Principal Engineer -Database Platform

PURVIEW; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Principal Engineer. This senior leadership position involves driving technical strategy and architectural decisions across database platforms. Candidates should have a strong background in database technologies and a proven record in mentoring engineering teams. The role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams to design and scale robust database solutions aligned with business needs, along with knowledge of SRE and DevOps practices. Competitive compensation and a dynamic work environment are offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of engineering experience, with at least 5 years in senior roles.
• Strong expertise in database technologies like relational, NoSQL, and distributed SQL.
• Hands-on experience with microservices and infrastructure automation.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain long-term strategy for database infrastructure.
• Collaborate with product owners and stakeholders to define technical requirements.
• Act as a subject matter expert on database technologies.

Skills

Database technologies expertise

Engineering leadership

Microservices experience

Site Reliability Engineering knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline

Tools

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Job description

Location: Sheffield, UK (3 Days from office)

Job Type: Contract - Inside IR35

Note: No Sponsorship

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Principal Engineer with strong expertise in database technologies, complemented by solid engineering capabilities. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving technical strategy, architectural decisions, and engineering excellence across database platforms.

The role involves working closely with cross-functional teams to design, build, and scale robust, secure, and highly available database solutions aligned with business and technology objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and maintain long-term strategy for database infrastructure aligned with overall IT and business goals
• Act as a subject matter expert on database technologies, advising senior stakeholders and engineering teams
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and stakeholders to define technical requirements and specifications
• Co‑lead the design, architecture, and implementation of shared database solutions (DBaaS / PaaS)
• Evaluate industry trends, emerging technologies, and engineering practices to recommend improvements
• Support platform leadership in identifying and addressing engineering gaps and challenges
• Drive development of cross‑functional capabilities to solve common engineering problems
• Serve as a key decision‑maker for technical and risk‑related engineering matters
• Improve engineering processes by reducing handoffs and increasing automation

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline
• 10+ years of engineering experience, including at least 5 years in senior or principal roles
• Strong expertise in database technologies (relational, NoSQL, distributed SQL), deployed on IaaS or as part of DBaaS
• Deep understanding of database infrastructure capabilities and consumer use cases
• Experience with infrastructure components, performance tuning, and capacity planning
• Hands‑on experience with microservices, software development, infrastructure automation, API development, and basic system design
• Strong knowledge of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and DevOps practices (CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, code scanning)
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Solid understanding of testing practices and associated tools
• Proven track record of delivering large‑scale enterprise projects

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Strong technical leadership with the ability to mentor and influence engineering teams
• Experience working in global, matrixed environments
• Ability to collaborate with engineers, architects, and business stakeholders to shape platform direction
• Comfortable interacting with senior stakeholders and providing technical guidance
• Strong communication skills to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
• Experience evaluating multiple technology options to determine best‑fit solutions

Additional Expectations

• Deep understanding of engineering principles and architecture
• Ability to lead complex initiatives and drive alignment across teams
• Strong collaboration with stakeholders to align technical decisions with organizational goals
• Ability to clearly communicate technical strategy to both technical and non‑technical audiences