Principal Software Engineer (C++ / Unreal Engine)

Portsmouth
4 days ago
Create job alert

Principal Software Engineer
Portsmouth | Hybrid, 3 days onsite
£75,000-£85,000 plus bonus and benefits

This Principal Software Engineer role is designed for a hands-on technical leader with strong C++ and Unreal Engine expertise, working at the forefront of complex, performance-critical software delivery. The role combines advanced engineering with genuine technical authority, shaping how simulation-driven and autonomy-focused systems are designed, built and evolved.

The position sits within a fast-growing software and data science consultancy delivering end-to-end solutions across defence, energy, transport and health. You will work closely with subject matter experts and senior stakeholders on high-impact programmes spanning modelling and simulation, autonomy, geospatial systems, synthetic environments and digital twins.

This is a true principal-level role. You will remain deeply technical while setting direction, leading teams and acting as the technical authority across projects.

What you will be doing

  • Leading the design and delivery of complex software solutions using C++ and Unreal Engine
  • Acting as technical lead across modelling and simulation, wargaming and autonomous systems
  • Applying mathematical and computational techniques to solve real-world problems
  • Owning key technical decisions across architecture, tooling and performance
  • Mentoring engineers and enabling high-performing delivery teams
  • Delivering technical consultancy engagements and leading selected projects
  • Building trusted relationships with customers and stakeholders
  • Supporting bids, proposals and technical reporting

    What you will bring
  • Extensive experience, typically 15+ years, delivering high-performance software
  • Proven technical leadership at Principal or Technical Lead level
  • Strong hands-on expertise in C++ and Unreal Engine
  • Background in simulation, autonomy, robotics or game-engine-driven environments
  • Experience working with large, complex codebases and performance constraints
  • Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills

    What's on offer
  • Salary up to £85,000, flexible for exceptional technical leaders
  • 7 percent employer pension contribution
  • Vitality private healthcare
  • 25 days holiday with the option to buy or sell additional days
  • Life assurance
  • EV salary sacrifice scheme
  • Discretionary bonus linked to company performance
  • Structured mentoring and ongoing technical development

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Principal Software Engineer (C++ / Unreal Engine)

Principal Embedded Software Engineer

Principal Structural Engineer

Principal Architect

Principal EC&I Engineer

Principal/Senior Design Engineer

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Robotics Jobs for Career Switchers in Their 30s, 40s & 50s (UK Reality Check)

Robotics looks futuristic from the outside. People picture humanoid machines, cutting-edge labs & young engineers writing complex code. In the UK job market, the reality is more practical and more encouraging for career switchers: robotics is already embedded across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, defence, construction & inspection. That means there are real jobs for people in their 30s, 40s & 50s who bring operational experience, delivery skills, quality discipline & the ability to work with real-world systems. This article gives you a clear UK reality check on robotics careers for career switchers: what roles genuinely exist, which paths are most realistic, what skills employers actually hire for, how long retraining tends to take & whether age is a factor.

How to Write a Robotics Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Robotics is moving rapidly from research labs into real-world deployment. Across the UK, robots are now used in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, defence, agriculture, autonomous vehicles and service industries. As adoption accelerates, demand for skilled robotics professionals continues to grow. Yet many employers struggle to attract the right candidates. Robotics job adverts often receive either very few applications or large numbers of unsuitable ones. Experienced robotics engineers, meanwhile, routinely skip adverts that feel vague, unrealistic or disconnected from how robotics systems actually work in practice. In most cases, the problem is not the talent pool — it is the job advert itself. Robotics professionals are systems thinkers. They care deeply about constraints, integration and real-world performance. A poorly written job ad signals weak technical understanding and unrealistic expectations. A well-written one signals credibility, seriousness and a mature robotics programme. This guide explains how to write a robotics job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a credible employer in the robotics sector.

Maths for Robotics Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

If you are applying for robotics jobs in the UK it is easy to assume you need degree level maths across everything. Most roles do not work like that. What hiring managers usually mean by “strong maths” is much more practical: you can move confidently between coordinate frames you understand rotations without getting lost you can reason about kinematics, control, uncertainty & optimisation you can turn that maths into working code in a robotics stack This guide focuses on the only maths topics that consistently show up across common UK roles like Robotics Software Engineer, Controls Engineer, Autonomous Systems Engineer, Perception Engineer, SLAM Engineer, Robotics Research Engineer, Mechatronics Engineer & Robotics Systems Engineer. You will also get a 6 week learning plan, portfolio projects & a resources section so you can learn fast without drowning in theory.