Lead Software Engineer | Defence AI Start-Up | London

Lead Software Engineer | Defence AI Start-Up | London Lead Software Engineer required to join a rapidly growing London-based defence AI start-up building next-generation autonomous and AI-driven systems supporting critical national security missions. Founded by experienced operators and technologists, and backed by leading investors, the company is entering an exciting growth phase. This is a hands-on technical leadership opportunity to shape the architecture, mentor engineers, and build highly scalable software powering cutting-edge AI and autonomous systems. You are: A Software Engineer with 7+ years of professional experience, strong backend engineering expertise in Python, Java, C++, Rust, or Go, and experience building modern frontends with TypeScriptComfortable designing and delivering complex, scalable distributed systemsA hands-on technical leader who enjoys mentoring engineers and driving engineering best practicesLanguage agnostic, with excellent software engineering fundamentalsComfortable working in fast-paced, high-growth start-up environmentsInterested in AI, autonomy, defence, or mission-critical technologies Bonus points: Experience within defence, aerospace, robotics, autonomy, or securityPrevious experience in an early-stage or venture-backed start-upExperience building mission-critical or safety-critical systems Why join: Build technology that delivers real-world impact within defence and national securityJoin a well-backed, high-growth AI start-up with experienced foundersInfluence technical direction while remaining deeply hands-onWork on advanced AI, autonomy, and distributed systems at the cutting edgeJoin a small, high-calibre engineering team solving genuinely complex challenges If you're a hands-on software engineer looking to take technical ownership without moving away from engineering, I'd love to hear from you. Lead Software Engineer | Defence AI Start-Up | London