At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical initiatives in cloud infrastructure, security, and AI technologies.
- Company: Fast-growing organisation in e-commerce, digital platforms, and healthcare.
- Benefits: Up to £80k salary, private health insurance, and staff discounts.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence strategy and mentor developers in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Shape technical direction and tackle complex challenges while working hybrid.
- Qualifications: 8 years of software development experience with strong backend knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Principal Developer up to £80k Hybrid, Stockport
Pearson Carter are currently working with a fast-growing organisation operating across e-commerce, digital platforms and healthcare, who are looking to appoint a Principal Developer to take ownership of key technical initiatives across the wider business.
This is a senior, hands-on position offering plenty of variety, with responsibility spanning cloud infrastructure, security, software architecture and emerging AI technologies.
You'll work closely with senior stakeholders and engineering teams, helping shape technical direction while getting involved in complex challenges across multiple platforms.
Get in touch if you are looking for your next opportunity!
Responsibilities
- Take ownership of group-wide infrastructure, cloud governance, DNS management and security.
- Lead security improvement programmes, ensuring audit findings are addressed and appropriate controls are implemented.
- Oversee cloud environments across GCP and AWS, including access management, security posture and cost optimisation.
- Manage infrastructure migrations, legacy server decommissioning and ongoing platform improvements.
- Provide technical oversight across multiple platforms, including Word Press environments, databases and payment gateway integrations.
- Review software architecture and API designs, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable and maintainable.
- Support Dev Ops activities, including CI/CD pipelines, deployment processes and environment management.
- Contribute to AI automation initiatives, including LLM integrations, RAG systems and MCP-based solutions.
- Establish engineering standards, improve development workflows and promote consistent code quality.
- Act as a senior technical point of contact, supporting and mentoring developers across engineering teams.
Experience
- 8 years of professional software development experience, with strong backend and systems-level knowledge.
- Experience working across PHP/Word Press and modern Java Script or Type Script environments.
- Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure, ideally across GCP and AWS.
- Experience with infrastructure management, server migrations and infrastructure-as-code approaches.
- A solid understanding of security architecture, including authentication, authorisation, DNS and endpoint management.
- Experience with payment gateway integrations, webhooks and secure payment processing.
- Strong knowledge of REST API design, integration and architecture.
- Experience with database optimisation and diagnosing performance issues across live platforms.
- Hands‑on experience with AI-assisted development, LLMs, RAG systems and automation tools.
- Comfortable working autonomously, managing competing priorities and taking ownership of complex technical challenges.
Desirable Experience
- Experience within healthcare, fintech or another regulated environment.
- Practical understanding of GDPR and secure data handling.
- Experience with MCP servers and organisational AI tooling.
- Experience mentoring developers or helping establish engineering standards.
Salary
- Potential equity opportunity for the right candidate.
Location
- Hybrid working – one day per week in the Stockport office (Thursday), with the remainder remote.
Benefits
- Company pension scheme.
- Private health insurance.
- Staff discounts across the company's product range.
- Access to Claude Enterprise and AI-assisted development tools.
- Opportunity to influence technical strategy and help build a growing engineering function.
Principal Developer – Hybrid, Stockport employer: Pearson Carter
At Pearson Carter, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a collaborative work culture where you can thrive as a Test Engineer. With competitive salaries and the flexibility of working in Bracknell just twice a week, we provide ample opportunities for professional growth and development within a supportive team environment. Join us to make a meaningful impact in the world of IT recruitment while enjoying a rewarding career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Developer – Hybrid, Stockport
✨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 Pearson Carter 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 Pearson Carter.
✨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 Pearson Carter.
✨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 Pearson Carter 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 Developer – Hybrid, Stockport
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 Pearson Carter.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Pearson Carter 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 Pearson Carter
✨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 Pearson Carter 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.
