Principal Software Engineer Backend Technologies Platform

🇬🇧Remote - Birmingham, United Kingdom1w ago

K-12 Engineering Backend Development Software Engineering Cloud Computing Full Stack Development Devops

Role Snapshot

Principal Backend Engineer role at Turnitin focused on designing and optimizing scalable backend services using Java and serverless architectures for an award-winning educational platform. This hands-on leadership position involves architecting distributed systems, mentoring junior engineers, and driving technical excellence across shared services.

Key Responsibilities: Lead design and development of scalable backend services using Java and AWS Lambda, architect RESTful APIs and event-driven systems, and provide technical leadership ensuring architectural standards are met. Mentor junior developers, optimize existing services for performance and cost-efficiency, oversee CI/CD pipelines, and collaborate cross-functionally with architects and product managers.

Skills & Tools: Expert-level Java and serverless architecture (AWS Lambda), RESTful API design, event-driven systems, distributed systems architecture, and data modeling. Strong leadership, mentoring, and communication skills with experience in CI/CD pipelines, code quality practices, and some frontend development capability.

Qualifications: Extensive experience as a Senior/Principal-level backend engineer with proven track record designing and delivering scalable distributed systems in production environments. Strong background in Java, serverless technologies, and cloud platforms, with demonstrated ability to lead technical teams and mentor engineers.

Location: Remote - Birmingham, United Kingdom

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation for this role is £120,000 – £160,000/year based on title, seniority, and location.

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Job Description

Turnitin is seeking a Principal Backend Engineer with a strong focus on backend development, particularly in Java and serverless architectures, combined with solid frontend experience. This role is ideal for engineers passionate about building scalable distributed systems, data modeling, and delivering high-performing, reliable software solutions for our award-winning educational platform.
As a core contributor to our shared services team, you will play a key role in developing and enhancing the foundational systems that power both existing and new applications. This role is fully hands-on, requiring active involvement in coding, development, and implementation of technical solutions. You will also be called upon to lead more junior engineers and collaborate with other teams.

Responsibilities:

Lead and design, development, and optimization of scalable backend services using Java and serverless technologies (e.g., AWS Lambda).
Architect and implement RESTful APIs and event-driven systems to support high-performance, distributed applications.
Provide technical leadership to the team, ensuring alignment with architectural standards and best practices.
Contribute to the development and integration of user-facing frontend components when needed.
Analyze and optimize existing services to enhance performance, scalability, and cost-effi ciency.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Architects, Product Managers, and engineering leads, to deliver innovative and impactful solutions.
Mentor and guide junior developers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
Oversee the implementation and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines to ensure effi cient and reliable software delivery.
Maintain high standards of code quality through rigorous peer reviews, comprehensive testing, and adherence to industry best practices.
Create comprehensive documentation for the developed shared components, including usage guidelines and examples.