At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering for Corporate Technology, shaping strategies for People, Finance, and Procurement platforms.
- Company: Globally respected organisation with a focus on innovation and transformation.
- Benefits: Generous annual leave, medical cover, hybrid work model, and subsidised gym memberships.
- Other info: Opportunity to mentor and develop future engineering leaders while ensuring technical excellence.
- Why this job: Influence core internal systems and drive large-scale transformation in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Extensive senior engineering leadership experience and knowledge of enterprise SaaS ecosystems.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
In this role, you will lead engineering across Corporate Technology, defining strategy for People, Finance and Procurement platforms and driving secure, scalable, and well-managed services. You will mentor engineering leads, set ownership, and collaborate with Product, Architecture, Security, Data, and business teams to modernise the estate and enable large-scale transformation. You’ll balance technical excellence with business priorities, shaping internal platforms that underpin critical FT functions. This is an opportunity to influence how core internal systems evolve in a globally respected organisation.
Pay / Benefits
- generous annual leave
- medical cover
- inclusive parental leave
- subsidised gym memberships
- hybrid onsite model (50% onsite)
- community contribution opportunities
Responsibilities
- Define the engineering vision for Corporate Technology and translate strategy into priorities and roadmaps for People, Finance, and Procurement platforms
- Provide senior technical direction across enterprise platforms, data flows, and internally developed capabilities
- Collaborate with Architecture and Engineering Leads to set standards, guardrails, and decisions considering security, resilience, operability, maintainability and cost
- Identify systemic risks, lifecycle challenges, technical debt, and opportunities to simplify the technology estate
- Ensure Engineering Leads have clear accountability for platform engineering, operation and continual improvement
- Guide complex decisions spanning multiple platforms while granting autonomy to Engineering Leads
- Mentor Engineering Leads and senior engineers to improve platform ownership and capability
- Lead engineering for key People, Finance, and Procurement initiatives and transfer capabilities into lasting internal stewardship
- Support platform selection, implementation and major technology investments, challenging approaches that add complexity or risk
- Maintain oversight of performance and technology risk, including reliability, incident and change management, DR and BC
- Ensure platforms comply with FT security, data governance, and technology standards
- Strengthen internal capability to reduce reliance on individual specialists or vendors
- Build strong cross-functional relationships to communicate trade-offs, risks and investment needs
- Represent Corporate Technology in FT engineering and technology forums with Architecture, Security, Data and other leaders
Key requirements
- Extensive senior engineering leadership experience in a complex tech organisation
- Solid knowledge of enterprise SaaS ecosystems and integration/operation of business-critical platforms
- Experience with Oracle Fusion, Workday, or similar ERP systems
- Strong grasp of integration methods, APIs, data flows and cloud technologies
- Experience leading major transformation or modernisation programmes
- Ability to establish clear technical ownership and sustainable operating models
- Strong understanding of reliability, security, operational risk and lifecycle management
- Experience working with third-party vendors and managed services while maintaining internal ownership
- Experience mentoring and developing Engineering Leads and senior engineers
- Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate technical concepts into pragmatic decisions
- Experience formulating technology strategies and roadmaps spanning multiple platforms
- Strong technical judgement balancing long-term direction with delivery priorities
- Desirable: experience with Oracle Fusion, Workday and related environments
- Desirable: experience with Finance, People, Procurement domains
- leadership
- mentoring
- stakeholder Influence
- enterprise SaaS integration
- Oracle Fusion
- Workday
Principal Engineer - Corporate Technology employer: The Financial Times
The Financial Times is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee growth and wellbeing. With generous benefits such as annual leave, medical cover, and opportunities for community engagement, employees are supported in their professional journeys while contributing to meaningful journalism. Located in a collaborative environment, the role of Senior IT Engineer allows you to connect with diverse experts and leverage cutting-edge technology, making a significant impact within the organisation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Engineer - Corporate Technology
✨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 The Financial Times 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 The Financial Times.
✨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 The Financial Times.
✨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 The Financial Times 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 - Corporate Technology
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 The Financial Times.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at The Financial Times 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 The Financial Times
✨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 The Financial Times 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.
