Software Engineer
Thales is hiring a Software Engineer. Level rates it ; you can apply on Thales.
Level's read on this job
- Level rates this software engineer role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include embedded software, iot and payment cards.
- Level classifies it as a senior role.
- Level lists 3,600+ other open roles at Thales.
AI in this role
Software engineer to develop and configure embedded software for secure smart devices like payment cards and SIMs in Prague.
Thales people architect identity management and data protection solutions at the heart of digital security. Business and governments rely on us to bring trust to the billions of digital interactions they have with people. Our technologies and services help banks exchange funds, people cross borders, energy become smarter and much more. More than 30,000 organizations already rely on us to verify the identities of people and things, grant access to digital services, analyze vast quantities of information and encrypt data to make the connected world more secure.
Thales in the Czech Republic employs over 400 people from 45 different nationalities. A total of 15 teams work on projects for government agencies, banking, mobile services and the Internet Of Things (IoT) technology. At the core of our business is the development of software which we configure and embed in a multitude of different devices and form factors. These include many kinds of payment cards, SIM cards, travel passes, secure eBanking devices, authentication tokens, machine identification modules (MIM), and secure ID documents including ePassports, eID and eHealth cards, as well as eDriving licenses. Because of the international environment surrounding us every day, it comes as no surprise that English is our official corporate language.
Build security-critical backend systems that millions of users rely on — with modern Java, modern Spring, and a team that ships, owns, and continuously improves the platform. We’re a product company in the cybersecurity/identity space. That means real engineering problems (security, scale, correctness, reliability), real ownership (you build it, you run it), and real influence (strong partnership with Product, not ticket-taking).
✨ Why This Role Is Different
- Modern stack, by design: We stay on the newest Java LTS and the newest Spring Framework (security expectations make this non-negotiable — and it’s a great side effect for engineers).
- Pragmatic testing: We value confidence over coverage. Integration-first where it matters. Minimal mocking. Tests that catch real issues.
- Strong CI/CD culture: Automated pipelines, multiple test layers, fast feedback, high signal.
- True ownership: We deploy to production ourselves and own the full lifecycle.
- AI-enabled engineering (for real): Company-backed initiative with tooling, guidelines, and people driving adoption — great opportunity to level up how you use AI effectively.
- Voice and influence: Engineers are expected to speak up, challenge solutions, and improve the platform, even beyond our team boundaries.
🚀 What You’ll Do
- Design and deliver backend services where security, correctness, and maintainability are first-class requirements.
- Break down ambiguous, high-impact problems into a clear plan and ship iteratively.
- Collaborate closely with Product to craft solutions that are both technically sound and user-aware.
- Improve platform-wide concerns: reliability, observability, performance, developer experience, and deployment safety.
- Raise the bar through thoughtful code reviews, pragmatic architecture decisions, and knowledge sharing.
🛠️ Our Tech Stack (High-Level)
- Java (latest LTS), Spring Framework (latest)
- Kubernetes, Helm, Skaffold, GitOps
- AWS
- CI/CD with extensive automated testing
- Strong automation mindset across build, deploy, and operations
📋 What We’re Looking For
Must-Haves
- 8+ years of professional software engineering experience
- Deep expertise in Java and strong hands-on experience with Spring
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Fluent English (spoken and written)
- Ability to work autonomously: you can take a big problem, de-risk it, and drive it to completion, while pulling others in when needed
- Strong engineering intuition: you challenge weak solutions, avoid “bare minimum,” and care about long-term quality
- How You Work
- You like clarity, but you’re not blocked by ambiguity
- You optimize for outcomes, not just activity
- You enjoy improving shared foundations (platform, tooling, patterns), not only “your” service
Bonus Points (Nice to Have, Not Required)
If you don’t have these yet — curiosity and the willingness to learn matter more. We’ll help you grow through hands-on work with experienced engineers.
- AuthN/AuthZ flows: OIDC, OAuth2, MFA, WebAuthn, SAML, SCIM
- CIAM/IAM concepts: consent, identity lifecycle, federation, credential management, RBAC, token-based security
- Distributed systems / event-driven experience where scale, availability, and consistency matter
- Observability & performance tuning: metrics/tracing, JVM optimization, load testing
- Cryptography fundamentals: key management, secure hashing, TLS, JWT signing
- Multi-tenant architectures: data isolation, secure configuration management
- IaC / DevOps: Terraform, CloudFormation, GitOps workflows
- Balanced testing strategy: contract tests, integration-first, minimal mocking, maintainable test suites
🎁 What You Get
- High-impact work in a security domain that genuinely matters
- Modern Java + Spring, with a team that actively keeps tech current
- A culture of ownership: build, ship, operate, improve
- Strong DevEx focus and automation mindset
- Free access to Udemy courses
- Mentorship, onboarding, and an environment where learning is expected and supported
🔍 Hiring Process (Transparent and Respectful)
- Step 1: Intro call (mutual fit, expectations)
- Step 2: Technical conversation focused on real-world backend engineering with practical exercise and deep-dive discussion (designed to be relevant, not “leetcode theatre”)
- Step 3: Final team / culture conversation
🌍 Ready to Build Secure, Modern Backend Systems in Prague?
Apply with your CV or LinkedIn profile.
You can also check out our company on Atmoskop - https://www.atmoskop.cz/nazory-na-zamestnavatele/3077450-thales-dis-czech-republic-s-r-o
At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working. Great journeys start here, apply now!How we rate this
Software Engineer at Thales rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Little AI. AI is not part of the work.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Also common in software engineer jobs at this level
Pay
- Typical software engineer job
- $167k
This posting doesn't list pay. Use the typical software engineer figure when pay comes up. See software engineer jobs
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where embedded software was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where iot was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where payment cards was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where c was part of your work. What did you do?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Embedded Software, Iot, Payment Cards, and C. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
Get your CV reviewed before you apply
Send your CV and the role you want next. Your review arrives by email within 3 days.
Get new software engineer jobs by email
One email a week, each job rated for how much AI is in the work. No recruiter spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Free.
Similar roles
Software Engineering roles that involve little AI, at other companies.
What kind of AI work fits you?
Answer 12 practical questions in about three minutes. Get a simple profile, the work it points to, and live roles to explore next.
Find my next step