Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and development of a cutting-edge investment platform.
- Company: Join Investa, a dynamic FinTech startup revolutionising stock and options trading.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, competitive salary, equity options, and annual salary reviews.
- Why this job: Be part of a fast-paced team creating impactful financial solutions for everyday investors.
- Qualifications: Seven years in software engineering with expertise in large-scale systems and multiple programming languages.
- Other info: Collaborate with the CTO and mentor fellow engineers in a supportive environment.
The predicted salary is between 110000 - 135000 £ per year.
Salary band: £110,000 - £135,000
Equity options: 0.30% - 0.5%
Hybrid working policy: Minimum three days a week in our Holborn office
Experience level: At least seven years in commercial software engineering
If you’re looking to join an exceptional, fast-paced, and growing team building innovative products in FinTech, check out the full job description below and apply!
Mission
Our mission is to make stocks and options more accessible for the on-the-go investor, through an easy to use, mobile investment app. Investa aims to open up access to a market that was once reserved for the wealthiest investors, giving traders the chance to invest in their favourite stocks and then allowing the investor to use options to potentially power their investments. We focus on a specialised segment of the UK investor market, as options are a high risk and complex investment product that may not be suitable for every investor.
The role
As we approach the launch of our product, we are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to strengthen our engineering team. You will have extensive commercial experience designing, building and maintaining systems used in critical services or those handling significant volumes of activity. You will play a pivotal role in driving our technical strategy, ensuring the robustness, scalability, and security of our systems. If you’re passionate about building best-in-class products to tackle complex challenges and you excel in a collaborative, fast-paced environment, we want to hear from you. This is a hybrid full-time position, which requires three days per week in our central London office, offering the opportunity to build a new options trading platform.
What the role involves
- Working with the CTO to define the technical strategy and long-term architecture of the Investa platform
- Designing, building, and maintaining robust, scalable, and secure systems for critical services
- Ensuring system performance, reliability, and security
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to build a class-leading product
- Mentoring and guiding engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement
- Ensure best practice through example and continual team feedback
- Root causing real-time production issues in a timely manner
- Taking a pragmatic approach to software development
Your background
- Extensive experience in software engineering, with a focus on designing, building, and maintaining large-scale systems
- Proven track record of working with critical services or high-volume applications
- Strong proficiency in a number of programming languages, which can include Python, TypeScript, Java, JavaScript, Go and others
- Highly driven by technology with experience across multiple platforms
- Familiarity with serverless technologies (AWS, Azure or GCP)
- Deep understanding of system architecture, event-driven design and distributed systems
- Product-minded and able to work to solutions that are tightly aligned with the product goals
- Driven and committed to helping grow the organisation
Compensation
- £100,000 - £130,000 salary range, tailored to level of experience
- 0.25% - 0.50% of company shares to be granted in tax-efficient equity options, to provide ownership of the business
- Salary review to take place on an annual basis
- Additional equity options to be granted based on performance, tenure and milestones
On-call
All engineers at Investa are involved in providing support for our products. This involves responding to events outside of working hours and is a core part of the role of all engineers.
Interview process
- Introductory chat with one of the founding team (20 mins)
- Introductory chat with the CTO (20 mins)
- Stage 1: Technical interview (75 mins)
- Stage 2: Technical interview (75 mins)
- Stage 3: Behavioural interview (45 mins)
- Offer
Contact Detail:
Investa Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in FinTech, especially around options trading. This knowledge will not only help you during interviews but also demonstrate your genuine interest in the industry and the company's mission.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare to discuss your experience with large-scale systems and critical services. Be ready to share specific examples of challenges you've faced and how you overcame them, as this will showcase your problem-solving skills and technical expertise.
✨Tip Number 3
Highlight your collaborative experiences in previous roles. Since the position involves working closely with cross-functional teams, demonstrating your ability to work well with others will be crucial in making a strong impression.
✨Tip Number 4
Brush up on your knowledge of serverless technologies and distributed systems. Being able to discuss these topics confidently will show that you're well-prepared for the technical challenges of the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Software Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your extensive experience in software engineering, particularly in designing and maintaining large-scale systems. Emphasise any relevant programming languages you are proficient in, such as Python, TypeScript, or Java.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for FinTech and your ability to tackle complex challenges. Mention your experience with critical services and how it aligns with the mission of making stocks and options more accessible.
Showcase Technical Skills: In your application, provide specific examples of projects where you have implemented robust, scalable, and secure systems. Highlight your familiarity with serverless technologies and your understanding of system architecture.
Prepare for Interviews: Anticipate technical and behavioural questions during the interview process. Be ready to discuss your approach to mentoring engineers and fostering a culture of continuous learning, as well as your experience with real-time production issues.
How to prepare for a job interview at Investa
✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise
As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate your extensive experience in software engineering. Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you've designed and maintained large-scale systems, and highlight your proficiency in relevant programming languages like Python, TypeScript, or Java.
✨Understand the Company's Mission
Familiarise yourself with Investa's mission to make stocks and options accessible for everyday investors. During the interview, express how your skills and experiences align with this mission, and share ideas on how you could contribute to building their innovative mobile investment app.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect rigorous technical interviews that will test your problem-solving abilities. Brush up on system architecture, event-driven design, and distributed systems. Practising coding challenges and system design problems can help you feel more confident during these stages.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Mentorship
Since the role involves mentoring other engineers, be ready to discuss your approach to fostering a collaborative environment. Share examples of how you've guided teams in the past and how you plan to promote continuous learning and improvement within the engineering team.
