At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and enhance 15 teams in building AI-driven consumer platforms.
- Company: Join one of the UK's largest consumer platforms with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Up to £150k base salary, 10% bonus, and hybrid work model.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for personal growth and influence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by coaching teams and improving front-end performance.
- Qualifications: Experience with AI-assisted development and strong front-end skills.
The predicted salary is between 135000 - 165000 £ per year.
West London · Hybrid, 3 days in · Up to £150k base + 10% bonus
A Principal Engineer role with no backlog of your own. Instead you get the run of 15 teams, on a consumer platform that deploys well over a thousand times a month, with one brief: make every team better, faster and sharper at building with AI.
So if you already ship to production with Claude Code or Codex, if you can’t help eyeballing Core Web Vitals like a scoreboard, and if you actually enjoy making the people around you sharper, this one’s for you.
It’s one of the UK’s biggest consumer platforms. Proper scale, deploying well over a thousand times a month. You’d sit in a small, senior team that doesn’t own a backlog of its own. You drop into other teams, pair on the hard stuff, fix what’s broken and spread what’s working. Right now they’re rolling AI out across the whole business, and this team is the one leading it.
The day to day:
- You’re in the teams, hands on, coaching as you go.
- You set the bar for how they build with AI, in how they work and what they ship.
- You own front‑end performance (Core Web Vitals, speed, accessibility) on pages that take serious traffic.
- Some of it is your own time to explore, a lot of it is making everyone else better.
- You’ll get out and talk about the work too: blogs, talks, the lot.
The AI side, and this is the big one:
They’re already a long way down the road. Most commits are AI‑assisted now. So this isn’t a role for someone keen to learn it, it’s for someone already doing it. I want to see you shipping real things to production with Claude Code or Codex, with proper opinions on guardrails, cost, and not letting the AI quietly think for you. Tell me where it’s worked brilliantly and where it’s bitten you. If your current place hasn’t let you near any of this, a side project that proves you’ve cracked it yourself does the trick.
The rest of it:
- Front‑end performance isn’t optional. Core Web Vitals and speed need to be second nature, ideally off the back of an e‑commerce or high‑traffic consumer business.
- React and TypeScript lean is great, but they care more that you pick new things up fast.
- You’ve got to be someone who lifts the room. You might not call yourself a coach, but if you’re the right person, you already are one.
Up to £150k base plus a 10% bonus, three days a week in West London.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Frontend 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 TechShack 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 TechShack.
✨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 TechShack.
✨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 TechShack 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 Frontend 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 TechShack.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at TechShack 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 TechShack
✨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 TechShack 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.
