Senior Design Engineer

About the role

This role focuses on translating complex defence requirements into robust hardware and software architectures that survive real-world conditions. You will own the end-to-end design of critical modules, ensuring that performance, reliability, and security constraints are met before deployment. The position requires deep collaboration with cross-functional teams to refine specifications, resolve technical trade-offs, and validate solutions through rigorous testing. You will be responsible for designing scalable components that integrate seamlessly into existing systems while anticipating future needs. The role emphasizes rigorous analysis, creative problem-solving, and the ability to simplify intricate ideas for diverse stakeholders. You will mentor junior engineers by providing clear guidance and setting high standards for code quality and design documentation. Success in this role will be measured by the stability of the systems you build and the efficiency gains you enable across the product lifecycle. You will act as a technical leader, driving decisions that balance innovation with operational practicality in a high-stakes environment.

Key facts

What you'll do

Analyze complex system requirements and decompose them into manageable design components that align with defence objectives.

Define architectural blueprints for software and hardware modules, ensuring they meet scalability, security, and performance targets.

Evaluate emerging technologies and tools to determine their applicability to defence problems and long-term maintainability.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to refine interfaces, data flows, and integration points between subsystems.

Design and implement test strategies that validate functionality under edge cases, stress conditions, and environmental constraints.

Optimize existing pipelines and components to reduce latency, improve throughput, and minimize resource consumption.

Document design decisions, trade-offs, and rationales to ensure traceability and enable future audits or reviews.

Lead code reviews and technical discussions to uphold code quality standards and share best practices across the organization.

Partner with product owners to clarify requirements, identify risks, and adjust designs without compromising mission-critical objectives.

Support on-call responsibilities to diagnose live issues and guide remediation efforts in production environments.

Contribute to the creation of technical specifications that guide implementation teams and stakeholders.

Mentor engineers at various levels by providing actionable feedback and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Participate in architecture review boards and contribute to the technical roadmap for defence-related initiatives.

Drive the adoption of engineering practices that improve reliability, reproducibility, and maintainability over time.

Requirements

You must have a strong background in software or systems engineering with a focus on high-integrity environments.

Demonstrated experience designing systems that operate reliably under constrained or adversarial conditions is essential.

You should be proficient in at least one modern programming language and understand low-level interactions such as memory management and concurrency.

A proven track record of writing clean, testable code and maintaining it throughout the full lifecycle of a project is required.

You must be comfortable working with distributed systems, APIs, and asynchronous communication patterns.

Experience with version control, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworks is mandatory.

Strong analytical skills are required to diagnose issues, interpret performance metrics, and propose effective solutions.

You must communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats, translating technical details into clear guidance for diverse audiences.

Nice to have

Know SolidWorks Simulation (FEA) and Flow Simulation (CFD) or similar tools such as Ansys and Altair for performance validation.

Practical notes

Typical interview steps

Hiring for engineering roles usually starts with a recruiter screen, followed by one or two technical rounds. Candidates often solve a coding problem, discuss past projects, and answer system design questions. Some loops include a take-home task. Final rounds typically cover team fit and give candidates a chance to ask questions. Interviewers look for how you break down an unfamiliar problem, not just whether you reach the answer. Practicing a few problems aloud and reviewing your own past projects are the best preparation.

Career growth

Engineering careers usually progress from individual contributor to senior, staff, and principal levels. Some engineers move into management and lead teams of five to twenty people. Others stay on the technical track. Growth follows demonstrated impact, not tenure alone. A typical engineering ladder has clear levels with defined expectations for scope, quality, and mentorship. Moving up usually requires owning outcomes end to end rather than completing assigned tickets.

Questions to ask

Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.

About the company

Breezy's mission is to deliver technology that empowers resilient communities and protects critical systems. The company believes in rigorous engineering, thoughtful design, and measurable outcomes that align with long-term value. Engineers are expected to take ownership of their work, challenge assumptions, and contribute to a culture of transparency and collaboration. The organization values diverse perspectives and encourages continuous learning at every level. By focusing on sustainable practices and robust solutions, Breezy aims to set a new standard in defence technology innovation.