At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex backend projects and drive technical excellence across teams.
- Company: Dynamic tech company in the sports betting and gaming industry.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a high-energy team and collaborate with industry experts.
- Why this job: Shape the future of innovative solutions in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Expertise in Java and experience with distributed systems and microservices.
About the Role
We're looking for a Principal Backend Engineer to take ownership of end-to-end delivery of highly complex, multi-team initiatives. This is a senior technical leadership role where you'll shape architecture, influence engineering strategy, and drive technical excellence across squads.
You'll work in a fast-paced, agile environment alongside product, engineering, and commercial teams as we continue building innovative solutions in the sports betting, gaming, and interactive entertainment industry.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Take ownership of delivery across large-scale, cross-functional projects
- Drive architectural decisions and promote scalable, maintainable design
- Challenge the tech status quo and lead modernisation, automation, and innovation initiatives
- Build high-quality, reusable, and scalable backend systems
- Analyse system-wide dependencies, bottlenecks, and performance
- Define and implement engineering best practices, standards, and processes
- Lead design reviews and contribute to governance and architecture forums
- Balance priorities across technical debt, quality, and delivery timelines
- Champion security-first development and ensure robust controls in pipelines
- Collaborate with Product Owners and Engineering Leaders to define MVPs and solutions
- Mentor engineers, supporting their technical growth and development
- Play an active role in hiring and building high-performing engineering teams
What We're Looking For:
Technical Skills- Strong expertise in Java (plus exposure to Go, Node.js, or Python)
- Proven experience designing and building distributed systems
- Deep understanding of system design, OOP, and design patterns
- Experience building high-performance, low-latency, scalable systems
- Strong knowledge of microservices & monolith architectures
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automation
- Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, containerisation, Helm/Kustomize
- Strong knowledge of APIs and system integrations
- Experience with monitoring, logging, and performance optimisation
- Good understanding of application security (Auth, encryption, SAST/DAST)
- Familiarity with event-driven architectures (Kafka, RabbitMQ, NATS)
- Experience with caching solutions (Redis, Hazelcast, etc.)
- Exposure to cloud platforms
- Understanding of Agile methodologies
- Exposure to AI/ML or data engineering (ETL pipelines, analytics)
- Experience with technology strategy and governance
- Background in the betting, gaming, or entertainment industry
Why Join Us?
- Work on high-impact, large-scale systems
- Influence architectural direction and engineering standards
- Be part of a high-energy, fast-scaling tech environment
- Collaborate with top engineers and industry experts
- Opportunity to help build a market-leading product in a cutting-edge space
Principal Engineer (Backend) employer: Lorien
Join us as a Principal Backend Engineer and become part of a dynamic team that thrives on innovation and technical excellence in the fast-paced sports betting and gaming industry. We offer a collaborative work culture that encourages mentorship and professional growth, alongside competitive benefits and the opportunity to influence architectural decisions on large-scale projects. With a focus on modernisation and automation, you'll play a key role in shaping the future of our cutting-edge solutions while working with some of the best minds in the field.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer (Backend)
✨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 Lorien 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 Lorien.
✨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 Lorien.
✨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 Lorien 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 (Backend)
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 Lorien.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Lorien 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 Lorien
✨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 Lorien 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.
