> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/2206366-principal-engineer-c](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2206366-principal-engineer-c). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Engineer, C++ - **Company:** ECM Selection Limited - **Location:** Cambridge, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** £80,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Agile Methodology, Bash Shell, Continuous Integration, Microarchitecture, Python (Programming Language), Scripting, Git, Linux Development - **Published:** August 24, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.ecmselection.co.uk/register/27102 ## About the Role Contribute to the state of the art in high performance, low latency algorithmic software where nanoseconds matter. Exercise your creativity and computer science knowledge in creating software which pushes the speed limit. Collaborate with hardware engineers and sculpt quality C++ code with a full test suite. You'd be joining a specialised international technology firm in their Cambridge office, with hybrid working available. They are experts in their field and aim to have a positive social impact, contributing to good causes. Your C++ skills and comprehensive knowledge of data structures, algorithms and concurrency will serve you well here. You may be someone who particularly enjoys unorthodox and novel optimisations which others wouldn't have thought of. You'll likely have a strong technical degree and you will have full existing UK work permission without sponsorship. Overall your expertise will include: * A senior engineer's familiarity, independence, critical thinking, collaborative skills and technical initiative * Software design skills for elegant, high performance, easy to maintain code * Extensive knowledge of data structures, algorithms, complexity and concurrency * Strong C++ language knowledge and coding skills Relevant technical knowledge: * Concurrency (multithreading, synchronisation and alternatives, parallel hardware) * CPU architecture (CPI, dynamic execution, caching levels, cache misses, pipeline stalls) * Data structures (linear, tree, hash and graph), algorithm selection and complexity (big O) * Networking (standard packet protocols, performance in particular contexts) * Linux development (user and/or kernel space) and scripting languages (bash, Python) * Git, Agile techniques, CI/CD plus TDD or otherwise comprehensively tested code ## Related Videos - [Your next 10x engineer isn't in your city. Refactor accordingly.](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100103-your-next-10x-engineer-isn-t-in-your-city-refactor-accordingly) - [Old tools, new tricks](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1916-old-tools-new-tricks) - [JavaScript? No. Java Scripts! - Scripting with Java](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2094-javascript-no-java-scripts-scripting-with-java) - [How a Small Team Shrank a Microsoft Monorepo by 94%](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1236-how-a-small-team-shrank-a-microsoft-monorepo-by-94) - [Navigating the Corporate Jungle: Life as a Developer in a large Company](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/621-navigating-the-corporate-jungle-life-as-a-developer-in-a-large-company) - [MCP doesn’t suck — your agent does](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100202-mcp-doesn-t-suck-your-agent-does) ## Related Articles - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london) - [The 12 Best Jobs for Software Engineers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/401-the-12-best-jobs-for-software-engineers) - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Where To Find Software Engineering Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/396-where-to-find-software-engineering-jobs) - [Dev Digest 121 - AI goes offline](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/456-dev-digest-121-ai-goes-offline) - [Where to Find Entry-Level Software Engineering Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/397-where-to-find-entry-level-software-engineering-jobs)