by Zephyr deliver services to commercial and government partners.
Join us as we create a new domain of aerospace: Stratospace. You’ll be part of a highly-skilled, innovative, and passionate group of people – Team AALTO. Together, we can unlock new possibilities.
Role Overview
As a Software Engineer, you’ll develop robust, safety-critical software for airborne systems, working hands-on with complex engineering challenges where quality, reliability, and precision are paramount. You will primarily work in C, with opportunities to use C++ and Python, contributing across requirements, design, implementation, integration, verification, and qualification. This role is for someone who enjoys solving real-world engineering problems, collaborating across disciplines, and seeing their work progress from concept to aircraft-level integration.
If you are motivated by meaningful technical work, high standards, and the opportunity to contribute to pioneering aerospace programs, this is a chance to make a visible impact in a highly collaborative engineering environment.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, test, and maintain high-quality software for safety-critical airborne systems, primarily using C, with C++ and Python where appropriate.
- Contribute across the full software development lifecycle, from requirements capture and design through to implementation, integration, verification, and qualification.
- Work closely with Systems, Hardware, Test, and Flight Operations teams to solve aircraft-level challenges and deliver integrated engineering solutions.
- Support software integration, debugging, test automation, and evidence generation for qualification and certification activities.
- Participate in technical reviews, challenge assumptions constructively, and help strengthen engineering best practices.
- Contribute to a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Skills and Knowledge
- Practical software engineering experience, ideally including 3+ years in aerospace or another safety-critical environment.
- Experience contributing to airborne software development within a DO-178C environment, including requirements, design, implementation, integration and verification.
- Strong C programming skills, with experience in C++ and Python.
- Experience working with embedded, real-time, or resource-constrained software systems.
- Familiarity with software requirements management, verification, traceability, and configuration management processes.
- Strong problem-solving, debugging, and analytical skills, with the ability to work methodically through complex technical issues.
- A collaborative communication style and the confidence to work effectively with engineers from multiple disciplines.
- Awareness of related standards such as DO-330, DO-331, DO-332, DO-333, ARP4754A/B, DO-278, DEF STAN 00-55, or DEF STAN 00-56 would be advantageous.
Why This Role Stands Out
- You’ll work on meaningful software that directly supports advanced aircraft systems.
- You’ll be part of a multidisciplinary engineering team where software, hardware, systems, and operations come together.
- Opportunities to broaden your technical expertise across safety-critical development, verification, and certification.
- See the impact of your work in a challenging, innovative, and fast-moving aerospace environment.
Employee Benefits
- Attractive market-aligned salary complemented by a short-term incentive plan.
- 25 days of holiday to relax and recharge.
- Private medical insurance, dental, and optical cash back.
- Personal pension plan for secure future savings.
- Income protection and life assurance schemes.
- Discounted salary sacrifice scheme for the latest vehicles.
- Employee assistance program for support when needed.
- Employee discounts via Perkbox on household goods, travel, and more.
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