Director of Engineering

As Director of Engineering, you will report to the CTO, supported by the Technical Leads of our engineering units (Hardware, Software (Embedded and Firmware), Cloud and Cybersecurity.

You will work closely with both the Programme Director and Product Team to lead the development and delivery of secure, integrated hardware (HW) and software (SW) systems designed to protect and optimise airspace and airport operations. Working alongside the CTO, you’ll translate the company’s technical vision into a robust engineering roadmap, manage multidisciplinary teams, and ensure on‑time, high‑quality, and compliant delivery of complex cybersecurity‑enabled systems.

This is a pivotal role in a fast‑scaling start‑up where you’ll balance strategy, execution, and team growth, ensuring that the company’s technology stack and engineering culture are world‑class, secure, and scalable.

Implement and execute the company’s technical and product strategy for integrated airspace and airport cybersecurity solutions.

Build, mentor, and scale a high‑performance engineering organisation across hardware, software, cloud and cybersecurity domains.

Champion agile delivery, Dev Sec Ops  principles, and continuous improvement.

Oversee the full engineering lifecycle — concept, design, prototyping, testing, integration, and deployment — across Hardware, Software and Cloud systems.

Ensure Security by Design and Resilience by Default are embedded throughout the various stages of the engineering lifecycle. Manage and coordinate multidisciplinary teams (Hardware, Software, Cloud, Systems, Data, AI and Cybersecurity engineers).

Drive compliance with relevant aviation, safety, and cyber standards, such as DO‑326A, DO‑178C, ISO/IEC 62443, ISO/IEC 21434, and NIST SP 800‑x.

Establish scalable engineering processes, documentation, and QA frameworks.

Develop and manage engineering budgets, schedules, and resourcing plans.

Collaborate cross‑functionally with Product, Operations, and Business Development to align technology delivery with customer and market needs.

Oversee supplier and partner technical relationships, particularly for critical HW and security components.

Support technology roadmap development and R&D prioritisation.

Foster innovation in secure communications, sensor integration, and AI‑driven monitoring.

Represent engineering in customer discussions, regulatory engagements, and industry forums when required.

Promote and nourish continuous learning and growth mindset culture across the engineering organisation.

Deliver engineering milestones on schedule - define and manage detailed engineering roadmaps, sprint plans, and resource allocations across engineering teams.

Maintain product quality and reliability - implement and enforce QA/testing frameworks across hardware, firmware, software, and cloud builds.

Working with the CTO to achieve products and processes compliance (e.g., DO‑326A, ISO/IEC 62443, and Cyber Resilience Act).

Embed security‑by‑design in engineering processes and ensure alignment with compliance frameworks and audits.

Develop and deploy cyber resilient products and systems - oversee secure system architecture, security testing, and rapid response to vulnerability disclosure; engineering cost control within ±10% of budget – develop and manage engineering budgets, supplier contracts, and resource forecasting.

Optimise system integration time - streamline both continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, Dev Sec Ops  practices, and cross‑team integration processes.

Build and retain a high‑performing engineering team - recruit, mentor, and develop multidisciplinary engineering staff with clear progression frameworks.

Support the CTO in the IP protection of technical proof‑of‑concept and R&D initiatives aligned with the strategic roadmap, including the creation of patents when appropriate.

Positive Stakeholder Feedback - maintain transparent communication with the CTO, Executive Committee, partners and customers on progress, risks, and outcomes.

10+ years in engineering leadership roles, ideally in…