Principal Software Engineer, Fullstack/Backend Technologies (UK Remote)

Turnitinllc; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first culture

Health care coverage

Education reimbursement

Competitive PTO

Job summary

Turnitin, LLC is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join the Shared Services team. You will lead the development of core backend services, drive architectural strategy, and build scalable cloud-native solutions using Java and AWS.

You will mentor engineers and influence technical direction across multiple teams. As a senior contributor, you will collaborate with product and architecture groups to tackle distributed systems challenges, ensuring reliability, performance, and security across

Qualifications

• Significant experience building and operating large-scale backend systems.
• Strong expertise in Java and modern cloud technologies.
• Experience with AWS serverless services (Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, SNS, SQS, EventBridge) and Kubernetes.
• Experience with CI/CD tools and test automation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of shared backend services and platform capabilities.
• Drive architectural decisions and technical strategy across multiple teams.
• Build scalable, highly available cloud-native solutions using Java and AWS technologies.
• Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence throughout the organization.
• Collaborate with product, architecture, and engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges.
• Champion best practices in software quality, performance, reliability, and security.

Skills

Java backend

Cloud-native

Distributed systems

Leadership

Mentoring

CI/CD

APIs

Communication

Tools

AWS Lambda

DynamoDB

API Gateway

SQS

SNS

EventBridge

Kubernetes

Job description

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join our Shared Services team and help shape the technical direction of core platform capabilities used across Turnitin products.This is a highly influential individual contributor role for an experienced engineer with deep expertise in backend development, cloud-native architectures, and large-scale distributed systems. You will partner with engineering leaders, architects, and product teams to deliver scalable, reliable, and secure solutions that support millions of users worldwide.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the design and development of shared backend services and platform capabilities.
• Drive architectural decisions and technical strategy across multiple teams.
• Build scalable, highly available cloud-native solutions using Java and AWS technologies.
• Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence throughout the organization.
• Collaborate with product, architecture, and engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges.
• Champion best practices in software quality, performance, reliability, and security.

What We’re Looking For

• Significant experience building and operating large-scale backend systems.
• Strong expertise in Java and modern cloud technologies.
• Experience with AWS serverless services such as Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, SNS, SQS, and EventBridge, as well as Kubernetes (K8s) and related cloud-native technologies.
• Experience with CI/CD tools, including build, deployment, and test automation.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, APIs, scalability, and software architecture.
• Experience influencing technical direction and leading complex engineering initiatives.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills within distributed teams.
• Passion for mentoring and supporting the growth of other engineers.

Nice to Have

• Experience with AI/ML technologies.
• Experience in SaaS or EdTech environments.
• Familiarity with modern frontend technologies such as React.

Total Rewards @ Turnitin

At Turnitin, we believe Total Rewards go far beyond pay. While salary, bonus, or commission are important, they’re only part of the value you receive in exchange for your work.

Beyond compensation, you’ll experience the intrinsic rewards of unleashing your potential and making a positive impact on global education. You’ll also thrive in a culture free of politics, surrounded by humble, inclusive, and collaborative teammates.

In addition, our extrinsic rewards include generous time off and health and wellness programs that provide choice, flexibility, and a safety net for life’s challenges. You’ll also enjoy a remote-first culture that empowers you to work with purpose and accountability in the way that suits you best, all supported by a comprehensive package that prioritizes your overall well-being.

Our Mission is to ensure the integrity of global education and meaningfully improve learning outcomes.

Our Values underpin everything we do.

• Customer Centric: Our mission is focused on improving learning outcomes; we do this by putting educators and learners at the center of everything we do.
• Passion for Learning: We are committed to our own learning and growth internally. And we support education and learning around the globe.
• Integrity: Integrity is the heartbeat of Turnitin-it is the core of our products, the way we treat each other, and how we work with our customers and vendors.
• Action & Ownership: We have a bias for action. We act like owners. We are willing to change even when it’s hard.
• One Team: We strive to break down silos, collaborate effectively, and celebrate each others’ successes.
• Global Mindset: We consider different perspectives and celebrate diversity. We are one team. The work we do has an impact on the world.

Global Benefits

• Remote First Culture
• Health Care Coverage
• Education Reimbursement*Competitive Paid Time Off
• Self-Care Days
• National Holidays
• 2 Founder Days + Juneteenth Observed
• Paid Volunteer Time Off
• Charitable Contribution Match
• Monthly Wellness or Home Office Reimbursement
• Access to Employee Assistance Program (mental health platform)
• Parental Leave
• Retirement Plan with match/contribution

Seeing Beyond the Job Ad

At Turnitin, we recognize it’s unrealistic for candidates to fulfill 100% of the criteria in a job ad. We encourage you to apply if you meet the majority of the requirements because we know that skills evolve over time. If you’re willing to learn and unleash your potential alongside us, join our team!

Turnitin, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer- vets/disabled.