Principal Engineer / Engineering Manager

Principal Engineer/Engineering Manager(Contract) – Pricing Transformation Programme Location: Bristol (3 days per week onsite) Duration: Initial 3-Month Contract - Strong scope for extension Rate: £600-£700 per day (Outside IR35) We're supporting a leading financial services organisation undertaking a major pricing transformation programme focused on modernising core products, platforms and engineering tooling. They are seeking an experienced Principal Engineer/Engineering Manager to provide technical leadership across a complex technology landscape, balancing the challenges of legacy systems with the adoption of modern cloud-native technologies. This role will suit an engineering leader who is comfortable operating as a technology generalist, engaging with both technical teams and senior business stakeholders to shape engineering strategy, modernisation plans and delivery outcomes. Key Responsibilities: Lead engineering activities across a significant pricing transformation initiative.Assess existing legacy systems, applications and codebases to identify opportunities for improvement.Provide technical guidance and recommendations on modernisation strategies and technology investments.Work closely with engineering teams to support the adoption of modern technologies and engineering practices.Partner with non-technical stakeholders to communicate technical challenges, options and recommendations.Influence technical direction across products, platforms and tooling.Support architectural decision-making across both legacy and modern technology environments.Drive engineering excellence, delivery effectiveness and continuous improvement initiatives. Technical Environment: The organisation is currently operating across a blend of legacy and modern technologies, including: TypeScriptReactAWSPHPOracleJava Required Skills & Experience: Proven experience operating within complex technology environments.Strong background delivering technology transformation or modernisation programmes.Experience working across both legacy and modern technology stacks.Strong understanding of software engineering principles, architecture and platform design.Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.Ability to translate business objectives into technical strategies and actionable plans.Experience influencing technical decisions across multiple teams and workstreams.Comfortable operating as a technology polyglot with broad exposure to different technologies and approaches. What We're Looking For: Strong leadership and problem-solving capabilities.Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences.Ability to provide strategic technical guidance and direction.Confidence advising and influencing senior stakeholders.Passion for engineering excellence and continuous improvement.Proven track record delivering successful outcomes within large-scale transformation programmes.