THE ROLE
We are looking for a Principal Engineer based in Germany, to strengthen Critical Software's presence in the Aerospace, Space & Defense (ASD) market.
This is a role for someone who has spent 10+ years deep in safety-critical engineering and is ready to bring that expertise directly in front of clients.
Think technical authority combined with the ability to identify opportunities, shape solutions, and win trust from day one.
You won't just deliver technical work; you'll be the face of our safety-critical expertise to the client, spotting problems before they become issues and positioning Critical Software as the partner of choice.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Act as the technical anchor and trusted point of contact for clients in the ASD domain, building and sustaining long-term relationships with key stakeholders
- Identify, diagnose, and help resolve technical and process challenges on client programmes, bringing deep safety-critical engineering expertise to the table
- Support the growth of Critical Software's footprint in the German market, working closely with local sales and account teams to spot and shape new opportunities
- Translate technical strengths into client value, helping position Critical Software's safety-critical capabilities in a way that is credible and compelling to technical and business stakeholders alike
- Mentor and provide technical direction to project teams, ensuring engineering excellence and consistency with safety-critical standards and best practices
- Represent Critical Software in client meetings, technical workshops, and industry forums across the ASD sector
- Contribute to proposals and technical bids, ensuring solutions are grounded in real engineering credibility
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- 10+ years of experience in safety-critical software/systems engineering, with strong technical depth in the domain
- Background in Aerospace, Space, or Defense; candidates with strong safety-critical experience in Automotive or Railway are also welcome, provided those fundamentals are transferable to this domain.
- Proven track record as a technical expert who has evolved into a client-facing role, comfortable being the technical authority in front of a customer, not just behind a desk
- A confident, consultative communication style: able to identify a client's problem, propose a path forward, and sell that solution with conviction, without being pushy or hesitant
- Strong ownership mindset and the resilience to operate in front of clients under pressure
- Fluency in German and English (C1 or C2 level)
- Based in Germany, with willingness to travel as required by client engagements
HOW YOU CAN INSPIRE
- You adapt fast and turn sharp, critical thinking into good decisions for the project
- You are genuinely curious and challenge what needs to change and make bold calls
- You see AI as the biggest shift of this generation and you want to be part of shaping it
- When there is no map, you start drawing one rather than waiting for someone else to
WHAT WE OFFER
We invest in the people who make it all possible. Here's what that looks like in practice.
- Private health insurance
- Employee Assistance Programme (mental health, legal, financial support)
- Home office support
- Extra holidays: 2 additional days after year one, more as time goes on
- Extra parental leave: 2 additional months fully paid
- Gradual return-to-work support: We’ll help you ease back from long breaks
- Sabbatical programme for long-term employees
- Training, mentorship, and growth opportunities: we'll invest in where you want to go next
ABOUT CRITICAL SOFTWARE
Every day we work on missions across industries as diverse as aerospace, space, defence, transport, telecoms, government, energy, finance, and healthcare. Building better and safer isn’t a slogan. It’s how we show up in the world.
Critical Software is a proud Benefit Corporation: a for-profit business legally committed to positive impact on society, workers, the community, and the environment - in addition to profit.
We are an equal opportunity workplace. If you need any adjustment in your recruitment process to show us what you can do, please let us know.
By applying to a position at Critical Software, you are deemed to have accepted our Privacy Policy.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of experience in safety-critical software or systems engineering
- Background in Aerospace, Space, or Defense; transferable safety-critical Automotive or Railway experience may be accepted
- Proven technical expertise and experience in a client-facing technical authority role
- Confident consultative communication style with ability to identify problems, propose solutions, and sell recommendations
- Strong ownership mindset and resilience when operating under client pressure
- Fluency in German and English at C1 or C2 level
- Based in Germany
- Willingness to travel as required by client engagements
What We Do
At Critical Software, we believe our people are the core of who we are. Their talent, diversity, and ability to go beyond expectations shape everything we do. Working at Critical is about being part of a community built on purpose, values, and collaboration. Our commitment to engineering excellence makes us a trusted partner for some of the world’s leading companies in Aerospace, Railway, Medical Systems, Energy, Finance, and many more. We believe that technology is nothing without a passion to use it for good. That’s why we engineer change, helping to build a better and safer world through trusted and transformative technologies. Since 1998, we’ve helped companies in global industries like aerospace, transport, energy, healthcare and finance. Across the world, people and organisations depend on what we do. And we like that. Because it means that technology isn’t just our business. It’s our chance to help change the world. More than a company, we are a community. Our togetherness, culture and values are the foundations of who we are and what we do. We are proud to hold Benefit Corporation status, reflecting our commitment to sustainability, transparency, and business for good. We’re also one of only a few tech companies in the world to have both our waterfall and agile software development processes rated at CMMI® Level 5. Just as important as our technical expertise is our strong company culture, which guides us in everything we do. We’re recruiting for all of our locations right now and, if you’d like to find out more, please take a look at the careers section of our website.
