Gain essential insights into the UK defence embedded software talent market with our H2 2025 report. This guide explores how hiring dynamics have evolved across defence programmes, highlighting the structural shortages, skill requirements and market pressures shaping embedded software recruitment in the second half of the year.
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Embedded Software (Defence UK) H2 2025 Talent Report
Daanish Rauf
12th Jan 2026
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Key Highlights
- Market Trends: Demand for embedded software engineers in UK defence remains structurally higher than supply, particularly at senior level. This is no longer a short-term spike but a sustained shortage, underpinned by long-term defence spending, geopolitical pressure and multi-year programmes. Platforms are increasingly software-defined and autonomous, shifting hiring priorities firmly towards software-led profiles.
- Emerging Skills: Employers are prioritising engineers with deep low-level C and C++ expertise, RTOS and bare-metal experience, and proven delivery within safety-critical and certified environments. Experience with standards such as DO-178C, DO-254, ISO 26262, MISRA and secure-by-design firmware has become a key differentiator, commanding premium compensation and faster hiring decisions.
- Hiring Challenges: Security clearance remains the single biggest constraint on hiring. Even when strong candidates are identified, clearance timelines of 6–12 months are disrupting delivery plans and increasing reliance on a small number of senior, cleared engineers. Competition from aerospace, automotive autonomy and robotics firms is intensifying, as these sectors offer similar technical challenges with more modern tooling and fewer clearance barriers.
- Future Outlook: Demand is expected to remain strong and long-term rather than cyclical, supported by sustained defence investment. Organisations that modernise development environments, reduce over-reliance on individual engineers and widen talent pools to adjacent industries will be best positioned to secure and retain embedded software talent. Greater openness to candidates from automotive safety, robotics and high-reliability industrial backgrounds is likely to continue as teams look to bridge certification gaps and de-risk delivery.