At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative software engineering projects and enhance operational excellence in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join the BBC, a renowned media organisation committed to creativity and inclusivity.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working hours, and generous annual leave.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values your unique contributions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on technology that shapes the future of media.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in software engineering and leadership in complex environments.
The predicted salary is between 95000 - 105000 £ per year.
LOCATION: London, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff or Newcastle – Hybrid
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £95,000-£105,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights. We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The BBC Dev Operations function within Media Tech is looking to appoint a Senior Principal Software Engineer to provide senior technical leadership across Operational Excellence, Reliability and Security Engineering. The role will identify systemic problems across a large and diverse Product Engineering organisation and turn them into scalable engineering solutions, common standards and reusable capabilities that simplify the estate, reduce duplication, improve efficiency and close capability gaps.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM
Working across engineering teams and with architecture, service management, DevOps/SRE and security partners, the SPSE will combine hands‑on technical leadership with strategic influence. They will shape and deliver cross‑cutting improvements spanning operational maturity, resilience, observability, DevSecOps and application security, including the adoption of Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) capabilities, while exploring Agentic Dev Operations and AI‑enabled automation to improve how operational and security engineering is performed at scale.
YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT
- Identify recurring and systemic operational, reliability and security engineering problems across Product Engineering, then design scalable solutions, common patterns and reusable capabilities that standardise approaches, simplify the estate, drive efficiency and close capability gaps.
- Define and embed pragmatic standards, guardrails and engineering practices for reliability, resilience, observability, service performance and operational readiness, balancing consistency with the needs of autonomous engineering teams.
- Provide technical leadership for the ongoing DevSecOps programme, integrating security into engineering workflows and helping shape the adoption and implementation of Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platforms or equivalent capabilities to improve vulnerability visibility, prioritisation and remediation.
- Identify, evaluate and lead opportunities to apply Agentic Dev Operations, AI‑enabled tooling and automation across operational and security engineering, turning emerging technology into controlled, measurable improvements in engineering effectiveness and service outcomes.
- Shape cross‑cutting technical strategy and reference approaches for Dev Operations; work directly with engineering teams on complex operational and security challenges; organise and lead work across engineering, product, architecture, service management, DevOps/SRE, security and other enabling functions; and create clear technical guidance, reference patterns and learning that help teams adopt better practices.
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Significant experience providing senior technical leadership in a large, complex software engineering environment, with evidence of identifying systemic problems that cut across teams and turning them into scalable engineering solutions, standards, platforms or reusable capabilities.
- Deep technical expertise across modern software engineering, cloud and distributed systems, reliability/SRE, observability and operational engineering, with the ability to simplify complex estates and improve consistency without creating unnecessary centralised friction.
- Strong DevSecOps and security engineering experience, including leading or materially contributing to an ongoing DevSecOps improvement programme and implementing Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platforms or comparable application security capabilities integrated into the software delivery lifecycle.
- Practical understanding of Agentic Dev Operations, AI‑enabled engineering and automation, with the judgement to identify high‑value use cases, introduce appropriate controls and translate emerging approaches into measurable operational or security outcomes.
- Demonstrated success in driving measurable improvement across operational maturity, reliability, engineering effectiveness or security posture, with a strong external perspective and curiosity about emerging practices that could improve how a large Product Engineering organisation operates.
- A strong organiser, leader and communicator who can bring structure to ambiguous cross‑cutting problems, build alignment across senior technical and non‑technical stakeholders, communicate complex ideas clearly and drive delivery through influence as well as direct technical leadership.
If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.
Disclaimer
This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.
Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory. Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.
Redeployment
The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.
Information at a Glance
This is your BBC At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.
Life at BBC
Here you will benefit from: Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym. Excellent career and professional development. Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer. A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.
Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract. Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.
Candidate pack
You belong We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential. We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity. We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.
Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy
Disability confident
We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk
Snr Principal Software Engineer Dev Ops in Cardiff employer: BBC Group and Public Services
At BBC Studios, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture in the heart of London. With competitive salaries, generous bonuses, and a commitment to employee growth, we empower our team to drive innovation and creativity in the media landscape. Join us to collaborate with industry leaders, develop your skills, and contribute to world-class commercial products that engage global audiences.
Contact Details:
BBC Group and Public Services Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Snr Principal Software Engineer Dev Ops in Cardiff
✨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 BBC Group and Public Services 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 BBC Group and Public Services.
✨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 BBC Group and Public Services.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
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We think you need these skills to ace Snr Principal Software Engineer Dev Ops in Cardiff
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 BBC Group and Public Services.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at BBC Group and Public Services 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 BBC Group and Public Services
✨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 BBC Group and Public Services 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.
