Principal Software Development Engineer in London

hackajob is collaborating with Tesco to connect them with exceptional tech professionals for this role.

Our vision at Tesco is to become every customer's favourite way to shop, whether they are at home or out on the move. Our core purpose is ‘Serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day’. Serving means more than a transactional relationship with our customers. It means acting as a responsible and sustainable business for all stakeholders, for the communities we are part of and for the planet.

We are proud to have an inclusive culture at Tesco where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. At Tesco, we not only celebrate diversity, but recognise the value and opportunity it brings. We’re committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued, and make sure that all colleagues are given the same opportunities. We’re proud to have been accredited Disability Confident Leader and we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

We’re a big business and we can offer a range of diverse full-time & part-time working patterns across our many business areas, which means that we can find something that works for you. We work in a more blended pattern - combining office and remote working. Our offices will continue to be where we connect, collaborate and innovate. If you are applying internally, please speak to the Hiring Manager about how this can work for you - Everyone is welcome at Tesco.

Within Tesco Data & Analytics, we help our customers and the communities where we operate get the most value from data. We build and run Tesco’s data platforms, architect and engineer data onto these platforms, provide capabilities and tools to the analytics community across Tesco, and develop data products at scale.

Our Data Science teams work on a broad range of projects spanning supply chain, logistics, store, and online. These include initiatives in Operations Optimisation, Decision Support (e.g., forecasting), Online (e.g., search and recommendation), and Intelligent Edge (e.g., computer vision). Our Data Science Engineers collaborate closely with data scientists, supporting everything from tool and platform development, code optimisation, through to deployment of solutions across edge, cloud, and big-data environments.

We are looking for a Principal Software Development Engineer (PSDE) within the Data Science Engineering (DSE) team to lead technical innovation in the machine learning engineering space. As a PSDE, you will be a senior technical authority, delivering value that materially impacts business outcomes. Your influence will extend beyond code—you will shape strategy, guide teams, and set the standard for engineering excellence within DSE. You will be at the forefront of defining how we leverage machine learning to deliver business value. Your decisions will influence technology strategy, accelerate innovation, and establish the foundation for scalable, reliable ML solutions across the organisation.

Responsibilities

• Define and influence architecture and technical strategy for ML-driven platforms and products.
• Drive end-to-end delivery of scalable, reliable ML solutions and frameworks for rapid experimentation.
• Guide cross-functional teams through complex programmes, ensuring alignment and technical excellence.
• Establish best practices for ML engineering, including MLOps and model lifecycle management.
• Evaluate technology choices, lead innovation through PoCs, and accelerate ML time to production.
• Lead Operational Excellence by improving observability, performance and reliability of ML/AI systems.
• Communicate effectively with senior stakeholders and mentor teams to solve critical challenges.

You will need

• Proven experience as a principal engineer or technical lead in large-scale software and ML environments.
• Deep expertise in system design, distributed systems, cloud-native architectures, and secure, maintainable solutions.
• Experience acting as a technical authority across multiple domains and technologies, guiding architectural choices with a deep understanding of the Software (and Machine Learning) Development Lifecycle.
• Strong leadership, collaboration, and communication skills; ability to influence technical and business stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Python and multiple languages; familiarity with ML tools (e.g., Spark, TensorFlow).
• Passion for innovation, inner-sourcing, and accelerating ML delivery through modern tooling and practices.

What’s In It For You

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 45% of base salary
• Car allowance of £7,320 per annum
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day