Principle Software Engineer (AIX)

Role OVO-View

Team: AIX

Location: Hub Based - Hybrid for all

Salary banding: £116,500 - £154,588

Experience: Expert

Working pattern: Full-Time

Reporting to: Delivery & Growth Lead

Sponsorship: Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

This role in 3 words: Technical, Excellence, Influence

Top 3 qualities for this role: Communication, Delivery Expertise, Amplification

 

Where you’ll work:

Depending on the needs of your business area, we expect hub based people to be in the office at least once a week, and to go to OVO Connection events in-person. 

You’ll be assigned to the closest one of our three hub offices, Bristol, Glasgow, or London; unless your role requires field-based work. Each hub has accessible spaces to park your laptop, is designed to inspire people, help them connect and bring big ideas to life.

 

Everyone belongs at OVO:

At OVO, we are on a mission to solve one of humanity's biggest challenges, the climate crisis. And we know it takes all of us to change the world. That's why we need diverse people from all abilities, gender identities, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, life experiences and backgrounds to join us.

 

Teamworking for the planet:

Everything we do here spins around Plan Zero. So, naturally, the team you’ll be joining plays a gigantic role in making that happen. Here’s how:

This role requires deep expertise in software engineering, a strong understanding of emerging industry trends, and the ability to define and execute a long-term technical vision. You’ll mentor lead engineers, influence company-wide technology and ensure the organisation remains at the forefront of technical innovation.

 

This role in a nutshell:

Principal Software Engineers are trusted technical leaders who help shape our long-term engineering strategy and drive innovation across multiple teams or areas of the business. In this role, you’ll use your deep expertise in software engineering to guide architectural decisions, influence technology choices, and keep us aligned with emerging industry trends. You’ll play a key role in mentoring lead engineers, supporting their growth, and helping OVO stay ahead of the curve. This is a high-impact role for someone who’s passionate about building inclusive, forward-thinking technology and shaping the future of how we work.

 

Your key outcomes will be:

• Technical Vision and Strategy: Develop and communicate a long-term technical vision aligned with OVO’s goals. Drive adoption of emerging technologies, guide their impact on our software ecosystem, and advise senior leadership on technology direction, while executing strategic roadmaps for platforms and infrastructure.
  
  
• Innovation & Execution: Lead R&D initiatives, applying emerging technologies to solve engineering challenges. Deliver prototypes and proof-of-concepts, fostering a culture of experimentation, learning, and innovation within the engineering workflow.
  
  
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Mentor senior engineers, promote best practices, and ensure consistency across teams. Lead knowledge-sharing initiatives, such as tech talks and forums, to build a collaborative and high-performing culture.
  
  
• Architectural Guidance & Standards: Lead the evolution of scalable, resilient, and maintainable software architecture. Define architectural standards and guide teams through complex technical decisions, while promoting cloud-native, microservice-based, and modern infrastructure solutions.
  
  
• Industry Engagement & Thought Leadership: Represent OVO as a technical leader at events and in publications. Share insights through blogs and white papers, contribute to open-source projects, and engage with industry experts to influence broader technical advancements.
  
  
• Cross-Team Collaboration & Strategic Alignment: Align engineering efforts with strategic priorities across OVO. Lead cross-functional initiatives, ensuring consistent practices and seamless integration of technologies across teams.
  
  
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Maintain clear architectural documentation, lead internal tech talks and workshops, and contribute to shared libraries and tools. Stay on top of industry trends to embed forward-thinking practices into OVO’s engineering culture.