Principal Engineer - National Security AI

Principal Engineer/Hands-on Technical Lead Permanent | £80,000 - £100,000 | South East (Hybrid) SC clearance required or eligibleWe are seeking a Principal Engineer to take ownership of technical delivery for Defence programmes. The role focuses on building AI-enabled capabilities in secure, air-gapped environments, combining hands-on software engineering with technical leadership to deliver high-assurance solutions.You''ll be working on some of the most exciting projects within Defence AI and LLM generation and deployment, delivering and integrating core products and working with the customers to build best in class systems for mission decisions. Key ResponsibilitiesLead day-to-day technical delivery on Defence programmesMake architecture and design decisions for deployments into classified environmentsWrite production code, conduct code reviews, and set engineering standardsTranslate programme requirements into technical plans, sprints, and deliverablesWork closely with Defence stakeholders, delivery managers, and end users on siteManage technical risk, dependencies, and integration points across programme workstreamsMentor and develop engineers within the teamContribute to technical proposals, bids, and architecture documentationSupport release management and deployment in air-gapped environmentsSkills andamp; ExperienceSignificant experience as a senior or lead engineer delivering complex software in secure or regulated environmentsStrong ability to articulate ..... full job details .....