Principal Software Engineer - Product team

Aker Systems, an award-winning leader in ultra-secure cloud data platforms, is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to lead the architectural evolution of their secure, distributed, multi-cloud systems. This is a hands-on leadership role offering significant influence over engineering strategy, allowing you to mentor teams while designing and delivering scalable solutions across AWS, Azure, and GCP. It's an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned engineer passionate about driving technical excellence, fostering a collaborative culture, and building future-proof, high-assurance systems using cutting-edge technologies like Java/Kotlin, Kafka, and Kubernetes. ### Headquarters Remote/Home Based, UK ### About Aker Systems Aker Systems, founded in 2017 by experienced technology professionals, specializes in providing highly secure enterprise data platforms to large organizations. They build and operate groundbreaking, ultra-secure, high-performance, cloud-based data infrastructure. Their proprietary technology solutions enhance performance and reduce costs, helping clients improve data management and sharing across their organizations. Recognized with the Breakthrough Culture Awards in 2024 and as a ‘One to Watch’ on the Sunday Times Tech Track in 2020, Aker Systems also secured multiple accolades at the Thames Valley Tech Awards 2020, including Thames Valley Tech Company of the Year. The company is committed to maintaining an inclusive and supportive environment, encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds and identities. ### About the Role Aker Systems is seeking a **Principal Software Engineer** to lead the architecture, design, and evolution of their secure, distributed, cloud-native systems. This is a hands-on leadership position where you will shape engineering strategy while designing and delivering scalable platforms across AWS, Azure, and GCP. The role leverages technologies such as Java/Kotlin, Spring Boot, Kafka, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines. This opportunity is ideal for an individual who thrives at the intersection of technical depth, product vision, and collaborative problem-solving. You will be expected to mentor, lead by example, and guide teams toward achieving engineering excellence within complex, high-assurance environments. ### Key Responsibilities * Lead the architecture and delivery of secure, scalable microservices in a multi-cloud, containerized environment. * Design and implement solutions using Java/Kotlin, Spring Boot, Kafka, and other cloud-native tools. * Champion Domain-Driven Design (DDD), clean architecture, and event-driven paradigms. * Guide engineers through code reviews, design sessions, and architecture governance. * Mentor team members and cultivate a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and collaborative delivery. * Define and uphold engineering best practices, including documentation, testing, observability, and CI/CD integration. * Collaborate with Product, DevOps, and Security teams to translate business needs into reliable technical solutions. * Drive infrastructure automation and deployment consistency using Kubernetes and Git-based workflows. * Engage in performance tuning, debugging, and incident resolution across the full stack. * Contribute to platform-wide decisions regarding data modeling, APIs, and long-term architectural evolution. ### Skills & Experience **Required:** * Minimum 10+ years of deep hands-on expertise in Java/Kotlin, Spring Boot, and modern service-oriented architecture. * Strong understanding of Kafka, event-driven patterns, and asynchronous communication. * Experience designing and scaling cloud-native platforms in AWS or Azure. * Solid experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and infrastructure automation. * Knowledge of CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins. * Strong grasp of DDD, API design, and operational aspects such as logging, monitoring, and alerting. * Ability to work across the full stack and comprehend system interactions in production. * Demonstrated leadership in complex delivery environments, with the ability to align teams around a shared technical vision. * Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, capable of translating complexity into clarity. **Desirable:** * Experience with Terraform, Helm, or GitOps tooling. * Familiarity with front-end technologies such as React and TypeScript. * Exposure to GraphQL, observability stacks (e.g., Prometheus, OpenTelemetry), or large-scale data platforms. * Prior work in regulated industries (BFSI, telecom, public sector). ### Mindset & Leadership Style To excel in this role, you will bring more than just technical knowledge. You will demonstrate: * A builder’s mindset, passionate about developing scalable, secure, and future-proof systems. * The ability to lead through complexity, guiding teams through uncertainty with structure and clarity. * A collaborative, mentoring approach, focused on enabling those around you. * A bias for action, balanced with a disciplined approach to testing, automation, and operational readiness. * Curiosity and openness to new ideas, technologies, and better ways of working. * A high level of ownership, with a calm and methodical attitude toward incident resolution, delivery pressure, and change. ### Aker Systems Attributes At Aker, teamwork, collaboration, hard work, openness, and delivery obsession are core values. The company fosters a no-blame culture, encouraging experimentation and responsibility for outcomes. Employees are part of the wider Aker team, helping colleagues, taking pride in achieving difficult tasks, and proactively solving problems. Clear, accurate, and timely communication is paramount. ### Benefits In return, Aker Systems offers: * A competitive salary. * 25 days holiday plus bank holidays. * Company-paid medical insurance and life assurance. * Pension scheme. * Annual training allowance. * Wellbeing allowance. * Virtual GP. * Employee Assistance Plan and more. ### Equal Opportunities Aker Systems fosters a diverse environment that encourages open communication and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, age, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or other personal characteristics. The company embraces differences of opinion and diversity as they help challenge and discover new groundbreaking technical solutions. **To apply:** [https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/aker-systems-principal-software-engineer-product-team](https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/aker-systems-principal-software-engineer-product-team)