Principal Engineer - Networks

About the role

We are looking for a seasoned Principal Engineer to lead the design and development of secure, high‑performance networking solutions for defence and mission‑critical systems. The role focuses on tactical MANETs, fixed networks, satellite links and distributed communications in contested environments.

Key responsibilities

• Research and develop next‑generation communication and routing protocols for tactical scenarios.
• Design, enhance and evaluate routing protocols such as OSPF, BGP, IS‑IS, OLSR and AODV.
• Model, simulate and assess heterogeneous networks including MANETs, wired and satellite links.
• Analyse network performance under mobility, interference, node loss, limited bandwidth and intermittent connectivity.
• Develop adaptive, self‑organising and resilient network solutions with secure routing and encryption integration.
• Collaborate with systems, RF, cybersecurity and defence engineering teams.
• Produce technical documentation, research outputs and prototype designs.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of data communications, networking architectures and protocol stacks.
• Proven experience with routing protocols and distributed network algorithms.
• Background in defence communications, secure networking, C2 or mission‑critical systems.

Required skills

• OSPF, BGP, IS‑IS, OLSR, AODV
• MANET / ad‑hoc networking
• Satellite communications
• Ethernet, MPLS, optical transport
• Network modelling and simulation
• Secure routing, encryption, cybersecurity
• Network performance analysis (latency, throughput, convergence)