Principal Software Engineer

easyJet Airline Company PLC; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A low-cost airline in London is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead software design and technical delivery. The ideal candidate has strong software engineering expertise, experience in AWS, and the ability to mentor junior engineers. This role involves hands-on development and architectural guidance to enhance operational efficiency and innovation.

Qualifications

• Hands-on software-engineering experience at senior or technical-lead level.
• Ability to write, review, and optimize production-grade code.
• Experienced in CI/CD pipelines and test-automation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and architecture of high-quality software systems.
• Collaborate with product managers and teams to guide technical direction.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers.

Skills

Software engineering experience

Proficiency in Python, Java, C#, or Scala

Experience in API design and integration

AWS Cloud engineering experience

Knowledge of databases and performance optimization

Mentoring engineers

Agile/SAFe and DevSecOps practices

Tools

GitHub

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Overview

Principal Software Engineer (16342) - Luton/Hybrid

At easyJet, we are on a mission to transform our Airline Planning and Operations capability into a world-class, digitally-optimised operation through the use of new and emerging technologies. We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to act as the lead technical person within the relevant product team, setting the technical direction and guiding engineering practices while remaining hands-on with developing code where needed.

Opportunities for innovation and value have already been identified across End-to-End Crew Planning, Operational Planning, Disruption Recovery, Optimisation and Automation & Efficiency — all of which are critical to improving operational resilience and crew experience. Product-led delivery is still relatively new to easyJet, and we’re seeking talented engineers who will help us build and mature our in-house software-engineering capability as we continue this journey together.

Job Purpose

Lead the in-house design, hands-on development, and technical delivery of high-quality, scalable and secure software solutions by writing and reviewing code, setting engineering standards and guiding architecture in order to enable easyJet to operate efficiently and innovate at pace. This role combines deep technical expertise with practical leadership, ensuring that modern engineering practices, cloud-native technologies and automation are consistently applied to deliver real value for customers and the business.

As the lead technical person within the product team, you will shape the technical direction, provide architectural guidance and remain actively involved in coding key components.

You will also mentor other engineers, drive continuous improvement and foster close collaboration across Product, Data, UX and Quality-Engineering colleagues. By focusing on in-house software-engineering excellence this role helps easyJet build the technical capabilities needed to deliver critical operational solutions faster, more securely and at lower cost

Job Accountabilities

• Lead and drive the design, architecture, and development of high-quality software systems for airline-operations products.
• Collaborate with relevant product managers, QE leads and teams to understand technical direction, project scope, and roadmaps for relevant mission.
• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks and tools to ensure high-quality software releases and streamline the development process.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Own the technical delivery of key product features, ensuring they meet performance, security, and scalability requirements.
• Champion modern engineering practices (CI/CD, cloud-native, API-first, test automation) across the Airline Operations domain.
• Define and uphold coding standards and support the team’s CI/CD pipeline to improve quality, speed and maintainability.
• Collaborate with enterprise architects and technology governance forums to ensure compliance with easyJet’s wider IT strategy, security standards, and cost controls.
• Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to improve code quality across the team.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends, technologies, and methodologies, applying that knowledge to improve our software development processes.

Competencies

• Innovation & Change – Identifies opportunities within own area for continuously improving the way things are done, seeking to improve efficiency in everything that they do / Able to influence others to support the change by identifying the key stakeholders, explaining the rationale and the benefits of the change
• Business Performance – Understands the commercial reality of easyJet in terms of high volume, low cost and low margin / Keeps up to date with industry trends and considers this information for their own area / Takes into account short term cost management and longer-term return on investment when making decisions / Support people within their area to take into account smart cost management / Understands the long term strategy of easyJet
• Ownership & Delivery – Provides a high level of motivation and support to team to ensure that they consistently deliver in line with expectations.
• Building Relationships – Communicates effectively with others within own area, proactively sharing information with those who need to know / Establishes trust quickly by listening to others and working effectively with others within their function

Requirements of the Role

KEY SKILLS REQUIRED

• Proven hands-on software-engineering experience at senior or technical-lead level, delivering and supporting large-scale, mission-critical systems.
• Proficiency in one or more modern programming languages (Python, Java, C# or Scala) with the ability to write, review and optimise production-grade code.
• Strong experience in API design and integration (REST, GraphQL, Kafka/event-driven architectures).
• Significant AWS Cloud engineering experience (including containerisation, serverless and automation/optimisation products such as Gurobi or CPLEX).
• In-depth knowledge of databases, data-modelling and performance optimisation.
• Practical experience defining coding standards, CI/CD pipelines and test-automation in Agile product-team environments.
• Solid understanding of Agile/SAFe and DevSecOps practices and experience working in cross-functional product teams.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and raise technical capability within a team.
• Passion for innovation, technology and delivering high-impact software solutions.
• Airline or transport-operations domain knowledge (crew, flight-planning, disruption, scheduling) desirable but not essential.
• Familiarity with common development toolsets (GitHub, Jira, Confluence) and ability to create reusable patterns/libraries for shared components

What we offer

About easyJet

At easyJet our aim is to make low-cost travel easy – connecting people to what they value using Europe’s best airline network, great value fares, and friendly service.

It takes a real team effort to carry over 90 million passengers a year across 35 countries. Whether you’re working as part of our front-line operations or in our corporate functions, you’ll find people that are positive, inclusive, ready to take on a challenge, and that have your back. We call that our ‘Orange Spirit’, and we hope you’ll share that too.

Reasonable Adjustments

At easyJet, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse customers we serve across Europe. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds. If you require specific adjustments or support during the application or recruitment process, such as extra time for assessments or accessible interview locations, please contact us at [e-mail]. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure accessibility and accommodation

Apply

Complete your application on our careers site.

We encourage individuality, empower our people to seize the initiative, and never stop learning. We see people first and foremost for their performance and potential and we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all.

Business Area

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