At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive AI-powered software development and solve real-world engineering challenges.
- Company: Join IRIS, a leading UK software company with a focus on innovation and inclusion.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, career growth, and a supportive work culture.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for continuous learning and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a global impact while shaping the future of software development.
- Qualifications: Hands-on experience with AI tools and strong software engineering skills required.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
About IRIS
IRIS Software Group is one of the UK's largest privately held software companies, trusted by 100,000+ businesses, schools and accountancy firms to keep their operations running. Our software pays 1 in 6 UK employees, supports over 12,000 schools, and is relied on by 91 of the top 100 UK accountancy firms. We're a Great Place to Work® certified employer, recognised for our commitment to well-being, inclusion and development - and we're growing fast.
IRIS is seeking a Principal Engineer to play a pivotal role in accelerating the adoption of AI-driven, agentic software development across its engineering organisation. As part of the Engineering Transformation Programme, this individual contributor role combines deep technical expertise with hands-on enablement, working directly alongside engineering teams to embed new AI-powered development practices into day-to-day delivery.
Core responsibilities:
- Embed directly with pod teams across divisions following bootcamp completion, working alongside engineers on real delivery work and enabling adoption of agentic tooling and workflows.
- Diagnose and debug the specific blockers teams encounter with agentic adoption - whether that is tooling configuration, context engineering, workflow integration, codebase-specific challenges or confidence and mindset.
- Build and maintain a living body of best practice: what works, what does not, what is codebase or context-specific versus universally applicable.
- Partner with the Director of Enterprise Agility and the Agile Coach team to ensure the technical and human change elements of adoption are joined up.
- Support the configuration and integration of agentic tooling within divisional environments.
- Create, maintain and share a library of common agentic skills and workflows.
- Act as the go-to expert across the engineering estate for agentic engineering questions.
What Success Looks Like:
- Sustainable team adoption of agentic development practices.
- A documented and actively maintained best practice library.
- A strong feedback loop between delivery teams and programme leadership.
- Increased capability across engineering and agile communities.
- Clear visibility of adoption maturity across the organisation.
Future Growth & Impact:
- Helping shape and optimise advanced agentic engineering practices.
- Identifying and influencing future capability-building and training requirements.
- Contributing to the development of a broader engineering enablement function.
Experience:
- Deep, hands-on experience with agentic development tooling in a professional engineering context.
- Strong software engineering background across at least one primary language and stack.
- A track record of solving real engineering problems.
- Familiarity with modern software delivery practices.
Approach:
- Does the work first, explains it second.
- Meets teams where they are.
- Curious and honest about what agentic tooling can and cannot do.
- Shares knowledge actively and generously.
- Brings a solution-based mindset.
Useful Experience:
- Experience with MCP (Model Context Protocol) server configuration.
- Exposure to prompt engineering, agent orchestration or multi-agent system design.
- Experience in a B2B SaaS or multi-product software organisation.
Why You’ll Love Working Here:
- Impact: Your work will influence millions globally.
- Growth: Continuous learning and career development opportunities.
- Belonging: A culture that celebrates diversity and empowers every individual.
Ready to Apply?
Click Apply - we’re excited to learn about your unique perspective and experience. If you need adjustments during the process, let us know. We’re committed to making this opportunity accessible to everyone.
What to expect from our hiring process:
- Application review — we assess your experience and potential.
- Initial call — a short conversation to learn about you and share more about the role.
- Skills assessment — tailored to the position.
- Final interview — meet the team and explore how you'll make an IMPACT at IRIS.
Principal Engineer - Agentic AI employer: Iris
IRIS Software Group is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that fosters collaboration and innovation within the finance sector. With a strong commitment to employee development, you will have access to continuous learning opportunities and the chance to work alongside industry experts in a supportive culture. Located in a vibrant area, our team enjoys a healthy work-life balance and the unique advantage of being part of a global organisation that values diversity and inclusion.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer - Agentic AI
✨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 Iris 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 Iris.
✨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 Iris.
✨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 Iris 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 - Agentic AI
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 Iris.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Iris 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 Iris
✨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 Iris 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.
