Head of Software Architecture

About the role

Stark is a defence‑technology company building high‑performance, software‑defined unmanned systems. The Minerva team delivers command‑and‑control software that links operators to autonomous platforms across domains in real time. As Head of Software Architecture you will lead, align and govern the software architecture across C2, perception and autonomy, establishing a delivery‑focused engineering strategy.

Key responsibilities

• Define and own the software V‑Model process, drive requirements engineering and verification & validation planning.
• Guide cross‑functional stakeholders toward common, cross‑platform architectural solutions.
• Identify and resolve conflicts between hardware and software, ensuring coherence across C2, perception, autonomy and embedded domains.
• Design communication pathways and collaboration patterns that reflect architectural integrity (Conway’s Law).
• Champion safety‑by‑design, applying modern C++ safety guidelines (MISRA) and mentoring teams on safety‑critical development.
• Define, govern and maintain software interfaces throughout the stack to guarantee interoperability.

Required profile

• Senior‑level professional with extensive experience in software system engineering and architecture.
• Proven leadership in multi‑disciplinary, high‑stakes environments (e.g., low‑bandwidth, air‑gapped systems).
• Strong track record of aligning hardware and software teams and delivering concrete architectural artifacts.
• Excellent communication and consensus‑building skills.

Required skills

• C++ (modern, safety‑critical)
• MISRA C++ guidelines
• System engineering
• V‑Model development process
• Requirements engineering
• Verification & validation (V&V)
• Embedded systems development
• Software architecture design
• Cross‑platform development