Principal Engineer (IT Automation & AI-native Transformation)

Principal Engineer (IT Automation & AI-native Transformation)

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
SoSafe

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the charge in AI-native transformation and automation across the company.
  • Company: Join SoSafe, a fast-growing leader in human risk management and cybersecurity.
  • Benefits: Enjoy flexible hours, 33 vacation days, and a supportive work environment.
  • Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact in cybersecurity while working with cutting-edge technology.
  • Qualifications: Experience as a Staff or Principal Engineer in a cloud-native SaaS environment.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

SoSafe has the ambition to become the leading human risk management provider in Europe. Our award-winning awareness platform triggers behavioural change by providing effective and engaging training and simulations on cybersecurity and data protection. Cybercrime is costing the world >$10 trillion annually and growing by 15% p.a. - we invite you to be part of the solution!

Are you a visionary Staff or Principal Engineer, excited about pushing the boundaries of automation and artificial intelligence deployed across a whole company? We're seeking an exceptional candidate to join our IT Engineering team to build the foundation for our AI-native future, in one of the industry's fastest growing SaaS scale-ups.

Things no-one seems to know yet:

  • How to make traditional automation & productivity tools consistently useful across a whole business in a post-AI world
  • How to balance traditional tools against foundation models and agentic working
  • How to enable (and protect) citizen builders to use spec-driven design and self-built AI-agents to actually change the organisation, reliably, safely and at scale

We want you to solve these problems. Here's how you'll make a difference:

  • Test-bed: Architect, build and iterate a toolchain fusing traditional automation and productivity tools (n8n, google workspace, etc) with spec-driven design and agentic working, test out on IT and Security
  • Iterate: Advocate, mentor and enable other early adopter teams to use our platforms, get value, provide feedback, iterate the platform
  • Standardise: Build self-sustaining cultural practices across the organisation, enable whole departments, scale the platform for everyone
  • Drive the evolution of IT operations towards an all-encompassing *-as-code infrastructure model through hands-on architecture and design
  • Contribute to the IT/Sec Operating System as we move wholesale to build-not-buy teams
  • Mentor and level up the existing IT engineering team, then whole departments, serving as a technical guide to accelerate skills transfer and foster a strong, collaborative engineering culture
  • Champion and advocate for our shared automation and AI platforms and methodologies, driving cross-departmental adoption to break down operational silos.

What makes you a great fit:

  • Demonstrated experience operating at a Staff or Principal Engineer level, ideally within an established, successful, cloud-native hypergrowth SaaS environment
  • Hands-on builder and systems thinker - A background that includes hands-on coding, ideally in a platform or SRE team. IT experience is secondary, we need builders who can help others build better
  • A track record of successful AI-native adoption, showcasing how you've successfully moved workflows beyond experimental prompts into robust, production-grade automated workflows or agents
  • Deep technical mastery of at least some of: infrastructure-as-code, modern CI/CD systems (e.g., GitHub Actions) and enterprise-grade workflow orchestration (e.g., n8n, Zapier)
  • A pragmatic engineering mindset: You understand that while agentic working is fast and flexible, it brings significant utilization costs; you know how to design hybrid architectures that balance speed with financial efficiency. When faced with a complex problem, you instinctively break it down
  • Great leadership, stakeholder management and communication skills: The biggest challenge is always people, not technology. You treat internal teams as your customers and excel at explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical "citizen coders" and executive stakeholders alike.

What you will get in return:

  • A mandate from the CEO to massively accelerate our AI-native transformation in every role, actually solving the AI-related questions that we’re all asking, at speed and scale
  • A company comfortable with rapid change and iterative development - We love experiments that fail, as long as we learn from them
  • Collaborative and highly supportive IT and Security team around you - We prize a safe and enjoyable working environment, good work-life balance and solid mental health above all other things
  • Close relationships with super-smart, highly engaged peers across G&A, GTM and Product Engineering

What we offer:

  • Work/Life balance: Flexible hours, 33 vacation days
  • Wellbeing and financial support: Access to Open Up, corporate discounts
  • Connection & community: Virtual events, collaborative team activities, and opportunities for local meet-ups
  • And the list goes on: Tech equipment, referral bonuses, dog-friendly HQ

Perks and benefits listed above are for full-time employees and may vary slightly by office location. These are just a sample — you'll learn more during the interview process.

About Us: At SoSafe, we’re on a mission to make the digital world safer by addressing the human factor in cybersecurity. As one of the fastest-growing security awareness scale-ups worldwide, we leverage behavioural science and data-driven learning to empower people against cyber threats. Our Human Risk Management approach helps organisations turn their employees into their strongest line of defence. Backed by leading VCs like Highland Europe and Global Founders Capital, we’re rapidly expanding across the globe. We’re looking for team players who want to drive meaningful change in cybersecurity, take ownership of their work, and grow with us. If you thrive in a vibrant, purpose-driven environment that values innovation, diversity, and collaboration, then this is the place for you!

Principal Engineer (IT Automation & AI-native Transformation) employer: SoSafe

SoSafe is an exceptional employer that prioritises innovation and employee growth, making it an ideal place for a Staff IT Engineer. With a strong focus on building automation platforms and driving AI-native transformation, employees are encouraged to develop their skills in a supportive environment that values collaboration and mentorship. Located in a vibrant tech hub, SoSafe offers unique opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects while contributing to a mission of enhancing digital safety.

SoSafe

Contact Details:

SoSafe Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer (IT Automation & AI-native Transformation)

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 SoSafe 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 SoSafe.

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 SoSafe.

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 SoSafe 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 (IT Automation & AI-native Transformation)

AI-native Transformation
Automation
Cloud-native SaaS
Hands-on Coding
Infrastructure-as-Code
CI/CD Systems
Workflow Orchestration

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 SoSafe.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at SoSafe 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 SoSafe

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 SoSafe 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.