At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and innovate in software engineering for mission-critical infrastructure.
- Company: Join a dynamic tech company that values creativity and collaboration.
- Benefits: Remote work, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to excellence and innovation.
- Why this job: Shape the future of enterprise technology and make a global impact.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in software engineering with expertise in systems-level development.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
The Infrastructure Modernization business unit is seeking a highly experienced Principal Software Engineer to join our engineering organization and provide deep technical leadership across our COBOL development ecosystem and our Enterprise Server application replatforming products. This is a hands-on, strategic role focused on designing, building, and evolving mission‐critical infrastructure used by global enterprises running high‐volume, high‐reliability systems.
In this role, you will influence architecture across multiple product lines, guide engineering best practices, and help define the future of our platform as customers modernize decades‐old workloads into more agile, distributed environments. You will partner closely with senior engineering leaders, product managers, and domain experts to drive innovation at scale.
What You’ll Do- Technical Leadership
- Architect, design, and implement core components within our COBOL development tools, runtime environments, and mainframe replatforming infrastructure.
- Provide technical direction across multiple engineering teams building compilers, runtimes, middleware, and large-scale distributed systems.
- Drive modernization strategies for legacy application ecosystems, including cloud migration, workload transformation, and hybrid deployment scenarios.
- Hands-On Engineering
- Own complex technical domains end-to-end, from design through production, balancing long‐term architecture with immediate product needs.
- Build highly reliable, scalable, and secure infrastructure software used in mission‐critical enterprise environments.
- Conduct deep code reviews, troubleshoot production issues, and mentor engineers in system-level design and performance optimization.
- Cross-Functional Impact
- Collaborate with product management to shape roadmap priorities and translate customer challenges into technical solutions.
- Work with System Test, DevOps, and release engineering to ensure high-quality, low‐risk releases across a diverse product portfolio.
- Introduce and champion engineering excellence practices, including automated testing, performance benchmarking, observability, and maintainability.
- Required Experience
- 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including leadership over complex, multi‐team technical initiatives.
- Deep expertise in systems-level software development, such as compilers, runtimes, operating systems, or infrastructure‐level platforms.
- Strong background in mission-critical, high‐availability software (e.g., financial services, telecom, government, or core enterprise platforms).
- Demonstrated experience with COBOL, PL/I, C, or C++—or significant experience in other lower-level languages with a willingness to dive into COBOL domain internals.
- Proven track record building or modernizing enterprise-grade tooling, middleware, or distributed systems.
- Ability to decompose legacy architectures, assess modernization paths, and design scalable solutions.
- Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with mainframe-to-cloud migration, workload replatforming, or runtime compatibility layers.
- Familiarity with Azure, AWS, or hybrid cloud architectures.
- Understanding of static and dynamic language runtimes, compiler pipelines, and virtual machine internals.
- Prior technical mentorship or architectural leadership spanning multiple scrum teams.
- Strong diagnostic skills for debugging low-level performance, memory, concurrency, or runtime issues.
- A pragmatic engineer who balances ideal architecture with real-world constraints.
- Passionate about long-term maintainability and operational excellence.
- Comfortable working with legacy systems and excited about evolving them for the future.
- A collaborator who elevates teams through mentorship and cross-functional alignment.
- Someone who thrives in a technically rich, complex domain where your expertise has large-scale impact.
- Influence the future of mission‐critical modernization technologies used worldwide.
- Work with a highly experienced engineering organization with deep domain expertise.
- Opportunity to shape architecture and product direction across multiple major portfolios.
- A culture that values technical depth, thoughtful engineering, and long-term product stewardship.
Principal Software Engineer in Newbury employer: Rocket Software, Inc.
At Rocket Software Inc., we foster a dynamic and inclusive work environment where innovation thrives, and every team member's expertise is valued. As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll have the opportunity to lead transformative projects that modernise mission-critical systems while collaborating with a talented team dedicated to engineering excellence. Our commitment to employee growth, diversity, and a culture of mentorship ensures that you will not only contribute to impactful solutions but also advance your career in a supportive and engaging atmosphere.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Engineer in Newbury
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage in online forums. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your projects, especially those related to COBOL or infrastructure modernization. This will give potential employers a taste of what you can bring to the table.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on technical questions and scenarios relevant to the role. Practice explaining your thought process and solutions clearly, as communication is key in collaborative environments.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Software Engineer in Newbury
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see that you truly believe in what you're doing and are excited about the opportunity to influence architecture and drive innovation.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in systems-level software development and mission-critical environments. We’re looking for specific examples of how you've tackled complex technical challenges, so don’t hold back!
Be Clear and Concise:While we love detail, clarity is key! Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to see your qualifications at a glance.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Rocket Software, Inc.
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Principal Software Engineer, you’ll need to demonstrate deep expertise in systems-level software development. Brush up on your knowledge of COBOL, compilers, and distributed systems. Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've influenced architecture or led complex technical initiatives.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires strong leadership over multi-team initiatives. Prepare examples of how you've mentored engineers or driven modernization strategies in previous roles. Highlight your ability to balance long-term architecture with immediate product needs during the interview.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect to face technical questions that assess your problem-solving skills. Review common issues related to mission-critical software, such as debugging low-level performance or memory issues. Practising coding challenges can also help you feel more confident.
✨Align with Company Values
Rocket Software values collaboration and innovation. Research their culture and be prepared to discuss how your personal values align with theirs. Share experiences where you’ve worked cross-functionally or contributed to engineering excellence practices like automated testing or performance benchmarking.
