About the Role:
Manchester has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing technology hubs, and at Unlem Software & Infrastructure Ltd, we are building scalable, high-performance software systems that power modern digital businesses.
We believe enterprise software should be fast, reliable, and elegantly engineered—not complex for the sake of it. We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer who can take ownership of architecture and technical direction across our core platforms.
This is not just a coding role. You will define engineering standards, shape system architecture, and act as a technical authority across multiple teams. You will work closely with engineers, product stakeholders, and infrastructure specialists to deliver robust, cloud-native systems that scale.
You are someone who thrives in complex technical environments, enjoys solving distributed systems challenges, and takes pride in building software that lasts.
Why Work With Us?
Engineering Ownership: You will have real influence over architecture decisions, system design, and engineering direction from day one.
Modern Cloud Stack: We work with cloud-native technologies and modern backend frameworks, focusing on scalable microservices, APIs, and distributed systems.
High-Impact Work: Your decisions will directly shape platform performance, reliability, and scalability across production systems.
Technical Culture: We value engineering depth, clean architecture, and thoughtful design over bureaucracy and process overhead.
Growth & Influence: This role is designed for senior engineers who want to step into Staff/Principal-level impact and beyond, with opportunities to shape long-term technical strategy.
Key Responsibilities:
Architecture Ownership:
Define and evolve system architecture across backend services, cloud infrastructure, and distributed systems.
Technical Leadership:
Provide guidance to engineering teams, set coding and design standards, and ensure consistency across services.
Scalable Systems Design:
Build and improve high-performance, fault-tolerant systems designed for scale and reliability.
Engineering Excellence:
Improve observability, CI/CD pipelines, deployment strategies, and system performance.
Cross-Team Collaboration:
Work closely with product and engineering stakeholders to translate requirements into robust technical solutions.
Mentorship:
Support and guide senior and mid-level engineers through code reviews, design reviews, and technical coaching.
What We Are Looking For:
Experience:
8+ years in software engineering, with significant experience in Senior, Staff, or Principal-level roles.
System Design Expertise:
Strong background in distributed systems, backend architecture, and scalable platform design.
Cloud Knowledge:
Hands-on experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP in production environments.
Programming Skills:
Proficiency in at least one modern backend language (Java, Python, Go, C#, or Node.js).
Architecture Mindset:
Strong understanding of microservices, APIs, system reliability, and performance optimization.
Leadership Ability:
Able to influence engineering direction and mentor other engineers effectively.
Mindset:
Pragmatic, detail-oriented, and able to balance speed of delivery with long-term engineering quality.
Pay: £95,765.61-£124,787.71 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Flexitime
- Free fitness classes
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Paid volunteer time
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Manchester
