Principal Software Engineer - Squad Lead Engineer

Elsevier; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Elsevier in the United Kingdom is seeking a Technical Lead to balance hands-on software development with engineering leadership for a cross‑functional squad. You will shape technical direction, guide delivery planning, and ensure secure, reliable, and observable systems while collaborating with Product, Architecture, QE, and SRE teams.

In this role you will drive quality strategy, establish CI/CD pipelines, manage release readiness, and translate product objectives into practical designs.

Qualifications

• Must have experience leading across design, delivery and operations.
• Proven track record in distributed services, data platforms, or high-throughput apps.
• Strong knowledge of Agile/Lean with backlog refinement and planning.
• Experience with test strategy, automation, and CI/CD quality gates.
• Proficiency in Java/JVM, JavaScript/TypeScript, .NET/C#, Python, C/C++, SQL, Linux or Windows.
• Experience with relational and non-relational data stores and data modelling.
• Knowledge of CI/CD platforms, containers, cloud technologies, observability.
• Understanding of secure coding, reliability engineering, and incident response.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the first line of technical escalation for squad's services/components.
• Facilitate ceremonies and ensure flow and outcomes.
• Translate product objectives into sound technical designs and stories.
• Design and implement complex features; complete complex bug fixes and performance improvements.
• Define and uphold Definition of Ready/Done including code quality, automated test coverage, security checks, and observability.
• Establish/maintain CI/CD pipelines, quality gates, and sensible branching/release strategies.
• Drive a pragmatic quality strategy: test pyramid balance, contract tests, data management, environments, and non-functional testing.
• Partner with SRE on SLOs, alerting, runbooks, incident response, and post-incident learning.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile/Lean

Test automation

CI/CD

Security best practices

Observability

Cloud technologies

Containers

Data modelling

Job description

Are you passionate about leading technical excellence while remaining hands‑on in building high-quality software? Do you enjoy influencing teams, shaping engineering practices, and delivering reliable, secure, and observable solutions in a collaborative environment?

About our Team

Our global team support products education electronic health records that introduce students to digital charting and prepare them to document care in today’s modern clinical environment. We have a very stable product that we’ve worked to get to and strive to maintain. Our team values trust, respect, collaboration, agility, and quality.

About the Role

As a Technical Lead, you will act as the technical facilitator and engineering leader for a cross‑functional squad, balancing hands‑on software development with leadership through influence. You will help shape technical direction, guide delivery planning, drive quality strategy, and collaborate closely with Product, Architecture, QE, SRE/Platform teams, and partner squads to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable software solutions.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the first line of technical escalation for the squad's services/components
• Facilitate team ceremonies (refinement, technical grooming, sprint planning, design reviews) with a focus on flow and outcomes
• Translate product objectives into sound technical designs and testable acceptance criteria; decompose epics into implementable stories
• Design and implement complex features; complete complex bug fixes and performance improvements
• Define and uphold Definition of Ready/Done including code quality, automated test coverage, security checks, and observability
• Establish/maintain CI/CD pipelines, quality gates, and sensible branching/release strategies
• Drive a pragmatic quality strategy: test pyramid balance, contract tests, data management, environments, and non-functional testing
• Partner with TIO on SLOs, alerting, runbooks, incident response, and post-incident learning

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience leading through influence (tech lead, feature lead, guild lead, or similar) across design, delivery, and operations
• Strong track record in at least one domain: distributed services, data platforms, or high-throughput web/mobile applications
• Advanced knowledge of Agile/Lean practices including backlog refinement, technical grooming, and risk‑based planning
• Experience with test strategy, test automation, CI/CD quality gates, and release readiness
• Proficiency in one or more of the following: Java/JVM, JavaScript/TypeScript, .NET/C#, Python, C/C++, SQL, Linux, or Windows
• Experience with relational and non‑relational data stores, performance tuning, and data modelling
• Knowledge of CI/CD platforms, containers, cloud technologies, observability, and monitoring practices
• Understanding of secure coding, performance optimisation, reliability engineering, and incident response

Work in a Way That Works for You

We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organisation. We offer an appealing working prospect for our people. With numerous wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance, and sabbaticals, we will help you meet your immediate responsibilities and your long‑term goals.

Working Pattern

Working flexible hours - flexing the times when you work in the day to help you fit everything in and work when you are the most productive.

About the Business

A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world's grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world. We know your wellbeing and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits. Click here to access benefits specific to your location. We are committed to providing a fair and accessible hiring process. If you have a disability or other need that requires accommodation or adjustment, please let us know by completing our Applicant Request Support Form or please contact 1-855-833-5120.

We are an equal opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. USA Job Seekers: EEO Know Your Rights.

Elsevier is a global leader in advanced information and decision support for science and healthcare. We believe that by working together with the communities we serve, we can shape human progress to go further, happen faster, and benefit all. We support continuous discovery and uphold the highest standards of content integrity, reliability, and reproducibility so the communities we serve can advance their field of science, healthcare or innovation with confidence. By combining high-quality content with powerful analytics, we transform complexity into clarity and deliver mission‑critical insights that help professionals make better decisions when it matters most. We deliver insights that help research institutions, governments, and funders achieve their goals. We help researchers discover and share knowledge, collaborate, and accelerate innovation. We help librarians provide verified, quality information to universities. We help innovators turn knowledge into new products. We help health professionals improve patient care and educators train the next generation of doctors and nurses. Connecting quality content and innovative technologies, we make progress go further and happen faster. And by championing inclusion and sustainability, we ensure progress benefits all. With 9,500 employees, over 2,300 technologists in 5 major tech hubs, and more than 60 locations across the globe, we are committed to supporting the scientific and healthcare communities around the world. We offer a diverse range of opportunities across technology, commercial, business, and early career jobs. If you are looking for a career that inspires progress in science, innovation and health, and allows you to grow every day, find your team at Elsevier. Elsevier is part of RELX Group. Lets shape progress together. Join us. elsevier.com/about/careers