Principal Software Engineer

WRK digital; Leeds; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

WRK digital is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead technical strategy across client engagements, shaping architecture and engineering decisions that stand the test of time.

You will mentor engineers, drive DevOps practices, and collaborate with senior stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes while maintaining a people-first culture.

This role suits someone with consulting experience who wants to scale engineering capabilities across multiple programmes.

Qualifications

• Experience leading technical teams in a consultancy environment.
• Strong mentoring and coaching capabilities for engineers.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive engineering standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across multiple client engagements.
• Lead technical strategy and shape enduring architecture decisions.
• Mentor, coach, and develop engineers across the organisation.
• Drive best practices, quality, and continuous improvement in delivery.
• Collaborate with senior client stakeholders to translate business goals into technical solutions.

Skills

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Stakeholder influence

Architectural direction

Tools

Terraform

Git

Databases

Job description

We're working with a rapidly growing technology consultancy that's proving you don't have to sacrifice culture for scale. While the business continues to expand and win major client programmes, it has retained the collaborative, customer-first mindset that made it successful in the first place.

They're now looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help lead the next stage of growth. This role is ideally suited to someone who has already built a successful career within consulting, has seen what great looks like across multiple organisations, and is passionate about sharing that experience with others.

You'll be the kind of person who's been there, done it, learned the lessons, and now wants to help shape engineering teams, influence technical strategy, and raise the bar across the business. You'll bring credibility, pragmatism, and leadership, while helping to develop the next generation of engineers and consultants.

The Opportunity

As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll provide technical leadership across multiple client engagements, helping organisations tackle complex challenges and deliver meaningful outcomes through technology.

You'll be trusted to:

• Lead technical strategy across programmes and delivery teams
• Shape architecture and engineering decisions that stand the test of time
• Mentor, coach, and develop engineers across the organisation
• Drive engineering best practice, quality, and continuous improvement
• Work closely with senior client stakeholders, translating business objectives into technical solutions
• Champion modern engineering and DevOps principles
• Support teams through the full software development lifecycle, from discovery to delivery and beyond
• Share knowledge, challenge thinking, and help build a world-class engineering culture

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience working within a technology consultancy environment

Commercial experience with:

• Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or equivalent)
• Supporting and evolving live products
• Source control using Git
• Relational and/or NoSQL databases

Demonstrable experience of:

• Technical leadership across teams or programmes
• Mentoring, coaching, and developing engineers
• Influencing senior stakeholders and decision-makers
• Driving architectural direction and engineering standards
• Building high-performing teams and engineering cultures
• Balancing short-term delivery with long-term technical strategy

What's In It For You?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a consultancy that is growing at pace, investing heavily in its people, and building a reputation for delivering exceptional outcomes without losing sight of what matters most—its people, clients, and culture.

If you're an experienced consultancy engineer who wants to influence at scale, develop others, and help shape the next chapter of a genuinely people-focused consultancy, we'd love to hear from you.