Principal Engineer

News UK; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media company in London is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead technical strategies for Monetisation products. This role involves steering engineers and architects, ensuring high coding standards, and mentoring team members. Candidates should have expertise in engineering best practices, a passion for clean code, and enjoy collaborating with a commercial focus. This position offers a hybrid working environment, with a minimum of three days in the office.

Benefits

Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full salary

Private medical insurance

Discounted gym memberships

Generous pension scheme

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Strong technical expertise with a focus on clean, tested code.
• Experience in leading technical discussions with diverse teams.
• Open-minded and able to balance business needs and personal values.

Responsibilities

• Lead and steer technical discussions with the team.
• Take responsibility for the technical strategy.
• Mentor peers and uphold coding standards.

Skills

Engineering best practices

Clean code

Agile methodologies

Team collaboration

Test Driven Development (TDD)

DevOps practices

Tools

AutoCAD 3D

Java

Job description

The News UK Tech team is at the core of one of the worlds leading media companies bringing together talented individuals to tackle exciting challenges and deliver innovative products at scale. Recently named Team of the Year at the UK Business Innovation Awards we are passionate and trusted experts creating industry-leading solutions through attracting and developing the best talent.

Team : The Times Monetisation team is responsible for driving additional revenue streams that power the award-winning journalism of our newsrooms and the world-class digital products we showcase them through. We hire and grow the top talent nurture a culture of collaboration and build simplified tech with key partners to achieve our strategic ambitions for customer monetisation. We are passionate principled and purposeful full-stack engineering and delivery experts working with our business partners and Product teams to co-create engaging ad experiences and exciting diversification opportunities to generate new revenue inc. Times Travel Events and E-Commerce.

Role : As a Principal Engineer you’ll get hands‑on with leading our technical strategies to drive and enhance our Monetisation products.

Day to day you will be :

• Leading and steering engineers, architects, product owners and stakeholders in technical conversations to ensure what we build is best in class and fit for purpose.
• Working with the Head of Engineering taking responsibility for the technical strategy.
• Helping hire, grow and manage the running of the team.
• Making sure to uphold coding standards and best practices day to day.
• Mentoring peers and team members as a source of technical expertise.
• Engaging with the rest of engineering and broader business in strategic conversations.
• Presenting comfortably to internal teams and attending external meet‑ups and representing engineering work at News UK.

What we are looking for in you :

• You’re a true engineer and technologist with a passion for well‑crafted, clean and tested code considering everything from architecture and security to performance.
• You enjoy working in teams with a strong commercial focus inc. the challenge of balancing an effective ad experience with an engaging audience experience.
• You have an experimental mindset and a bias for driving innovative new opportunities.
• Deep understanding of agile methodologies and enjoy collaborating with peers and stakeholders.
• You’ll have a continuous improvement mindset and be proactive in driving positive change and encouraging those around you to do the same.
• You’re a practitioner of TDD and DevOps with a love for engineering and constantly want to learn more.
• You’re open‑minded to new approaches and able to balance the needs of the business with your own ideas and values.

If you believe you have the skills and passion to succeed even if you don’t meet every requirement on the list we encourage you to apply. We value potential just as much as experience and are eager to hear from individuals who are enthusiastic about learning and growing with us.

At News UK we know the value of working together which is why we operate a hybrid working policy with a minimum of three days a week in the office. Being in the office allows us to collaborate, innovate and thrive as a team in our vibrant and dynamic workspace. Some roles may require more office‑based days depending on the nature of the position so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter to learn more about what’s required for your role.

We are News UK :

One of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio, Talk and Virgin Radio UK and we have market‑leading local radio stations across Ireland. Our world‑famous brands provide news analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel audio and video events and experiences our multiplatform brands are home to a plurality of opinion representing the diverse communities we serve. News UK is wholly owned by News Corp.

Life at News

Driven by passion guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

We represent, reflect and reach the nation telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK we take pride in our exceptional employee‑led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers and LGBTQ group, News Is Out and the Apprentice Society.

Benefits

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks
• Wide range of training available plus full LinkedIn Learning access
• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre‑existing conditions
• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly virtual yoga classes
• Bikes for Work and Electric Car scheme
• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books
• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities
• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP physio / massage and counselling
• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year

We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to perform to their best when applying for a role. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or for us to do anything differently to support you apply for any of our roles please contact us on emailprotected.

About The Candidate

Required Experience : Staff IC

About The Company

Key Skills : Design, Academics, AutoCAD 3D, Cafe, Fabrication, Java

Employment Type

Full‑Time

Experience

years

Vacancy

1