Software Engineer (SAR)

Overview

SII Group delivers Digital Services, IT, Engineering, and Consulting to diverse industries, enabling digital transformation through our commitment to Growth, People, and CSR. With over 16,000 professionals across 21 countries, we're recognised as a "Great Place to Work" for fostering a high-trust culture. Our core values of Trust, Transparency, and Quality drive our work package delivery, ensuring we meet and exceed client expectations as a committed partner.

Since 2016, SII UK has supported top Aerospace & Defence, Aviation, Transportation, and Finance clients, empowering digital transformation with industry-leading engineering expertise. Let's Tech Together is our promise to encourage innovation and teamwork. We support our engineers with development opportunities and a collaborative, inclusive environment where every voice is valued and empowered.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly skilled Software Engineer to support the development of an advanced airborne/spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image processing system. This role focuses on the design and implementation of high-performance ground-based software solutions for the processing of complex radar data.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development of an airborne/spaceborne SAR image processor as part of a wider radar payload programme.
• Work closely with the SAR payload engineering team to interface with and unpack raw instrument data packets.
• Define and implement an algorithmic theoretical baseline to process raw SAR data into Single Look Complex (SLC) images.
• Develop and optimise parallelised data processing algorithms to meet stringent performance and latency requirements.
• Ensure robust data handling, calibration, and image quality through the full processing chain.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to validate outputs and ensure seamless integration.
• Be available for weekly on-site work in Portsmouth to support close technical collaboration and reviews.

Skills Required

• Proven experience in SAR, radar signal processing, or related remote sensing systems.
• Strong background in image processing algorithm development (FFT-based and time-domain processing techniques).
• Proficiency in C/C++, Python, or MATLAB for scientific and numerical computation.
• Experience with parallel and high-performance computing (e.g., GPU/CUDA, OpenMP, MPI).
• Understanding of data packet structures and telemetry formats.
• Familiarity with scientific software design, version control (Git), and testing methodologies.
• Strong mathematical and analytical skills with an ability to translate theory into practical implementation.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with spaceborne or airborne radar systems.
• Knowledge of SAR processing chains, calibration, and image product validation.
• Familiarity with signal processing frameworks or real-time data processing architectures.
• Awareness of defence, aerospace, or Earth observation software standards.

Benefits

• Competitive Basic Salary
• 6% Employers Contribution + 6% as a salary sacrifice
• Private Medical Insurance, Life Cover and Income Protection
• 25 days holiday
• 10 days full sick pay per year
• Flexible working
• Cycle to Work & TechScheme
• Continuous professional development
• Corporate access to the Udemy platform

If you're applying for a role requiring security clearance, please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar, however certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.