Software student placement
Company background
Founded in 1960, today DCA is one of Europe’s leading product design and development consultancies, operating in many diverse markets and with services ranging from design research and strategy to industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronic hardware and software engineering. While you may not have heard of us before, you’ve probably used a product that was designed here.
Role
We’re looking for the best software students to come to our offices in Warwick (UK) for industrial placements lasting between six and twelve months. This is an ideal role for an undergraduate student specialising in software engineering, who will benefit from gaining valuable experience in all aspects of the software development life cycle. The candidate will be required to participate and contribute towards software feasibility studies, design, coding, debugging and testing. DCA are involved in a wide range of software projects including medical devices, fluid pumps, web based applications and PC based test tools, however our primary projects involve embedded software running on various microcontrollers. A student will benefit from improving not only their software engineering skills but their hardware and electronics knowledge as well. In addition to contributing towards customer-based projects, the student may also be required to research new software tools and technologies to aid in future development and help improve software development procedures (including software, scripts and documentation).
A placement here will complement your studies and give you the advantage that comes with hands-on experience when looking for a job after university. Because our projects are so varied and we only employ the best engineers, you’ll get a great range of exposure to different aspects of software design and you’ll learn a lot along the way. There’s a vibrant atmosphere at DCA in which you’ll quickly be made to feel part of the team and our placement students manage to have some fun as well as meeting the challenges of the job – have a look at http://www.dca-design.com, http://youtu.be/a6hz8kwiS5g or https://www.facebook.com/dcadesign to learn more.
Pay and benefits
We offer competitive rates of pay. You will be entitled to 22 days holiday per annum plus bank holidays, adjusted on a pro rata basis for placements of less than 12 months. Car drivers will be provided with a parking permit for the centre of Warwick.
Essential qualities
- The ability to program in C/embedded C to a reasonable level.
- An understanding of the software development life cycle.
- A basic knowledge of UML design.
- A basic knowledge of embedded systems and relevant hardware.
- A proactive, enthusiastic and self-motivated attitude, with the ability to work individually and as part of a team.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills in the English language.
- The ability to problem solve (e.g. debug other people’s software).
Desirable qualities
- A working knowledge of Java, C# or Python.
- An understanding of configuration management.
- An understanding of safety-critical software and processes.
- An awareness of governing coding standards (e.g. MISRA).
- Experience with static analysis tools (e.g. lint).
- An understanding of approaches to software testing: unit, integration and system tests.
How to apply
To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to
technical@dca-design.com, with an indication of your preferred placement dates.