At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of innovative streaming and analytics platforms at the BBC.
- Company: Join the BBC, a leading media organisation with a focus on technology and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with a focus on mentoring and engineering excellence.
- Why this job: Shape the future of data-driven decision making in a dynamic tech environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in large-scale distributed systems and cloud-based services is essential.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 80000 € per year.
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent
DEPARTMENT: BBC Product Group – Data Platforms
LOCATION: Newcastle - Hybrid
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £65,000 - £80,000 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:
Join the BBC’s Data Sourcing teams and help shape the future of our streaming and analytics platforms. As a Principal Software Engineer, you’ll provide technical leadership across critical ingestion and real-time data systems, helping teams deliver scalable, resilient, and high-performing platforms that enable data‑driven decision making across the BBC.
Why join the team:
Data Sourcing sits at the heart of how the BBC understands and serves its audiences across News, Sport, TV, and Radio. You’ll work with modern cloud and streaming technologies, help shape the evolution of our real‑time data ecosystem, and play a key role in growing the BBC’s engineering culture within the Newcastle Tech Hub.
Your key responsibilities and impact:
- Provide technical leadership across streaming, ingestion, and analytics platforms used across the BBC.
- Drive engineering standards, architectural direction, and platform evolution across multiple teams.
- Support the continued evolution of the BBC’s real‑time streaming and data platforms, helping improve scalability, resilience, and operational maturity.
- Work closely with other Principal Engineers and technical leaders to maintain high engineering standards and support consistent technical practices across teams.
- Help teams design and deliver scalable cloud‑based services and data pipelines across a range of technologies and engineering domains.
- Mentor and support engineers at all levels, helping grow technical capability, engineering culture, and modern software development practices.
- Work closely with engineering, product, and platform stakeholders to solve complex technical challenges and enable effective delivery.
Your skills and experience:
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
- Strong experience designing and operating large‑scale distributed or event‑driven systems.
- Hands‑on experience with streaming and data technologies such as Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, Spark, or similar platforms.
- Experience building scalable cloud‑based services, ideally within AWS environments and modern backend technologies such as Java/Spring Boot or TypeScript.
- Ability to lead technical decision‑making and influence engineering direction across teams.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience mentoring engineers and working across multidisciplinary teams.
DESIRABLE:
- Experience working with real‑time analytics or large‑scale data ingestion platforms.
- Experience working across a broad range of technologies, platforms, and engineering domains within multi‑team environments.
- Familiarity with observability, operational monitoring, CI/CD, and platform reliability practices.
- Experience with data technologies such as Airflow, Redshift, DynamoDB, MongoDB, or similar tooling.
- Interest in contributing to engineering culture, standards, and the wider technology community.
Tech stack:
Our teams work across a broad range of technologies and platforms. While this role will primarily support our real‑time streaming and ingestion platforms, our Principal Engineers collaborate across multiple teams and engineering domains. Technologies currently used across our teams include:
- AWS services including MSK, Lambda, ECS, S3, DynamoDB, Redshift, and SQS
- Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, Airflow, Spark, and EventBridge
- SQL and NoSQL databases including Postgres, MongoDB, DynamoDB, and Timestream
- CI/CD and automation tooling including GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and CodePipeline
- Observability and visualisation tooling including Grafana and Tableau
Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment 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.
We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.
Principal Software Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne employer: BBC Group and Public Services
Join the BBC as a Principal Software Engineer in Newcastle, where you'll be at the forefront of shaping our data platforms and driving innovation in streaming and analytics. With a commitment to flexible working, a vibrant engineering culture, and opportunities for mentorship and professional growth, the BBC offers a collaborative environment that values diversity and encourages technical excellence. Be part of a team that not only impacts millions but also fosters your career development in a dynamic tech hub.
Contact Detail:
BBC Group and Public Services Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those at the BBC or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that job descriptions just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills in real-time! If you’ve got a portfolio or GitHub with projects related to streaming or data technologies, make sure to highlight them. It’s a great way to demonstrate your expertise beyond the CV.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of distributed systems and cloud services. Practice explaining your thought process clearly; it’s all about showcasing your problem-solving skills!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Software Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with large-scale distributed systems and streaming technologies. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Principal Software Engineer at the BBC.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll be providing technical leadership. Use your application to demonstrate past experiences where you've influenced engineering direction or mentored other engineers. We love seeing examples of collaboration!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points for your achievements and responsibilities to make it easy for us to read. We appreciate clarity, especially when it comes to your technical skills and experiences.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at BBC Group and Public Services
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, like Apache Kafka and AWS services. Brush up on your experience with distributed systems and be ready to discuss specific projects where you've used these tools.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead technical decision-making. Prepare examples of how you've influenced engineering direction in past roles and how you've mentored other engineers to elevate their skills.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect to face complex technical questions during the interview. Practice explaining your thought process when solving problems related to real-time data ingestion or cloud-based services. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
✨Communicate Effectively
Strong communication is key in this role. Be prepared to discuss how you've collaborated with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders. Highlight instances where your communication skills helped resolve issues or improve project outcomes.
