Principal Software Engineer - Data Platforms

Principal Software Engineer (Data Platforms) | High-Growth software environment | Hybrid (Oxford) | Up to £100,000 + Benefits The Company Our client is a rapidly scaling technology business where data sits at the heart of everything they build. They're investing heavily in a brand-new Data Platforms function responsible for building the infrastructure that powers analytics, AI and next-generation software products. Operating at significant scale, they process and manage hundreds of terabytes of data today, with the platform growing towards petabyte scale. This is an opportunity to solve genuinely difficult engineering problems where performance, reliability and scalability are critical. Why this role stands out: Join as a founding engineer within a brand-new Data Platforms teamBuild highly scalable systems capable of supporting 100TB–1PB of dataShape the architecture, tooling and engineering culture from day oneWork on complex distributed systems and platform engineering challengesHybrid working from Oxford with excellent benefits and long-term progression The Role This is a builder's role through and through. As Principal Software Engineer, you'll play a key role in designing and building the core platforms that enable engineers, analysts and product teams to work with massive volumes of data efficiently and reliably. You'll remain hands-on while providing technical leadership, helping define engineering standards, mentoring a growing team and influencing the long-term technical direction of the platform. If you enjoy solving problems around scale, performance and distributed systems, this is the kind of environment where you'll thrive. What You'll Be Building Cloud-native platforms designed to process and serve data at massive scaleHigh-performance backend systems that prioritise reliability and availabilityInternal tooling that enables engineering teams to move faster and build with confidenceModern engineering practices centred around automation, testing and continuous deliveryA high-performing engineering culture built on collaboration, ownership and technical excellenceThe foundations for future AI, analytics and large-scale data capabilities Your Experience We're looking for an experienced software engineer who enjoys building platforms from first principles and has a passion for solving complex engineering challenges. Essential Experience 8 + years building large-scale backend software systemsStrong commercial experience with PythonExperience leading and mentoring software engineering teamsStrong understanding of distributed systems and scalable platform architecturePassion for software quality, automation and engineering best practicesTrack record of delivering complex systems from concept through to production Nice to Have Experience building modern data or developer platformsExposure to distributed compute, scheduling, streaming or storage technologiesInfrastructure as Code using TerraformExperience with cloud-native architectures, ideally AWSInterest in modern AI-assisted software development practices Why Join? Competitive salary, annual bonus and comprehensive benefits packageOpportunity to shape a brand-new platform engineering functionWork on engineering challenges involving hundreds of terabytes to petabytes of dataCollaborative, low-ego engineering culture with genuine technical ownershipHybrid working model based in Oxford with flexibilityClear opportunity to influence architecture, engineering standards and long-term platform strategy Please click apply if you feel you'd be a good fit.