At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical direction and drive architectural decisions for scalable systems.
- Company: Join Ro, a forward-thinking tech company focused on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible time off, equity, and wellness stipends.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact while mentoring and shaping future engineers.
- Qualifications: 12+ years in software engineering with strong backend skills, especially in Python.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join the team at Ro. In this role, you’ll operate as a senior technical leader across our engineering organization — helping shape the long-term technical direction of our platform, stewarding the health and evolution of critical systems, and driving architectural decisions that enable Ro to scale sustainably, safely, and quickly.
Principal Engineers at Ro operate with deep technical expertise, broad organizational awareness, and a proactive, future-facing mindset. You will partner with teammates across engineering, product, design, and cross-functional leaders to define and deliver technical strategies that support both near‑term product goals and long‑term business outcomes. You will identify opportunities, anticipate risks, and guide teams toward resilient, maintainable, high‑quality solutions.
- Define and drive the architectural vision for key systems and platforms, ensuring scalability, reliability, resilience, and long‑term maintainability.
- Evaluate and recommend foundational technologies, patterns, and practices that position Ro for future growth.
- Translate complex, ambiguous problem spaces into clear technical roadmaps, identifying tradeoffs and guiding teams toward strategic solutions.
- Lead organization‑wide initiatives that improve system health, observability, performance, security, and operational excellence.
- Partner with product, design, data, and other teams to align technical strategy with business priorities.
- Break down large, multi‑team initiatives into actionable plans and drive them from concept to delivery.
- Mentor and support Staff, Senior, and early‑career engineers in both technical and strategic growth.
- Foster a culture of high‑quality engineering, thoughtful design, rigorous review, and continuous learning.
- Provide technical leadership in design reviews, architecture discussions, and cross‑team forums.
- Act as a trusted technical advisor to engineering leadership and cross‑functional partners.
Benefits include:
- Medical, dental, and vision membership.
- Equity for all team members.
- Flexible time off.
- Paid parental leave, and flexible work arrangement.
- Well‑stocked office with snacks and bi‑weekly free lunches.
- Gym, learning, and development stipends.
If you’re energized by system‑wide impact, solving ambiguous and complex technical challenges, and elevating the engineering organization through mentorship, thought partnership, and architectural leadership, we’d love to talk.
Qualifications:
- Strong architectural skills with the ability to reason about long‑term tradeoffs, system interactions, operational risks, and platform evolution.
- A proven track record of technical leadership across multiple teams or domains, including designing and evolving complex distributed systems.
- Deep expertise in backend engineering (preferably with a strong proficiency in Python) and experience with distributed systems and relational databases.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
- 12+ years of experience building scalable, maintainable software systems.
- Experience in metrics instrumentation and data-driven performance tuning, leveraging load testing infrastructure and tools like Datadog.
- A passion for and strong track record of developing other engineers and raising the technical bar through mentorship, coaching, and leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to influence technical strategy, drive alignment across multiple teams, and guide organizations through ambiguity.
- Experience in telehealth or other highly-regulated industries.
Principal Software Engineer employer: Ro
At Ro, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will not only lead technical initiatives but also have access to comprehensive benefits including equity for all team members, flexible work arrangements, and generous learning stipends. Our commitment to employee growth and a supportive work environment ensures that you can thrive both personally and professionally while making a significant impact in the telehealth industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software 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 Ro 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 Ro.
✨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 Ro.
✨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 Ro 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 Software 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 Ro.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Ro 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 Ro
✨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 Ro 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.
