Principal Engineer

Wpp; Poland; Hybrid; PLN 129,000 - 279,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Private medical care

Professional development

Job summary

WPP is hiring a distinguished technical leader to drive the architecture of data products and AI platforms within WPP Open. You will lead the design of scalable distributed systems and mentor engineers across multiple teams.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years of software engineering experience, strong cloud native expertise (AWS/GCP), and fluency in English. A bachelor''s or master''s in CS/engineering is expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, including senior tech leadership.
• Bachelor''s or Master''s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical vision and architectural strategy for data products and AI platforms.
• Lead design reviews and architectural decisions across multiple teams.
• Provide mentorship and coaching to senior engineers and engineering managers.

Skills

Distributed systems

Cloud platforms

Programming languages

Leadership

Education

Bachelor''s/Master''s in CS/Engineering

Tools

Kubernetes

Spark

Kafka

SQL/NoSQL

Job description

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.

We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.

We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.

Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.

For more information, visit WPP.com.

Why we're hiring:

About Data & Technology Solutions

WPP’s Data & Technology Solutions is the WPP’s unified global data products and technology team. We work with our agencies and clients to build data data-driven solutions and technology product to power marketing transformation.

WPP Open is our AI platform for marketing, it connects marketing professionals, data, tools, and AI in a single place. WPP Open is the simplest, safest, and fastest way to realize the benefits of scaled AI – delivering better-informed creative ideas faster, at scale and at lower cost.

We’re endlessly curious and our team of thinkers, builders, creators and problem solvers are over 2,000 strong, across 20 markets around the world.

What you'll be doing:

• Adistinguished technical leaderwith a proventrack recordof architecting, building, and delivering large-scale, complex distributed systems.
• A strategic thinker capable of translating business goals into long-term technical roadmaps and influencing organizational strategy.
• An inspiring mentorwho elevates the technical capabilities and careers of those around them, fostering a culture of engineering excellence.
• A master problem-solverwho thrives on tackling the most challenging technical hurdles and making high-impact decisions.
• An influential communicator, adept at articulating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, from junior engineers to executive leadership.

Drive Technical Vision and Architectural Strategy

• Define and champion the technical vision and long-term architectural strategy for critical data products, AI platforms, and core services within WPP Open.
• Lead the design and implementation of highly scalable, resilient, and performant distributed systems, ensuring they meet current and future business needs.
• Evaluate and selectnew technologies, frameworks, and tools, establishingbest practices and engineering standards across multiple teams.
• Anticipate technical challenges and opportunities, proactively proposing innovative solutions that align with WPP's strategicobjectives.

Provide Technical Leadership and Mentorship

• Act as a technical leader and role model,providingexpert guidance, mentorship, and coaching to senior engineers and engineering managers across multiple teams.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering practices, code quality, testing methodologies, and operational excellence.
• Lead complex technical discussions, design reviews, and architectural decision-making processes, ensuring robust and well-reasoned outcomes.
• Foster a culture of technical innovation, continuous learning, and accountability within the engineering organization.

Solve Complex Problems and Deliver Impact

• Take ownership of the most challenging technical problems, providing hands-onexpertiseand leading cross-functional efforts to find elegant and efficient solutions.
• Ensure that technical solutions align with product requirements and deliver maximum business value, balancing short-term delivery with long-term architectural health.
• Drive the resolution of critical production issues, contributing to incident response and post-mortem analysis to prevent recurrence.
• Influence the overall product roadmap and engineering strategy through deep technical insight and understanding of market dynamics in AdTech.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Influence

• Collaborate closely with Product Leadership, Data Science, and other Engineering teams to align technical strategy with product vision and business goals.
• Communicate complex technical concepts and architectural decisions effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including executive leadership.
• Represent WPP's technical capabilities internally and externally, contributing to our reputation as a leader in marketing technology.

What you'll need:

• 10+ years of progressive experiencein software engineering, with at least 3 years in a Principal Engineer, Staff Engineer, or equivalent senior technical leadership role.
• Demonstratedexpertisein architecting, developing, andoperatinglarge-scale distributed systemsin a cloud-native environment (AWS and/or GCP preferred).
• Deepproficiencyin multiple programming languages(e.g., Python, Java, Scala), and a strong understanding of their ecosystems, performance characteristics, and best practices.
• English fluency B2/C1
• Extensive experience with various database technologies(relational, NoSQL, graph, data warehouses) and data processing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Kafka).
• Expert-level understanding of cloud infrastructure components(e.g., Kubernetes, serverless, networking, security, observability).
• Proventrack recordof defining and implementing technical strategiesthat resulted in significant business impact and improved engineering velocity.
• Exceptional leadership, mentoring, and coaching skills, with a passion for developing engineering talent.
• Outstanding problem-solving abilitiesand the capacity to make critical technical decisions under pressure.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Bachelor's orMaster's degreein Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent extensive practical experience.

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people –We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

#LI-Hybrid

The gross salary for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. This range reflects our broader group’s compensation framework across diverse agencies and disciplines. For this specific role, our offer will be determined within this range based on our internal benchmark, reflecting the specific market conditions for our discipline. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including business needs, experience, level of responsibility and qualifications.

In addition to the salary range provided, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support our employees' well-being and professional growth. While specific details may vary by agency, typical benefits often include: private medical care, professional development opportunities, training programmes and flexible working arrangements (where applicable).Some agencies may offer additional benefits.

11 542 zł — 25 000 zł PLN

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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