Principle Engineer

Royal London; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mutual life and pensions company in Edinburgh is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead engineering teams and drive technology initiatives. This role offers a hybrid working style, focusing on leadership, project management, and strategic development in a dynamic environment. Ideal candidates will have proven expertise in engineering practices and a strong background in stakeholder management, along with excellent leadership skills. Competitive benefits include generous leave, pension matching, and private medical insurance.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Up to 14% employer matching pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Proven track record in engineering practices and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Expert in engineering process management and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering projects ensuring adherence to time and budget.
• Develop and implement engineering strategies to enhance performance.
• Manage and mentor engineering teams, ensuring team potential is maximized.

Skills

Cloud-based platforms (e.g., Azure)

Software development and testing tools (e.g., Gherkin)

CI/CD Tools (e.g., GitHub)

FinOps

UI/UX Concepts

Change methods (e.g., agile, iterative, waterfall)

Education

Proven leadership and team-building skills

High-level influencing skills

Job description

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Principle Engineer

Date: 1 Aug 2025

Location: Edinburgh, GB

Company: Royal London Group

Job Title: Principal Engineer

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Edinburgh

Working style: Hybrid 50% home/office based

Closing date: 15th August 2025

We have a unique opportunity for an experienced Principal Engineer to lead and guide a group of software and quality engineers and lead complex, large-scale technology initiatives. The role is fundamentally a leadership position, focused on planning, executing, and guiding activities that align with both the product vision and organizational goals while adhering to budget constraints.

Within this position, you will oversee delivery activity and guide staff to ensure the engineering teams execute engineering activities on time and within budget whilst adhering to agreed engineering standards and principles. You will also have accountability for the engineering resources assigned to your team and will work closely with the Head of Engineering to ensure the appropriate capabilities are in place to support your area of responsibility. Additionally, you will be responsible for governance and stakeholder management to support successful delivery outcomes.

Collaborating across relevant teams with a growing scope of ownership, the Principal Engineer will drive successful technology delivery within their domain. They will act as an escalation point for complex issues, maintaining a focus on resolving delivery challenges and ensuring technology success within their value stream or platform.

Within this position, you will ensure that all costs associated with the Technology and Change teams are transparent and managed effectively (including cloud FinOps) and that all software assets are managed efficiently to maximize cost-effectiveness.

About the role

• Lead engineering projects and teams within value streams and shared platforms, executing multiple projects within budget and time constraints.
• Coordinate day-to-day delivery to ensure effective service execution through robust validation plans and process improvements.
• Develop and implement engineering strategies to enhance company performance, drive innovation, and establish best practices. Work with the Engineering Enablement team to industrialize and roll out new practices/frameworks.
• Oversee the creation of team goals, implementation plans, and research and design tasks.
• Possess a blend of engineering expertise and leadership skills. Focus on maximizing team potential through coaching, mentoring, and creating a supportive work environment. Advocate for team needs, provide resources, and ensure a positive work culture.
• Manage performance evaluations, pay increases, and bonuses. Assess individual and team performance, align rewards with contributions, and ensure equitable compensation practices.
• Partner with stakeholders to manage and adjust resources, handling personnel movement internally and externally to optimize delivery outcomes.
• Own specific application lifecycles, overseeing their health and performance. Implement and maintain Business As Usual (BAU) practices, ensuring operational issues are resolved promptly and changes are managed efficiently.
• Negotiate contracts with vendors, manage engineering budgets, and oversee financial targets in collaboration with the procurement team.
• Liaise with key stakeholders across the RL Group, providing expert advice and support. Stay updated on technical standards and legislation, demonstrating leadership and problem-solving skills.
• Manage role-specific risks, oversee the control framework, and integrate elements of the Risk Management System (RMS) as needed.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to engineers and technicians, offering guidance and training to enhance their capabilities.

About you

A highly skilled practitioner with expert knowledge of engineering practices and processes who can work with and influence senior stakeholders across the RL Group effectively.

Proven technical skills across the following areas:

• Cloud-based platforms (e.g., Azure)
• Software development and testing tools (e.g., Gherkin)
• CI/CD Tools (e.g., GitHub)
• Product / Platform operating model
• FinOps
• Software Delivery Lifecycle
• UI/UX Concepts
• Change methods (e.g., agile, iterative, waterfall)

Qualifications/Knowledge

• Proven leadership and team-building skills
• High-level influencing skills

About Royal London

We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings, and asset management products and services.

Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable, and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values: Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.

We’ve always been proud to reward employees with great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, up to 14% employer matching pension scheme, and private medical insurance. See all our benefits here - Our Benefits.

Inclusion, diversity, and belonging

We’re an inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognized and respected—whatever their background.