Principal Software Engineer - AJ Bell
On site
Manchester, United Kingdom
Full Time
17-03-2025
Job Specifications
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
About Us
AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK offering an award-winning range of solutions that caters for everyone, from professional financial advisers, to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 561,000 customers using our award-winning platform propositions to manage assets totalling more than £89.5 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help even more people take control of their financial futures.
Having listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018, AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company.
Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol, we now have over 1,500 employees and have been named one of the UK's 'Best 100 Companies to Work For' for six consecutive years and in 2024 named a Great Place to Work®.
At AJ Bell you can expect a friendly working environment with a strong sense of teamwork, we have a great sense of pride in what we do, and this is reflected in our guiding principles.
Our Perks And Benefits
Starting holiday entitlement of 26 days, increasing up to 31 days with length of service plus a holiday buy and sell scheme
A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 7%
Discretionary bonus scheme
Annual free share awards scheme
Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme
Health Cash Plan - provided by SimplyHealth
Discounted private healthcare scheme and dental plan
Free gym membership
Employee Assistance Programme
Bike loan scheme
Sick pay+ pledge
Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave
Loans for travel season tickets
Death in service scheme
Paid time off for volunteer work
Charitable giving opportunities through salary sacrifice
Calendar of social events, including monthly payday drinks, annual Christmas party, summer party and much more
Ongoing technical training
Professional qualification support
Talent development programmes
Peer recognition scheme, with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off
Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches
Casual dress code
Access to a range of benefits from our sponsorship deals
Hybrid working
At AJ Bell, our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. That's why we offer a hybrid working model, where you'll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the office. For new team members, an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues.
AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole self to work.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, religion, physical and mental disability, marital status and any other characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. All decisions to hire are based on qualifications, merit and business need.
If you like the sound of the above, or just want to know more about the company and the role, we'd love to speak to you.
About the Company
The space to inspire and grow exceptional careers in financial services and tech. We enable the connection of skilled candidates to opportunities with the biggest employers. We help candidates build their careers and recruiters to engage with, source and hire the people they need. Know more
Related Jobs
- Company Name
- United Utilities
- Job Title
- Assistant Developer Engineer
- Job Description
- Salary - £35,080 Work Type - Onsite Job Location - Lingley Mere (UU), Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 3LP Role Type - Permanent Employment Type - Full Time Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week United Utilities’ (UU) purpose is to deliver great water for a stronger, greener and healthier North West of England. We are committed to providing our services in a way that respects the environment, supports the economy, and benefits society. We value diversity, inclusion and innovation in our workplace, and we foster a culture where our people can grow, excel, and be themselves. We uphold our ethics, values and business model to fulfil our mission and, by setting clear goals and objectives, we create sustainable long-term value for our colleagues, customers and communities. Whether you work with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation to be part of. We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll be part of a thriving FTSE 100 company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution. Benefits A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service (increases one day per year), in addition to 8 bank holidays A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover Up to 7.5% performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme MyGymDiscounts - gym and wellness benefit that offers up to 25% off on gym memberships and digital fitness subscriptions Best Doctors Salary Finance Wealth at Work courses Deals and discounts EVolve Car Scheme Employee Assistance Plan Mental health first aiders ShareBuy MORE Choices flexible benefits Enhanced parental leave schemes Job Purpose This role will be responsible for providing support to the Design Engineer within the Clean Water Technical Assurance team. This role is ideal for someone wanting to progress towards the role of Design Engineer in the future, with exposure to design work for self-lay and statutory main laying sites, and diversions. You will be involved in all aspects of the lifecycle of a clean water development site, from determining the point of connection to designing the onsite mains under the guidance of more senior members of the team. Accountabilities & Responsibilities Provide excellent customer service to Developer Services customers, working within industry timescales to respond to water supply enquiries for new developments. Liaise with Network Operations colleagues regarding the supply of water to new developments, ensuring that we meet our obligations to Developer Services customers, while safeguarding the supply to United Utilities' existing customers. Formally respond to pre-development and point of connection enquiries on behalf of United Utilities. Work under the supervision of Design Engineers to carry out technical approvals of on-site main laying schemes to be laid by third party self-lay providers (SLPs), ensuring that all designs are approved / rejected in line with the national Self-lay Code of Practice, engineering & construction standards and company asset standards. Work under the supervision of Design Engineers to create own designs that serve new developments and ensure protection of existing assets (diversions) to be constructed by United Utilities' contract partner. Work closely with our contract partner to ensure that all documentation is produced and handed over by a set deadline, to enable the safe and timely construction of new assets in accordance with Construction, Design and Management Regulations (2015) and the Water Industry Act (1991) Technical Skills & Experience Good knowledge of UUW water services and the wider UUW business. Understanding of the water network, its properties, technical parameters and associated company policy, procedures and specifications. Ability to apply knowledge & understanding of technical & theoretical guidelines to ‘real life' situations i.e. apply to developer's sites. Ability to communicate advice effectively in language appropriate to the customers whilst referencing relevant standards. Excellent interpersonal skills; including excellent written and oral communication and negotiation skills. Excellent customer service skills & previous experience in dealing with customers and/or external bodies. Effective time management and ability to plan and implement work to meet deadlines and quality requirements. Ability to control several projects/enquiries and actions at any one time, whilst continuing to react quickly and effectively. Qualifications Have or be working towards a HNC (or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, or have relevant experience in planning / working with developers. We rely on every employee to ensure our customers receive the best possible service, day in, day out. In return, we ensure that you will be well rewarded for your efforts, from an excellent salary through to development opportunities that will really kick start a thriving career here at UU.
- Company Name
- Client Server
- Job Title
- Software Engineer Full Stack Python API React
- Job Description
- Software Engineer / Developer (Full Stack Python API React) Cambridge / WFH to £60k+ Would you like to work with a range of technology across the full stack, taking ownership and making an impact at an AI start-up that is driving efficiencies within the NHS and health tech sector, benefiting healthcare professionals in their daily work and ultimately delivery improvements for patients? As a Software Engineer you will act as a founding member, designing and building scalable end-to-end solutions for the AI driven platform, taking features from concept to production. You'll enhance the front end experience, creating responsive user interfaces with React.js and leading the backend development with a focus on scalability and performance using Python and FastAPI, as well as driving the use of DevOps, CI/CD workflows, managing deployments to Azure and maintaining robust data management systems with PostgreSQL. This is an excellent opportunity to progress your career and see the impact of your work at a well backed "Tech for Good" start-up. Location / WFH: You'll join a small, collaborative team based in Central Cambridge three days a week, with flexibility to work from home the other two days. About you: You have strong full stack development skills: backend skills with Python and RESTful APIs (they use FastAPI) and front end skills with React.js, JavaScript / TypeScript, HTML5, CSS3 You have a good knowledge of PostgreSQL, database design and optimisation You have a good knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD, Git, GitHub and public cloud, Azure preferred You enjoy taking ownership and working with autonomy, comfortable making architectural decisions You are collaborative and pragmatic with great communication skills What's in it for you: Salary to £60k Meaningful equity options Healthcare including dental Hybrid working Impactful role with excellent career growth opportunities as the company scales Apply now to find out more about this Software Engineer / Developer (Python React) opportunity. At Client Server we believe in a diverse workplace that allows people to play to their strengths and continually learn. We're an equal opportunities employer whose people come from all walks of life and will never discriminate based on race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. The clients we work with share our values.
- Company Name
- Better Placed Ltd - A Sunday Times Top 10 Employer in 2023!
- Job Title
- Full Stack Engineer
- Job Description
- Senior Software Engineer – SaaS & AI - Stealth Mode £80,000- £95,000 + equity Currently fully remote -ideally moving to 1-2 days in Manchester in late 2025 Are you an ambitious full-stack engineer looking to shape the future of AI-driven solutions? My client, an early-stage SaaS startup currently in stealth mode is combining traditional Data Science, Machine Learning, and Generative AI to tackle complex data challenges for businesses of all sizes. With early product-market fit and investment in progress, they are building a team to scale their platform from MVP to a market-leading solution. This is a rare opportunity to be at the forefront of AI innovation in a fast-paced, agile environment. The Role As a senior engineer, you’ll play a key role in developing a multitenant SaaS platform that integrates with client environments and automates operational workflows using AI. Whilst there's no expectation for you to be an expert in AI or have worked in an AI driven startup, any experience or exposure to AI any experience using LLM APIs (e.g., GPT, Claude) in production would be a definite advantage. What You’ll Do Design, develop, and deploy scalable solutions across the stack. Collaborate with product managers, UX designers, and clients. Implement software engineering best practices. Contribute to architecture, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines. Tech Stack & Must-Have Experience Frontend: React, TypeScript Backend: Express, TypeScript Databases: SQL & NoSQL Cloud: Serverless functions, container orchestration, API management Infrastructure: Declarative IaC, CI/CD pipelines Nice to Have Machine Learning or Data Science exposure Experience in product, supply chain, or back-office processes AI: Experience using LLM APIs (e.g., GPT, Claude) in production Education: STEM degree (1st/2:1 preferred) Manchester-based or able to travel every 2 weeks as a minimum What’s in It for You? Competitive salary & share options Influence over company direction & future team building The chance to solve real-world challenges with cutting-edge AI This is an opportunity to work for an AI business currently in stealth that is about to make huge waves over the next few months ahead.
- Company Name
- Oracle
- Job Title
- Senior Frontend Developer
- Job Description
- Permanent contract - UK - fully remote; Typescript + React, senior level ; Unfortunately, VISA sponsorship is not available for this position; About the team: The MySQL HeatWave and Advanced Development team is responsible for the massively parallel, high performance, in-memory query accelerator for Oracle MySQL Database Service that accelerates MySQL performance by orders of magnitude for analytics and mixed workloads. HeatWave is 6.5X faster than Amazon Redshift at half the cost, 7X faster than Snowflake at one-fifth the cost, and 1400X faster than Amazon Aurora at half the cost. MySQL Database Service with HeatWave is the only service that enables customers to run OLTP and OLAP workloads directly from their MySQL database. This eliminates the need for complex, time-consuming, and expensive data movement and integration with a separate analytics database. The new MySQL Autopilot uses advanced machine-learning techniques to automate HeatWave, which makes it easier to use and further improves performance and scalability. This cutting-edge technology serves critical business needs, which is changing the way data transactions function, all over the world. You will make a technical impact on the world with the work you do. Join us to help further develop this amazing technology. In our flexible workplace, you’ll enhance your skills and build a solid professional foundation. As a software developer for Oracle's MySQL Heatwave team, you will contribute to an exciting team. You will use your skills and experience to directly improve the experience for Oracle's customers. You will design, implement, and deliver complex features in an independent manner. The role will provide you with great chance to work in a team developing a complex distributed system using a serverless architecture. The ideal candidate has many of the skills, but the key is the motivation and ability to learn quickly as well as a passion for an excellent customer experience. What you will do: As a member of the software engineering division, you will assist in defining and developing software for tasks associated with the developing, debugging or designing of software applications or operating systems. Provide technical leadership to other software developers. Specify, design and implement modest changes to existing software architecture to meet changing needs. Successful candidates will: - Be passionate about writing excellent, well tested and beautiful code. - Design, write, test, and deliver new features. - Enjoy testing and automation to ensure a rock-solid system. Our Ideal candidate: - Proficient in Typescript / Python / HTML / JavaScript and CSS. - Familiar with AWS services (e.g.: Lambda service, Step Functions, DynamoDB, AWS Session manager, CloudWatch, etc.). - A good understanding of single-page web app design. - Ability to work independently and across teams to guide other engineers through technical operations. - Good technical writing and communication skills. - Linux systems administration knowledge including a good understanding of containers. - A good understanding of operating large-scale distributed systems. - Slack skills and being comfortable coordinating with others online. - Very strong analytical skills to identify problem root causes. - An interest in functional programming styles. - BSc minimum in Computer Science, or equivalent. - 4+ years of work experience as a software engineer.