Principal Engineer

ClearSky; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

34 days holiday

Birthday off

Health and Security - private dental &

Private medical insurance

Family First

Growth Path

Culture Matters

Job summary

ClearSky is seeking a Principal Engineer (Senior .NET-focused) in Edinburgh to lead architectural work across the Hub. This hands-on role focuses on advanced software craft, Azure architecture, and responsible AI usage, without people management duties.

You’ll work hybrid from Edinburgh (3 days on site) with a strong emphasis on technical excellence, cross-squad collaboration, and setting engineering standards for scalable digital products.

Qualifications

• Deep mastery of C# and .NET, SQL design, and solution architecture.
• Cloud infrastructure experience, ideally Azure.
• Experience using AI coding tools.

Responsibilities

• Define technical strategy and high-level design across Hub squads.
• Lead and mentor engineers, align with Tech Leads.
• Drive AI engineering adoption across Hub.
• Document standards and lead technical discussions within the senior team.
• Tackle complex technical challenges across multiple squads and mitigate risk.

Skills

C# & .NET

SQL database design

Solution Architecture

Azure Cloud

AI coding tools

Job description

A Note on the Job Title: While advertised as a Senior .NET Developer to match standard job board searches, internally this is a Principal-level Individual Contributor role. It offers an ideal step-up for an ambitious Senior Engineer ready to take on architectural leadership across Hub, or a current Tech Lead looking to shed people management and focus purely on hands-on software craft, modern Azure architecture, and AI-native engineering.

About us

At ClearSky, we unlock exponential business growth by taking complex technical challenges and turning them into simple, high-performance digital solutions. Our engineering teams do incredible work in bespoke software and AI. We believe in building solid software. We are looking for a talented Principal Engineer to champion engineering excellence.

• Location: Edinburgh - 4 Queen Street - Hybrid (3 days on site):
• Salary: Up 75K plus to 10% company bonus
• Please note: We are unable to offer sponsorship.

How We Support Our Team

• 34 days holiday - because work-life balance matters.
• Birthday off - no one should work on their special day.
• Health and Security - Sick pay, private dental & medical insurance - we've got your health covered.
• Family First - Enhanced family-friendly policies.
• Growth Path - Tailored professional development - we support your growth so you can become the expert you're meant to be.
• Culture Matters - Office perks & team celebrations.

Your Mission

As a Principal Engineer, you won't just write exceptional code; you'll be a deep technical expert across our Hub, working alongside our other senior engineers to push what's technically possible. You're the same level as our Tech Leads, but your focus is purely technical craft rather than people management. You'll have a home squad, but your impact won't stop there - expect to bring your expertise to other squads as the Hub needs it, raising the bar on how we design and build software. Your mission is to empower our engineering squads to build brilliant, scalable digital products.

What You'll Be Doing

• Technical Strategy & Architecture: Demonstrate mastery of core technologies and oversee high-level design challenges across squads in the Hub, ensuring alignment with client needs. You'll have a home squad, with focused time spent supporting others as technical needs arise.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Guide developers across the Hub, and collaborate with Tech Leads to support professional growth and foster a collaborative culture.
• AI Advancement: Lead the adoption of AI engineering practices across the Hub
• Knowledge Sharing: Drive appropriate documentation standards and lead technical discussions, guilds, and forums with the rest of the senior engineering team.
• Risk Management: Tackle complex technical challenges across multiple squads, breaking them into actionable steps while mitigating risk at the Hub level.

Technical Requirements

• Must-Haves: Deep mastery of C# & .Net , SQL database design, Solution Architecture experience, Cloud infrastructure (ideally Azure) , and experience using AI coding tools.
• Nice-to-Haves: Deployment pipelines, identity management, front-end or mobile experience, and AI integration design.

Leadership & Approach

• Proven Track Record: Experience leading complex technical initiatives, setting engineering standards, and proactively managing risks.
• Collaborative Mindset: A self-starter who values sharing knowledge to help engineers "level up" , incorporates feedback into strategies, and balances advanced initiatives with pragmatic client needs.
• Mature AI Understanding: You know when and how to apply AI safely, how to manage its associated risks, and when it is not the right tool for the job.

Why You'll Love It Here

You'll join a team that values quality, creativity, and autonomy. We're building a place where we can all thrive and become the best at what we do.