Principal Software Engineer (Software Team Lead)

You will be both the hands-on technical lead and the architect of our future technology direction, guiding our software team while setting the foundations for a scalable product and engineering organisation. Working closely with our valuation specialists and product team, you will design solutions that fundamentally transform how valuation advisory services are delivered., Product & Delivery Leadership

Own the end-to-end delivery of our proprietary valuation software into the market.

Translate business objectives into a clear technical roadmap, prioritising features and technical debt.

Establish processes for release management, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.

Ensure the platform is secure, reliable, and scalable as adoption grows.

Technical & Architectural Leadership

Define the technical vision, architecture, and engineering standards for the product.

Lead hands-on development while ensuring excellence in code quality, testing, and documentation.

Conduct code reviews and introduce best-practice engineering methodologies.

Evaluate and introduce technologies, tools, and frameworks that support rapid and sustainable growth.

Team Leadership & Culture

Lead and mentor a growing team of engineers, fostering a culture of ownership, learning, and collaboration.

Build strong relationships across product, data, and valuation teams to ensure aligned development.

Champion a healthy engineering culture centred around trust, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement

Work closely with senior leadership to provide clear technical insight and regular progress updates.

Collaborate with product teams and end-users to design features that streamline complex valuation workflows.

Communicate technical plans in a way that is accessible to non-technical stakeholders.

Proven track record of delivering commercial, market-ready software products.

Experience leading a software team and guiding architectural direction.

Deep experience developing modern web applications, ideally having launched a product to market.

Expertise in React, Redux, TypeScript, Python, FastAPI, and SQLAlchemy.

Strong understanding of cloud technologies (AWS preferred).

Excellent grasp of software architecture, design patterns, and scalable system design.

Strong communicator with a collaborative, pragmatic approach to problem solving.

BSc or MSc in a STEM field (or equivalent experience).

10+ years of software development experience.

Right to work in the UK.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience building applications that handle sensitive or regulated data (e.g., compliance, ISOs, data protection, legal frameworks).

Experience defining DevOps processes (CI/CD pipelines, IaC, observability) is a strong plus.

Exposure to product management or technical leadership in a startup or scale-up environment.

Touchstone Advisory, a leading UK independent valuation advisory firm, is seeking an exceptional Principal Software Engineer to lead the evolution of our proprietary valuation platform-from a proven proof of concept to a robust, market-ready product. This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a core product within a successful, fast-growing advisory business that prises innovation, autonomy, and impact. As the technical leader of our software function, you will shape the product, the engineering culture, and the long-term tech strategy., At Touchstone Advisory, we're redefining the valuation advisory space through innovation, efficiency, and a culture of excellence. We're proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome talented individuals from all backgrounds. If you're excited by the opportunity to build a high-impact product and lead a team at the forefront of change, we'd love to hear from you.