Senior Cyber Digital Signal Processing and Embedded Engineer

Job summary

Join Dstl and help develop advanced cyber and electronic capabilities that support the UK's national security interests. As a Senior Cyber Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Embedded Engineer, you will work on complex and technically challenging projects, designing and delivering innovative signal processing, embedded software and FPGA-based solutions that have a real-world operational impact.

Why join us?

Working within multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists and technical specialists, you'll solve complex problems across software and hardware domains, influence technical direction, and help shape future capabilities. You'll have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies, contribute to mission-critical programmes, and collaborate with partners across government, industry and academia.

This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy tackling difficult technical challenges, combining deep technical expertise with practical problem-solving and systems thinking. Alongside delivering innovative solutions, you'll help develop technical capability across the organisation through mentoring, technical leadership and knowledge sharing.

You'll be supported to maintain and grow your professional expertise, explore emerging technologies and contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering practices, tools and ways of working.

This role is eligible for an additional specialist allowance of £2758 annually subject to meeting extended onboarding requirements. The role may be eligible for additional skills allowances depending on the skills and experience of the applicant.

Job description

What you'll do;

• Design, develop and deliver advanced DSP, embedded software and FPGA-based solutions to support complex cyber and defence challenges.
• Develop and implement high-performance algorithms and real-time signal processing capabilities that improve operational effectiveness and system performance.
• Shape technical architectures and make significant contributions to software and hardware design decisions.
• Work across multidisciplinary teams to solve complex engineering problems and deliver technical outcomes to cost, quality and schedule requirements.
• Translate customer and stakeholder requirements into practical, robust and scalable technical solutions.
• Produce high-quality technical documentation, provide authoritative technical advice and support technical reviews.
• Support integration, testing and debugging activities across software and hardware environments.
• Share knowledge, mentor colleagues and contribute to developing engineering capability within the wider team.
• Drive continual improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance tools, processes and engineering approaches.
• Maintain high standards of security, safety and professional engineering practice throughout your work.

Person specification

What we're looking for;

You should have experience in at least two of the following areas:

• Digital Signal Processing, including filtering, FFTs and real-time signal analysis.
• Embedded systems development using microcontrollers, RTOS or embedded Linux platforms.
• C/C++ software development for performance-critical applications.
• FPGA development using VHDL.
• Software-hardware integration, debugging and system optimisation.

You will also be able to demonstrate:

• Experience delivering DSP and embedded engineering solutions within a professional engineering, science or technology environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work on complex and non-routine technical challenges.
• Experience engaging with customers and stakeholders to develop effective technical solutions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• A relevant STEM degree, or equivalent qualifications and experience.

Please review the attached job description for more detailed information

Important Information:

Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats.

For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.

This role will require Develop Vetting and you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.

Qualifications

Relevant STEM-based degree such as Electronic Engineering, Embedded Systems, Computer Science, Physics or Mathematics. Individual with equivalent skills qualifications or experience are also actively encouraged to apply.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,431, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £12,002 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Benefits

Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:

• Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.

• Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours, job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).

• Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.

• Where you work: This role requires a minimum of 80% on site attendance.

• Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.

• Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid

• Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.

• Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.

At the application stage, we will assess your submitted application against the essential criteria set out in the job profile.

Sifting will take place week commencing the 19th of October with interviews taking place from the 2nd of November.

Your interview will consist of behavioural and technical competency-based questions. You will also be required to deliver a 10-minute presentation. Further details for the presentation will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Cyber Recruitment Team
• Email : cyberrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Further information

Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process you should email dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk stating the nature of the issue. We will respond within 5 working days.

Attachments

Senior Cyber DSP and Embedded Engineer Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 229kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 4978kB)