At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead AI transformation and drive engineering excellence in a major e-commerce organisation.
- Company: Join a large-scale e-commerce business focused on innovation and technical leadership.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work model, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with potential for long-term impact and career advancement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of e-commerce with cutting-edge AI and engineering practices.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in engineering leadership and AI transformation required.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
Transformation CONTRACT 6 month rolling contract (strong potential for extension) London FULL TIME (Monday - Friday) Hybrid, with 2 days per week onsite in London.
My client, a large-scale e-commerce business, is seeking an exceptional Principal Engineering Practice Lead / Technical Authority to drive engineering excellence, AI transformation and technical innovation across multiple engineering teams. This is a high-impact contract for a senior technical leader who combines hands-on engineering expertise with proven experience leading AI transformation, the authority to challenge architectural decisions, resolve complex technical challenges and improve delivery across a diverse technology landscape.
Extensive e-commerce or retail experience, strong SAP Commerce Cloud / SAP Hybris expertise, and a proven track record of driving AI transformation within software engineering are essential for this role. The successful candidate must be equally comfortable setting technical direction, getting hands-on with engineering challenges and leading the adoption of AI-enabled development practices.
The role
Working closely with senior engineering and Architecture stakeholders, you’ll raise engineering standards across SAP, DevOps, Domain Services, Storefront, iOS and Android. You’ll act as the senior technical escalation point, unblocking teams, influencing technical direction and embedding best practice across the organisation. A key priority will be leading AI transformation across the software development lifecycle (SDLC), moving teams beyond AI code completion towards agentic development practices that enable AI agents to plan, build, test and review changes under appropriate human oversight. You’ll establish responsible-use guardrails and measure the impact on engineering quality, security, productivity and delivery. You’ll bring a strong understanding of SAP Commerce Cloud / Hybris and complex retail e-commerce architectures, alongside broad engineering expertise and the practical technical credibility to guide implementation, challenge solutions and resolve issues directly where required.
Key responsibilities
- Define and embed engineering standards and best practices across multiple technology teams.
- Lead AI transformation within software engineering, driving the adoption of AI-assisted and agentic development practices across the SDLC.
- Establish appropriate AI tooling, including tools such as GitHub Copilot, alongside responsible-use guardrails, governance and measurable adoption outcomes.
- Provide senior technical leadership, challenge architectural decisions and take a hands-on approach to resolving complex engineering issues.
- Apply deep SAP Commerce Cloud / Hybris and e-commerce domain knowledge to influence technical decisions and improve platform engineering practices.
- Champion CI/CD, automated testing, TDD/BDD, secure-by-design development and frequent, incremental releases.
- Partner with Architecture to align engineering practices with technical strategy and architectural guardrails.
- Improve engineering effectiveness through DORA metrics and measurable improvements in software delivery.
What you’ll bring
- Extensive experience as a Principal Engineering Lead, Engineering Practice Lead, Technical Authority or equivalent senior technical leader.
- Proven experience leading AI transformation within software engineering, including the practical implementation and adoption of AI-assisted and agentic development practices, governance and measurable outcomes.
- Strong hands-on technical engineering capability, with the credibility to investigate complex problems, challenge designs, guide implementation and support engineering teams directly.
- Extensive retail and e-commerce experience, ideally within a large-scale, complex or omnichannel organisation.
- Strong SAP Commerce Cloud / Hybris experience, with an understanding of enterprise commerce platforms, integrations and storefront architectures.
- Broad engineering expertise across backend services, web storefronts, mobile platforms and cloud-based technologies.
- Strong knowledge of modern SDLC practices, Agile, DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, CI/CD, infrastructure as code and automated testing.
- Experience implementing secure engineering controls, including SAST, SCA, SBOM and OWASP principles, alongside observability and DORA metrics.
- Excellent technical leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence across multiple teams without direct line authority.
The opportunity
This is an opportunity for a highly credible, pragmatic engineering leader to shape how a major e-commerce organisation develops and delivers software. Combining AI transformation leadership, hands-on engineering expertise and deep SAP Commerce / Hybris and retail e-commerce knowledge, you’ll drive agentic AI adoption, raise engineering standards and deliver lasting improvements in engineering capability, security and delivery performance.
Principal Technical Lead AI & Ecommerce (SAP Commerce / Hybris) in London employer: Confidential
As a leading employer in the data centre operations sector, we offer an exceptional work environment that prioritises employee growth and development. Our collaborative culture fosters innovation and accountability, while our commitment to safety and operational excellence ensures that you will be part of a team that values your contributions. With opportunities for international travel and the chance to lead critical operations across the EMEA region, this role provides a unique platform for impactful leadership and career advancement.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Technical Lead AI & Ecommerce (SAP Commerce / Hybris) 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 Confidential 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 Confidential.
✨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 Confidential.
✨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 Confidential 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 Technical Lead AI & Ecommerce (SAP Commerce / Hybris) 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 Confidential.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Confidential 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 Confidential
✨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 Confidential 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.
