Prinicpal Software Engineer

Understanding Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Worldwide travel insurance

Modern office in Central London

Job summary

Understanding Recruitment is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead the evolution of their core Python platform. This senior role offers significant influence over both the architecture and delivery of the company's products.

Ideally, you will have a track record in evolving production systems, as well as experience in architectural decision-making. The company boasts a profitable business model, a modern office in Central London, and benefits such as worldwide travel insurance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in evolving and owning production systems.
• Experience in making architectural decisions for software systems.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the evolution of a live, business-critical Python platform.
• Design and build new systems and features from scratch.
• Make architectural decisions for backend services and cloud infrastructure.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to shape and implement solutions.
• Set technical direction and enhance engineering standards within the team.

Skills

Architectural decision making

Python programming

Stakeholder communication

Systems evolution and ownership

Job description

We're working with a profitable, engineering-led fintech that builds software used by investment firms to manage reporting, data, and client-facing outputs.

Their platform underpins core workflows for their clients - handling complex, highly tailored requirements across data processing, reporting logic, and content generation. They’re now at a key stage of growth: evolving the existing system while building out new products alongside it.

They’re looking for a Principal Engineer to take ownership of how that platform develops from here. This is a senior, hands-on position with real influence over both architecture and delivery.

You'll be:

• Leading the evolution of a live, business-critical Python platform
• Designing and building new systems and features from the ground up
• Owning architectural decisions across backend services and cloud infrastructure
• Working closely with stakeholders to shape solutions, not just implement them
• Setting technical direction and raising engineering standards within a small team

What They’re Looking For:

• Track record of owning or significantly evolving production systems
• Experience making architectural decisions and working across the full lifecycle
• Comfortable operating in a smaller, high-ownership environment
• Able to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Why It's interesting:

• Ownership of a core platform and its future direction
• Worldwide travel insurance
• Beautiful, modern office in Central London
• Profitable company with a clear growth roadmap