At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of modern, scalable software systems.
- Company: Join a dynamic startup revolutionising cloud-based software delivery.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, 25 days holiday, and a £1,000 learning budget.
- Other info: Be part of a fun, inclusive culture with regular team socials and perks.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on innovative projects with top-tier clients like the UK Home Office.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in software engineering, architecture, and mentoring teams.
The predicted salary is between 68000 - 85000 £ per year.
Location: London, UK (Hybrid ~1 day per week in office / onsite)
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Package: £80,000-100,000 + 10% bonus + 10% shares options + benefits
About Appvia
At Appvia, we help organisations modernise how they build and operate software. We are a specialist cloud, platform, and solutions engineering consultancy, delivering resilient, scalable systems that enable teams to move faster while maintaining quality, security, and reliability.
Our work spans cloud platforms, developer experience, and modern application delivery. We partner with customers across public and private sectors to reduce technical debt, improve engineering practices, and support long-term system evolution using modern software engineering approaches.
About the Role
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a senior technical leadership role across Appvia's software delivery engagements. You will help customers and lead a team to design, build, and evolve modern software systems, while guiding teams towards best practices in architecture, testing, and developer productivity.
This is a hands‐on leadership role for an experienced engineer who enjoys operating across design, architecture, and delivery. You will work closely with engineers, delivery leads, and platform teams, shaping technical direction, supporting early‐stage solution design, and mentoring teams delivering complex software systems.
You will also contribute to Appvia's broader engineering capability, influencing standards, patterns, and approaches that are applied consistently across customer engagements.
Interview Process - 4 Stage
- Discovery conversation with Talent Acquisition
- Technical assessment
- Technical conversation
- Competency‐focused final interview
About You
You are a senior software engineer with strong architectural judgement and a passion for well‐designed systems. You are comfortable leading technically, influencing delivery decisions, and working closely with customers in a consulting environment.
You’ll bring:
- Strong experience with Domain Driven Design (DDD) and modern system decomposition.
- Proven delivery of microservice‐based architectures.
- Deep hands‐on experience with React and full‐stack development.
- Experience improving engineering effectiveness through testing strategy, automation, and developer tooling.
- Exposure to AI‐assisted development approaches to improve code quality and productivity.
- Confidence mentoring engineers and leading technical discussions.
- A consulting mindset, able to translate business problems into practical technical solutions.
- Experience in regulated or public sector environments is beneficial but not required.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design and delivery of modern, scalable software systems.
- Shape architecture, service boundaries, and dependencies across complex systems.
- Drive improvements in development processes, testing strategy, and delivery cadence.
- Work hands‐on across the stack, particularly on React‐based applications.
- Support teams in reducing technical debt and improving long‐term maintainability.
- Collaborate with platform and cloud engineers to deliver cohesive end‐to‐end solutions.
- Act as a senior technical advisor to customers, guiding decision‐making and trade‐offs.
- Contribute to shared engineering standards, patterns, and best practices within Appvia.
Technical Skills
Core technologies (in order of importance):
- Java / Spring
- NoSQL / SQL databases
- React / Javascript
- HTML / CSS / XML
- Playwright
- Docker / Kubernetes
- Maven
- GitLab
- AWS
Nice to have:
- GovUK UI Framework
- Azure / GCP
- .NET
Why join Appvia?
We are a self‐funded, London based startup; providing businesses with a fast and secure way to deploy containerised applications into the cloud. We are on a mission to enable organisations to make cloud‐based software delivery simple and efficient, whilst having the insights into costs, security and cadence.
As a company that holds customers at the heart of everything we do, we are looking for candidates that want to make a real change to how Dev and Ops is working in the industry. With us our customers, like the UK's Home Office & Bank of England, are harnessing cloud‐native technologies, limiting the challenges of infrastructure management and rapidly delivering digital products.
What’s on offer?
- Work‐life balance
- Flexible working with core hours of 10-4pm because we know life happens outside of work
- Hybrid working - only one compulsory office day per month
- 25 days' holiday a year, plus bank holidays
- An additional day off for your birthday
- Enhanced maternity and paternity to full pay
- Workplace Nursery Benefit to help working parents
For your well‐being
- Full Private Healthcare cover for you with partners and children covered 50%
- Death in Service
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Electric Car Scheme
- Pension plus a salary sacrifice option for even greater savings
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Free hygiene products available in the London office
- Mental health support
- Free therapy through AXA
- Access to the Headspace App
- Trained Mental Health First Aiders
Other fun perks
- Learning budget of £1,000 a year
- Your own MacBook Pro while you work at Appvia
- Dog friendly office
- Wear what makes you comfortable
- Free snacks in the office
- Pool table & ping pong table
- Regular team socials, board game nights, industry meetups and more!
But don’t just take our word for it, you can check out what our Appvians say about us on Glassdoor and by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok.
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and actively encourage, respect, and recognise diversity of thought and background throughout the business. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, or veteran, neurodiversity, and disability status.
Note: While all roles are active and approved at the time of posting, the dynamic nature of our start‐up means some applications may be processed to pipeline talent for future opportunities rather than current openings. We will strive to keep you informed of any changes to the status of your application.
Principal Software Engineer - UK Security Clearance eligibility required. in London employer: Appvia
At Appvia, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. Our London-based team enjoys the flexibility of a hybrid work model, competitive compensation, and opportunities for professional growth, including participation in our share scheme. Join us to lead transformative cloud initiatives while working alongside talented professionals dedicated to delivering secure, cutting-edge solutions for our clients.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Engineer - UK Security Clearance eligibility required. in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Appvia or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Appvia.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Appvia.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Appvia that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Software Engineer - UK Security Clearance eligibility required. in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Appvia.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Appvia and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Appvia
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Appvia uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
