Principal Engineer

Manchester

AJ Bell Management Limited
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We are a technology-driven company building high-performing, scalable, and resilient software solutions. Our teams work with a modern tech stack including .NET, MongoDB, AWS, Jenkins, SQL Server, and streaming technologies.

We're looking for a hands-on Principal Engineer who can code, design scalable systems, manage Staff Engineers, and drive technical excellence across multiple teams. This role is perfect for a technical leader who still enjoys writing code while shaping architecture and mentoring engineers.

About the role

As a Principal Engineer, you will play a critical role in:

  • Architecting scalable, high-performance systems
  • Coding and reviewing mission-critical features (at least 60% hands-on)
  • Managing and mentoring Staff Engineers & Senior Developers
  • Driving best practices in software development and AI-powered engineering
  • Owning non-functional requirements (NFRs) such as security, scalability, and reliability
  • Optimising cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines

If you thrive on solving complex technical challenges, leading by example, and empowering teams, this is the role for you.

Key responsibilities

  • Hands-on coding (at least 60% of the time), working on core application components and system architecture
  • Technical leadership - guiding multiple teams and ensuring best practices
  • Managing & mentoring Staff Engineers - supporting career growth and technical excellence
  • Architecting and scaling distributed systems and cloud-native applications
  • Defining and enforcing non-functional requirements (NFRs) - scalability, security, performance
  • Implementing Test-Driven Development (TDD) and automation best practices
  • Optimising CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins & AWS
  • Leading containerisation efforts with Docker & Kubernetes
  • Collaborating with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business needs
  • Research and implement AI-driven development tools to boost productivity

What we're looking for

  • Proven experience as a Principal Engineer / Lead Engineer / Software Architect
  • Proven hands-on coding experience with .NET, SQL Server, MongoDB, Angular/NextJS, AWS, and streaming technologies
  • Strong experience in building scalable and high-performance applications
  • Strong experience managing Staff Engineers & Senior Developers
  • Solid understanding of Test-Driven Development (TDD) and modern testing frameworks
  • Experience with Docker & Kubernetes for containerisation and cloud deployment
  • Strong knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, automation, and deployment best practices
  • Experience with AI-assisted development tools is a plus
  • Excellent leadership and communication skills - able to coach and influence team
Date Posted: 04 June 2025
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