Principal Software Engineer (Java/Scala/.Net)

96 Morgan Stanley UK Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Stanley in London seeks a Principal Software Engineer to own design, development and deployment of critical credit derivatives solutions. You will partner with trading, strats and COO teams to translate business needs into robust technical projects and to deliver features that raise trader efficiency and platform reliability.

You will lead by example, mentor developers and contractors, drive engineering best practices, and explore Frontier AI tools to accelerate delivery.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant experience in software engineering
• Proficient in Java/.Net with OO design principles
• Experience with AI in development, design, and tooling
• Ability to lead and influence across a globally distributed team
• Experience with Scala and Python is preferred
• Familiarity with agentic/ frontier tooling (e.g., Claude Code, Copilot, Sourcegraph AMP)
• Strong data structures, design patterns and multi-threaded programming skills
• Proven track record of delivering software projects and leading teams

Responsibilities

• Own capabilities from requirements gathering to implementation, deployment and support
• Collaborate with trading, strats and COO teams to translate business needs into technical projects
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to developers and contractors as opportunities arise

Skills

Java/.NET

AI for development

Object-oriented programming

Distributed teams

AI agents

Data structures

Multi-threaded programming

Technical leadership

Scala

Python

Agentic/ Frontier tools

Tools

Claude Code

Copilot

Sourcegraph AMP

Job description

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join our Corporate Credit Derivative technology team based in London. The successful candidate will own the design, development, and deployment of solutions. This requires working closely with the business, including trading, strats and coo as well as other important stake holders across the many business and technology areas. The tools the team deliver cover pricing, risk, price distribution as well as many other critical trading capabilities. Understanding the why as well as the what, you will work to deliver functionality that helps to increase trader efficiency, improve the platform performance and stability, and reduce time to market for change. Engineering best practices are at the core of everything we do and bringing thought leadership together with a collaborative approach to design and delivery will be a recipe for success. The Fixed Income Division (FID) Credit team is focused on delivering the technology that allows Morgan Stanley to continue to grow its highly successful corporate credit trading business – a key growth area for the Firm. Latest initiatives in this space include continued electronification and automation of the flow businesses, as well as enhancing and renovating our suite of internally built trading systems. This will allow the firm to take advantage of market opportunities and drive revenue. We adopt the latest in Frontier AI tools to help ensure that we build systems in the most efficient way possible. Understanding how to leverage the latest in Frontier models and Agentic tooling, the successful candidate will not only use that knowledge to deliver capabilities efficiently but will also be a thought leader as the ecosystem evolves and the technology becomes further integrated into the systems themselves. In the Technology division, we leverage innovation to build the connections and capabilities that power our Firm, enabling our clients and colleagues to redefine markets and shape the future of our communities. This is a Software Engineer position at Vice President level, which is part of the job family responsible for developing and maintaining software solutions that support business needs. Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.

What you'll do in the role:

You will own capabilities from initial requirements gathering, to implementation, deployment and subsequent support. You should be a practical technologist, who can show excellent problem-solving skills and enjoys all aspects of software development. You will work closely with several global teams within the technology department as well as interacting directly with the Corporate Credit business unit to translate business needs into technical projects. You will be expected to take on management responsibility for developers and contractors as opportunities arise.

What you'll bring to the role:

• At least 8+ years' relevant experience would generally be expected to find the skills required for this role’, working with Java/.Net working experience in the industry.
• Experience with using AI for support, development, and design.
• Development experience in object-oriented programming and working with mixture of new and legacy systems.
• Ability to work in a globally distributed team effectively.
• Demonstrate some ability to work with latest AI agents.
• Data structures, design patterns and collections
• Multi-threaded programming
• Proven track record of delivery, technical leadership and software project management
• Self-driven problem solver with good attention to detail.
• Preferred Scala and Python knowledge.
• Preferred hands on experience with Agentic/ Frontier tools for software development (e.g. Claude Code, Co Pilot and/or Sourcegrapgh AMP)
• #LI-Hybrid

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our employees – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work. To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.

Certified Persons Regulatory Requirements:

If this role is deemed a Certified role and may require the role holder to hold mandatory regulatory qualifications or the minimum qualifications to meet internal company benchmarks.

Flexible work statement

Interested in flexible working opportunities? Morgan Stanley empowers employees to have greater freedom of choice through flexible working arrangements.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background.

Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents. Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences. For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo. At Morgan Stanley, we advise, originate, trade, manage and distribute capital for people, governments and institutions, always with a standard of excellence and guided by our core values. Morgan Stanley is dedicated to providing first-class service to our clients, in a way that reflects our commitment to creating a more sustainable future and fostering stronger communities around the world. In each line of business, we strive to demonstrate our belief in the power of transformative thinking, innovative strategies and leading-edge solutions—and in the ability of capital to work for the benefit of all society.