DO-178 Certification Lead

Expleo is seeking an experienced DO-178 Certification Lead to provide technical assurance leadership for a time-critical DAL D to DAL A software assurance uplift programme supporting BAE Systems. The role will act as the certification authority within the delivery team, ensuring all activities, artefacts, reviews and evidence are aligned to DO-178C expectations and customer certification objectives.

Working across requirements, design, implementation, verification, quality assurance and project delivery functions, the Certification Lead will establish the assurance strategy, govern independence requirements and drive successful evidence closure for formal customer acceptance.

This role is based full-time on-site, working directly alongside customer engineering and assurance teams throughout programme execution.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for all software assurance and certification activities.
• Review and assess certification plans, standards, processes and assurance artefacts for DAL A suitability.
• Ensure alignment with PSAC, SDP, SVP, SQAP and associated certification documentation.
• Define and govern independence requirements for requirements, design, code and verification reviews.
• Provide certification guidance across High-Level Requirements (HLR), Low-Level Requirements (LLR), implementation and verification activities.
• Oversee traceability strategy and evidence generation across the software lifecycle.
• Support development of compliance matrices and certification evidence packages.
• Conduct assurance reviews and identify gaps against DO-178C objectives.
• Advise technical leads on certification impacts of design, implementation and verification decisions.
• Support verification readiness reviews, formal test execution and evidence closure activities.
• Interface directly with customer technical authorities and assurance stakeholders.
• Escalate certification risks, assumptions and compliance concerns to programme leadership.
• Support programme governance through technical assurance metrics, risk assessments and certification status reporting.
  
  

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science or related discipline.
• Formal training in DO-178 equivalent airborne software assurance framework. (DAL A)
• Chartered Engineer status or membership of a relevant professional institution is desirable.
  
  

Essential Skills

• Strong working knowledge of DO-178C software assurance processes and objectives.
• Experience developing certification evidence for safety-critical software programmes.
• Understanding of DAL A assurance requirements and independence principles.
• Experience reviewing certification artefacts including PSAC, SDP, SVP and SQAP documentation.
• Experience establishing and maintaining requirements-to-test traceability.
• Strong knowledge of software verification processes and formal review governance.
• Ability to interpret standards, define compliance approaches and challenge assumptions.
• Experience supporting MC/DC verification, structural coverage and evidence closure activities.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and technical communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
  
  

Desired Skills

• Experience supporting FAA, EASA, Military Aviation Authority or equivalent certification programmes.
• Previous involvement in SOI reviews and certification authority engagement.
• Knowledge of VectorCAST, Polarion, Cameo or equivalent assurance toolsets.
• Experience performing assurance uplift activities on legacy software baselines.
• Embedded software or real-time systems background.
• Aerospace, defence, avionics or mission-critical systems experience.
• Familiarity with static analysis tools including Polyspace.
• Experience supporting safety assessment and ARP4754A/ARP4761 activities.
  
  

Experience

• Significant experience supporting development, verification or certification of airborne software systems.
• Demonstrable track record delivering certification evidence within safety-critical programmes.
• Experience operating as Certification Lead, Assurance Lead, Compliance Lead or equivalent role.
• Experience managing formal review activities and technical assurance governance.
• Experience supporting customer-facing certification activities and audit readiness.
• Experience within regulated aerospace or defence environments.