Principal Consultant - Cloud & Engineering

Zühlke Engineering AG; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit share

Flexible working hours

Work from home

Job summary

Zühlke Engineering AG in London is seeking a Principal Consultant for Cloud & Engineering to provide senior technical leadership across complex client engagements, shaping cloud adoption, optimisation and migration strategies. You will combine cloud architecture with consulting, delivery and engineering leadership, working directly with client stakeholders to solve problems and validate ideas.

The role is client-facing, delivery-oriented, and requires mentoring and practical contributions

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor, helping clients understand and address complex cloud, technology and engineering challenges.
• Lead discovery and design sessions, technical workshops, architecture reviews, proof-of-concept projects, and evaluations of new technologies and vendors.
• Contribute to early engagements by creating a compelling vision for technology transformation and cloud migration journeys.
• Guide and de-risk programmes and projects, promoting iterative delivery and incremental value.
• Provide technical leadership to cross-functional teams delivering platforms, services and products across diverse technology environments.
• Help stakeholders define functional and non-functional requirements addressing performance, scalability, security and operational needs.
• Make pragmatic technology decisions and explain trade-offs to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support teams in improving engineering practices, automation, DevSecOps and IaC.

Job description

The Role

As a Principal Consultant for Cloud & Engineering, you will provide senior technical and engineering leadership across complex client engagements, helping clients shape and deliver practical strategies for cloud adoption, optimisation and migration that support their wider business goals.

You will combine cloud architecture expertise with consulting, delivery and engineering leadership, working directly with client stakeholders and delivery teams to solve complex problems, challenge conventional thinking and transform strategic intent into high-quality outcomes. This is a client‑facing, delivery‑oriented role that requires engagement with teams, contribution to technical delivery, prototyping and validation of ideas, and creation of conditions for successful engineering outcomes.

How you’ll make an impact

• Act as a trusted advisor, helping clients understand and address complex cloud, technology and engineering challenges.
• Help clients understand how cloud, data and AI capabilities can support business strategy and improve products, services and operations.
• Lead discovery and design sessions, technical workshops, architecture reviews, proof‑of‑concept projects, and evaluations of new technologies and vendors.
• Contribute to early engagements by creating a compelling vision for clients’ technology transformation, cloud optimisation and migration journeys.
• Guide and de‑risk programmes and projects, promoting iterative delivery and incremental value.
• Provide technical leadership to cross‑functional teams delivering and prototyping platforms, services and products across diverse technology environments.
• Help stakeholders define functional and non‑functional requirements, ensuring solutions address performance, capacity, scalability, availability, security, manageability, sustainability and operational needs.
• Make pragmatic technology decisions and explain their trade‑offs and value to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Support teams in improving engineering effectiveness, delivery practices, automation, DevSecOps and Infrastructure as Code.
• Work collaboratively with software engineering, platform engineering, data, AI, security, operations, product, delivery and finance teams.
• Provide guidance on privacy, information security, resilience, responsible AI and regulatory considerations.
• Apply your expertise across technology domains including applications, platforms, infrastructure, data, integration, identity and observability.
• Keep current with developments in cloud, data engineering, analytics, Generative AI, foundation models and responsible AI practices.
• Manage and mentor colleagues, helping them develop their technical, consulting and leadership capabilities through coaching, feedback and career support.

What’s important to us

• A clear understanding of the business value of your work and a focus on delivering that value transparently.
• Confident decision‑making and the ability to explain technical choices, trade‑offs and implications.
• The ability to articulate complex technical solutions and their value to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Experience working as a Principal or Lead Cloud Architect, Technical Architect or Engineering Leader across multiple programmes and projects.
• Strong experience designing and delivering solutions using modern cloud technologies and engineering practices.
• Experience working across complex, distributed or changing technology environments.
• Experience across cloud and modern technology environments, with an understanding of how software, platforms, data and AI capabilities work together to deliver business value.
• Strong software and engineering judgement, with the ability to work effectively across applications, platforms, infrastructure, data and cloud services.
• Experience working directly with delivery teams and contributing practically through prototyping, technical problem‑solving or hands‑on guidance.
• Experience working in fast‑paced, Agile, delivery‑oriented environments, with an emphasis on quality and a “show by doing” approach.
• Experience guiding, mentoring and developing colleagues through feedback, coaching and career support.
• An open, proactive and adaptable approach, responding constructively to change and learning through experience.
• Experience in consulting, presales activities, proposals or bid management would be a differentiator.

What we offer

• Work life blend: we offer a safe & healthy workplace, with flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home.
• Profit share scheme: In addition to your annual salary, you may receive a profit share defined by the company’s success in the previous year.
• Global and diverse Zühlke community: witness how colleagues from all our 16 offices across the globe come together to create a unique, positive and inclusive work culture.
• Committed to development: we are committed to the growth of our people and are investing in your development, empowering you to build the skills you need to make a positive impact, both personally and for our clients.

We welcome people from all backgrounds, regardless of their gender, personality, national origin, race, religion, colour, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, disability or veteran status.