Software Engineer

Meta; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 103,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Company days

9 public holidays

Pension scheme

Job summary

Principle HR partners with a world-leading technology company to hire a Senior Software Engineer for its AR/VR research division in Cambridge. You will own and develop the software behind a specialist research lab, connecting prototype wearables and sensors to a distributed data platform, collaborating with international engineers and researchers in the UK and US.

You will lead Python backend development, deploy and test a distributed data collection platform, and work closely with audio/visual

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong Python backend development on large codebases (FastAPI preferred).
• Proficiency in Linux and shell scripting for automation and system management.
• Experience building distributed, concurrent and RESTful systems.
• Understanding of IP networking (IPv4/IPv6, VLANs).
• Hands-on experience integrating or troubleshooting hardware or sensors.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain Python backend systems interfacing with prototype wearables and sensors.
• Develop device controllers and enhance the lab's web platform.
• Automate and optimize data validation and processing workflows.
• Deploy, test and upgrade a distributed data collection platform.
• Create monitoring tools to keep systems healthy and data reliable.
• Provide onsite support during live collection sessions and perform root cause analysis.
• Scope, estimate, and design solutions with an international team.

Skills

Python backend

Linux & shell scripting

Distributed systems

RESTful services

Networking concepts

Hardware integration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

FastAPI

Job description

• Contract length: 12 months
• Salary: £114,000 per annum + 15% bonus
• Location: Cambridge, UK (5 days onsite)

About the opportunity

Principle HR is partnering with a world-leading technology company to hire a Senior Software Engineer into its AR/VR research division. The audio research team is building the future of immersive sound: virtual audio that can't be told apart from reality, and technology that helps people hear and connect in the most difficult listening environments.

You will own and develop the software behind a specialist research lab in Cambridge. You'll connect prototype smart glasses, wearables and third‑party sensors to a distributed data collection platform. The data you capture goes directly to world‑class research teams. This is a hands‑on engineering role in a lab setting, working alongside audio engineers, recording technicians and research scientists in the UK and US.

What you will be doing

• Building and maintaining Python backend systems and pipelines that interface with prototype wearables, microphone arrays, motion‑capture cameras and other sensors
• Developing device controllers and enhancing the lab's command‑and‑control web platform
• Automating and optimising data validation and processing workflows to speed up delivery to research teams
• Deploying, testing and upgrading a distributed, networked data collection platform
• Building monitoring tools to keep systems healthy and collections reliable
• Providing onsite support during live collection sessions, debugging hardware/software issues and leading root cause analysis
• Scoping, estimating and designing solutions with an international team of engineers and researchers

What you will bring

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Strong Python backend development on large codebases, ideally including FastAPI or a similar framework
• Proficiency in Linux and shell scripting for automation and system management
• Experience building and supporting distributed, concurrent and RESTful systems
• A solid understanding of IP networking, including IPv4/IPv6, VLANs and network topology
• Hands‑on experience integrating or troubleshooting hardware, embedded devices or sensors
• A degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience

Nice to have

• Experience with audio, video or image formats and multimedia sensors
• Knowledge of time synchronisation across devices
• Relational and NoSQL/graph databases
• Hardware and software testing frameworks
• Some React or frontend exposure
• Windows systems administration

What you can expect

• 25 days annual leave plus company days and 9 public holidays
• Weekly pay and paid approved overtime
• Pension scheme
• Access to onsite offices, cafes and facilities
• A dedicated Principle HR consultant supporting you throughout your contract

The role is split between offices in central Cambridge and a research lab in Bourn, Cambridgeshire. Candidates must be based in the UK for the length of the contract.