At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead backend architecture and data solutions for a cutting-edge marketing platform.
- Company: Join Publicis Media, a global leader in digital marketing and media solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive benefits including pension, private medical cover, and flexible work options.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace culture that values diversity and supports personal growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of marketing tech while working with AI and innovative data solutions.
- Qualifications: Expertise in Python, AWS, and data engineering required; leadership experience is a plus.
Publicis Media harnesses the power of modern media through leading agency brands. A key business solution of Publicis Groupe, Publicis Media’s digital-first, data-driven global solutions deliver client value and drive growth in a platform-powered world. It is present in over 100 countries with over 23,000 employees worldwide.
Performics is the Performance Centre of Excellence within Publicis Groupe, building technology, data and AI-driven marketing solutions for global brands. This Principal Backend Engineer role is a hands-on, principal-level individual contributor position shaping the backend and data foundation behind OneSuite, our unified marketing intelligence and automation platform. You’ll set technical direction across data products and platform integration, write production-grade Python, and lead high-impact architectural decisions that make complex marketing data dependable, secure and usable across clients. A key focus is enabling AI-assisted analyst workflows, including agents built with the Claude Agent SDK, so teams can answer questions, surface issues and act on campaign opportunities with confidence.
Responsibilities
- Own backend and data architecture across pipelines, connector systems, platform APIs, agent/tool runtimes, CLIs and downstream product surfaces.
- Define durable domain boundaries and data contracts between warehouse outputs, operational stores, platform APIs, agent tools and user workflows.
- Lead the evolution of Databricks medallion pipelines (ingestion, normalisation and curated outputs for analytics and product use cases).
- Improve data quality and governance: schema enforcement, lineage, documentation and lakehouse-to-operational-store sync for consumer-facing data.
- Architect Python backend services on AWS serverless paths, including authentication and tenant-scoped access patterns.
- Shape how capabilities are exposed through OneSuite (streaming workflows, tool permissions, MCP integrations and stable CLI/API/MCP contracts).
- Set engineering standards (testing, CI/CD, deployment safety, observability) and mentor senior engineers through reviews, pairing and clear written guidance.
Qualifications
- Demonstrable experience in senior backend, data platform or distributed systems engineering roles, with principal-level ownership across multiple services or teams.
- Expert Python backend engineering (API design, service boundaries, async/concurrent systems) plus strong SQL and modern testing practices.
- Hands-on Databricks / PySpark experience and lakehouse/medallion architecture (or equivalent large-scale data pipeline experience).
- Strong AWS serverless background (Lambda, API Gateway, S3, DynamoDB, IAM) with infrastructure-as-code (e.g., CloudFormation/SAM).
- Deep understanding of multi-tenant SaaS design, authN/authZ, tenant isolation, secrets management and operational security.
- Experience designing stable data contracts and CLI/API/MCP contracts, including schema evolution and consumer-facing data models.
- Proven technical leadership through mentoring, architecture decisions, code review and clear trade-off communication (without relying on direct authority).
- Experience within the media, advertising or similar industries.
Additional Information
Publicis Media offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees. Full details are shared when you join, but highlights include core benefits such as Pension, Life Assurance, and Private Medical cover, alongside enhanced policies like Reflection Days and Shared Parental Leave. You’ll also have access to a range of additional initiatives.
Publicis Groupe works primarily from the office or our clients' office four days per week. At Publicis Media, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.
We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We’ll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application.
Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.
Principal Backend Engineer employer: Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters creativity and collaboration in the heart of Greater London. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide comprehensive benefits such as Pension, Life Assurance, and Private Medical cover, ensuring our team feels valued and supported. Join us to lead innovative strategies for renowned brands like Disney, while enjoying a workplace that champions inclusivity and professional development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Backend Engineer
✨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 Publicis Groupe 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 Publicis Groupe.
✨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 Publicis Groupe.
✨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 Publicis Groupe 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 Backend Engineer
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 Publicis Groupe.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Publicis Groupe 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 Publicis Groupe
✨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 Publicis Groupe 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.
