Principal Software Engineer (Rust)

Principal Software Engineer (Rust) – Contract Role

Our Client, a highly regarded technology services provider and custom software developer, is renowned for delivering innovative, scalable solutions to forward-thinking organisations. With a strong reputation for fostering a vibrant and award-winning company culture, they are recognised as a Great Place to Work™ and continue to thrive through sustainable growth. Their team is dedicated to supporting employees in delivering their best work within a collaborative and enriching environment.

The Role

This strategic appointment is driven by continued growth and a commitment to leading-edge technological innovations. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be at the heart of transforming complex client projects, shaping the future of enterprise-level solutions, and influencing technology roadmaps. Your expertise will enable our Client to stay ahead in a competitive landscape, delivering high-impact products and services that truly make a difference.

This role offers the chance to work on pioneering projects, guiding technical strategy, and mentoring teams – all while collaborating with a diverse array of stakeholders. Your insights and leadership will be critical in defining the architecture and performance standards of mission-critical systems, making this an impactful and rewarding opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and realisation of high-performance, scalable systems using Rust, optimising for low latency and resource efficiency.
• Develop and uphold best practices across codebases, ensuring technical excellence and operational excellence throughout the organisation.
• Influence product roadmaps by translating strategic goals into technical initiatives, with a focus on long-term value.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration, acting as a trusted advisor to teams across the business.
• Navigate ambiguity by constructing clear, actionable plans and mentoring others to manage complex, evolving projects.
• Address challenging technical problems with innovative solutions, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives.
• Take a leadership role in advancing organisational processes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
• Support integration efforts with C# applications and services, ensuring seamless interoperability in multi-language environments.
• Contribute to the evolving landscape of distributed systems, cloud-native architectures, and IoT messaging frameworks (MQTT), supporting the deployment on AWS, Kubernetes, and Kafka.
• Establish and optimise CI/CD pipelines to boost deployment reliability, security, and speed.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Over 10 years of back-end software development experience, with proven expertise in high-scale, enterprise environments.
• Strong command of Rust, including systems architecture, memory management, concurrency, and low-level optimisation.
• Experience with C# development and maintaining associated applications within complex service ecosystems.
• Hands-on experience designing and managing large-scale distributed systems and microservices architectures.
• Practical knowledge of cloud platforms, especially AWS (ECS/EKS, Lambda, S3, IoT Core).
• Familiarity with Kafka and event-driven system design.
• Proficient in Kubernetes deployment, container orchestration, and CI/CD pipeline development.
• Skilled in translating complex requirements into practical technical solutions and strategic initiatives.
• Effective communicator and trusted adviser across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Degree in Computer Science or a comparable qualification, or equivalent practical experience.

Desirable Skills & Additional Experience

• Knowledge of Go for building performant, large-scale distributed systems.
• Experience working with AI-enabled development tools such as Copilot, Anthropic models, or similar frameworks.
• Proven ability to mentor, lead teams, and foster innovation within a technology-driven organisation.

Join a forward-thinking organisation where your expertise will make a real difference. If you are a highly motivated, innovative engineer looking to lead complex projects within a collaborative environment, we encourage you to submit your CV.

This is a full-time, contract opportunity offering flexible working arrangements within a company that values expertise, growth, and a vibrant work culture. Candidates should have a strong passion for technology, problem-solving, and shaping the future of enterprise software systems.

Apply now to become part of a team committed to innovation and excellence!