Software Architect

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  • Employment Type: Full Time
  • Location: Bristol

About Us

Blu Wireless is disrupting the market with 5G mmWave wireless system solutions that are driving technological change to meet global connectivity needs, both now and in the future. Trusted partners of the world’s biggest names in telecoms, Blu Wireless works together with its partners and customers to provide complete silicon and system product designs, testing, and validation, serving emerging markets in Mobility, 5G Backhaul, Perimeter Security, Public Safety, Smart Cities and Industry 4.0.

Blu Wireless has won several awards and was involved in two successful UK Government DCMS projects as part of the 5G Testbeds and Trials programme. The company is playing a significant role in the latest Liverpool 5G Create project, which is directly supporting the UK Government’s ambition towards becoming the global leader in 5G technology. Secondly, Blu Wireless was also part of the AutoAir consortium which, along with an ongoing partnership with McLaren, helped place its technology at the heart of the nascent connected vehicle market. The company’s leading mmWave technology delivers multi-gigabit internet service on high-speed trains. A network is currently rolled out in partnership with First Group.

About the Role

  • As an experienced Software Architect here at Blu Wireless you will be leading the specification and software architecture of the Network Management Software for our wireless systems products.It really is life in the fast lane with us as our team develop innovative solutions to some key technical challenges, to enable the provision of multi-Gigabit wireless connections to moving vehicles and for high-speed wireless backhaul and Fixed-Wireless Access networks. New opportunities that are emerging will require Blu Wireless to provide advanced networking capabilities and cloud-based network configuration and monitoring services for their wireless system products, and this role is key to defining the product strategy and architecture for this software.

    The main purpose of this role is to define the software architecture of Blu Wireless Network Management products, and to advise on and review the resulting implementation activities, whether taking place within Blu Wireless or by commercial partners. The scope will encompass:

    • The networking software in the devices, such as switching, bridging, routing and link aggregation software components.
    • The cloud-based services for configuring and monitoring devices and communication paths in a network.
    • The device-resident agents that provide the services with the capability to configure the state of a device and to monitor its behaviour.

Specific responsibilities in the role:

  • Work in conjunction with the Blu Wireless System Architecture team and with the Product Management function in the Blu Wireless Marketing team to:
    • Define the product strategy and the functional and non-functional requirements for Blu Wireless Network Management software products.
    • Explore options for sourcing system components (open-source software projects, commercial components, and frameworks, in-house or outsourced development).
    • Prepare and communicate high-level specification and software architecture information in preparation for development project definition.
    • Develop a product roadmap with phased delivery of required product functionality.
  • Research and advise Blu Wireless executive management on business implications of delivering Network Management software, such as cloud-based software infrastructure requirements, software delivery methods, IT security implications and software licensing options.
  • Work with project management and senior software engineers to create development project plans, particularly for the software architecture activities and the related implementation activities.
  • Working with senior software engineers in the development team, be responsible for:
    • Creating high-level software user interface, functional and architecture specifications for the Network Management software products,
    • Communicating specifications to the development team and more widely in Blu Wireless,
    • Maintaining and modifying specifications as the design changes due to requirements changes or for implementation reasons.
  • Define standards and guidelines for terminology, user interfaces, APIs and other deliverable artifacts to ensure coherent product appearance and product quality.
  • Monitor progress of the development from an architectural perspective and review the delivery and integration of software components whether developed internally,
  • Participate in detailed design discussions and provide guidance to software engineers in the development team on architectural and detailed design matters.
  • Oversee the integration of components into a working system and be responsible for activities to assess architectural properties of the resulting system such as: consistency, performance, robustness, and security.
  • Actively participate in the definition and improvement of Blu Wireless software development processes and working methods.

About You

Your Technical Abilities:

  • Software engineering, with experience as a software architect, senior developer and/or software team leader, developing software for complex communicating embedded products (e.g., networking equipment or set-top-boxes). Approx. 15+ years.
  • Software Architecture, preferably with experience of specifying and architecting software for networking equipment.
  • Using established techniques for recording and communicating software specifications and designs, where appropriate, including API definitions, FSMs, sequence diagrams, object hierarchies etc. but with a pragmatic focus on communicating the design internally to allow implementation to proceed.
  • Maintaining hands-on skills in Linux system administration, command shells, shell-scripting, C/C++ programming and Python.
  • A working knowledge of cloud-based software delivery and issues, such as principles of DevOps, containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), service mobility and high availability.
  • A working knowledge of relevant device management protocols (e.g., SNMP, Netconf, OpenFlow).
  • Ecosystem of open-source components for Linux-based networking, with working knowledge of some of the following:
    • Linux computer networking projects (e.g., FD.io, Open vSwitch, DPDK, FRR).
    • System monitoring and data visualization tools (e.g., Grafana, InfluxDB and ELK stack).
    • Web application frameworks – front-end and back-end (e.g., Django, Bootstrap, React).
    • Database software (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL).
  • Working within a product software team using software engineering tools and a good understanding of software development processes and principles of software quality assurance.
  • Ideally, domain knowledge of IEEE 802.11 wireless systems and RF concepts, from work experience in the telecommunications sector.
  • A degree in a relevant Engineering discipline (Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electronic Engineering) or other numerate degree (e.g., Mathematics or Physics).

Your Personal Qualities:

  • Communicate well, both verbally and in writing, to all levels in the company from executive management team to junior engineers.
  • Have a collaborative style, open to input from others, but decisive and able to argue convincingly for a chosen solution.
  • Will take responsibility and ownership of tasks and see them through to an agreed timescale.
  • Have the flexibility to take on other tasks and responsibilities if needed to meet team and business needs in a challenging commercial environment.
  • Have great attention to detail and a thorough, persistent, and focused approach to problem-solving.
  • Enthusiasm for ongoing learning and personal development to improve technical and non-technical skills and knowledge.

Apply Online

Please fill in the form and attach your CV to apply for this role. Someone will be in touch if you’ve been chosen to come in for an interview.

Apply Online

Please fill in the form and attach your CV to apply for this role. Someone will be in touch if you’ve been chosen to come in for an interview.

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