At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the technical direction of a large-scale API platform and mentor engineering teams.
- Company: Global tech business impacting millions with innovative consumer experiences.
- Benefits: Up to £110,000 salary, bonus, flexible hybrid work, and strong career development support.
- Other info: Join a collaborative culture focused on long-term impact and innovation.
- Why this job: Shape architecture and influence teams while working with cutting-edge technologies.
- Qualifications: Experience in large-scale distributed systems, API design, and cloud environments.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
We're looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join a global technology business whose platforms underpin consumer experiences used by millions of people every day. This is an established, scaled business with a genuinely global reach and this role sits at the heart of their core engineering capability.
This isn't a purely strategic seat. You'll have genuine technical authority over a business-critical API platform while staying close to the engineering, partnering with skilled squads to solve complex distributed systems challenges at scale.
Key Responsibilities:- Set the technical direction for a large-scale API platform across both synchronous and event-driven services
- Lead architectural design across a modern, cloud-native stack
- Drive continuous improvement across security, observability, performance, and long-term maintainability
- Mentor and develop engineers and technical leads across multiple teams
- Work closely with Product and Delivery leadership to keep engineering strategy aligned with broader business goals
- Champion strong engineering fundamentals — testing, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, and clean architecture
- Identify practical ways to bring emerging technologies, including AI tooling, into everyday engineering workflows
- A strong track record delivering large-scale distributed systems in cloud environments
- Deep knowledge of API design - REST and GraphQL, and substantial hands-on experience with Kafka in a production environment
- Solid cloud platform experience, particularly AWS, and comfort with containerised infrastructure
- Proficiency in TypeScript across a modern backend stack
- Experience leading and influencing across multiple engineering teams, not just within a single squad
- A genuine care for code quality, sustainable architecture, and long-term thinking over short-term delivery
- A collaborative, mentoring leadership style that brings the best out of the people around you
- An interest in how AI is changing the way engineering teams work
- Enterprise CRM experience would be an advantage
- Salary Up to 110,000 plus bonus
- Genuinely flexible hybrid working arrangements
- Generous parental leave and family-friendly policies
- Strong support for career development and progression
This is the right role for a Principal Engineer who is ready to move beyond squad-level impact and take on something bigger - shaping the architecture, the team, and the direction of a platform that matters at real scale.
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications, not everyone will be able to receive detailed feedback.
Principal Engineer in London employer: Formula Recruitment Limited
Join a forward-thinking global business in the travel and experiences sector, where your role as a Business Analyst will be pivotal in driving transformation across diverse projects. With a hybrid working model based in London, you'll enjoy a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation, alongside competitive salary and benefits, including an annual bonus and flexible perks. This is an exceptional opportunity to grow your career in a supportive environment that values your contributions and encourages professional development.
Contact Details:
Formula Recruitment Limited Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer 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 Formula Recruitment Limited 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 Formula Recruitment Limited.
✨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 Formula Recruitment Limited.
✨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 Formula Recruitment Limited 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 Engineer 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 Formula Recruitment Limited.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Formula Recruitment Limited 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 Formula Recruitment Limited
✨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 Formula Recruitment Limited 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.
