> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/2412522-principal-of-backend](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2412522-principal-of-backend). 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 of backend - **Company:** SchemeServe - **Location:** UK (Remote available) - **Salary:** £60,000.0 - £65,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** .NET Framework, Microsoft Azure, C Sharp (Programming Language), Software as a Service, Cloud Engineering, Databases, Distributed Systems, Software Architecture, Service-Oriented Architecture, Software Engineering, TypeScript, Backend, Cloudflare, Api Design, Legacy Systems - **Published:** August 28, 2026 - **Apply:** https://uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=33640e756641f94c ## About the Role You'll need: * Deep expertise in modern backend engineering and strong commercial C#/.NET experience. * Strong knowledge of software architecture, distributed systems and API design. * Experience with mature legacy applications and modern service-oriented architectures. * Strong cloud architecture experience, ideally Azure. * Excellent understanding of databases, security, testing, maintainability and modern software delivery. * Experience shaping engineering principles and practices across teams. * A track record of making engineers around you better through mentoring, coaching and technical leadership. * The ability to challenge experienced engineers constructively without becoming a gatekeeper. * Strong opinions, loosely held - the confidence to challenge and the humility to change your mind. * Excellent communication and the ability to influence without relying on authority. * Excellent technical judgement, balancing quality, complexity, risk, cost and business value., * Experience modernising large monolithic applications. * Commercial TypeScript backend experience. * Cloudflare or edge technology experience. * SaaS platforms at scale. * Financial services, insurance or another regulated industry. * Observability, platform engineering or SRE experience. * AI-assisted development and engineering productivity tooling. You don't need to tick every box. If you've got the technical depth, judgement and ability to make engineers around you better, we'd rather have a conversation than lose a great candidate because you haven't used one particular technology. ## Description We're looking for an exceptional Principal Backend Engineer to help make backend engineering across SchemeServe better. You'll be one of the most technically experienced engineers in the organisation and the CTO's primary technical partner for backend engineering, helping shape our architecture, engineering principles and technical direction. But this isn't primarily a feature delivery role and your job isn't to personally build everything you help design. Your real job is to make our engineering organisation better at building great software. You'll work alongside engineers and teams, helping solve difficult problems, challenging their thinking and developing their technical skills and judgement. What We Mean By Principal This is a deeply technical role. You'll need the depth to understand complex backend systems, architecture, security, performance, resilience and maintainability; review designs and implementations; spot risks; and challenge experienced engineers. But technical knowledge alone isn't enough. We want someone who understands there isn't always one "correct" way to build software. Patterns, standards and best practices are useful tools. They aren't commandments. We care about finding the most appropriate solution to the problem in front of us. That means understanding the problem, business, existing platform, risks and likely future - and making pragmatic decisions based on the trade-offs. Sometimes the right answer will be a new service or technology., You'll work closely with our CTO and engineering teams to: * Shape our backend engineering strategy, architecture and technical direction. * Help engineers make better technical and architectural decisions. * Develop sensible engineering principles and guardrails without replacing good judgement with rules. * Guide the continued evolution of our monolith and modern service-based platform. * Coach and mentor engineers, developing their technical skills and judgement. * Review significant designs and architectural decisions and challenge unnecessary complexity. * Champion security, quality, testing, observability, resilience and performance. * Identify technical risks and help teams navigate them. * Evaluate technologies and patterns based on their value to SchemeServe rather than their popularity elsewhere. * Balance long-term engineering quality with short-term business needs. * Occasionally contribute directly to implementation when that's genuinely the best way to help. * Be a generally awesome person. ## Related Videos - [Shipping Faster with Less: Render on Cloud Hosting, AI Workloads, and the Future of DevOps](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1894-shipping-faster-with-less-render-on-cloud-hosting-ai-workloads-and-the-future-of-devops) - [Do TypeScript without TypeScript](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/327-do-typescript-without-typescript) - [Developing the Backend with Stefan Lingler, CTO at Shpock](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100360-developing-the-backend-with-stefan-lingler-cto-at-shpock) - [Kubernetes and Microservices with Multi-Model Databases](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/382-kubernetes-and-microservices-with-multi-model-databases) - [Meet Your New BFF: Backend to Frontend without the Duct Tape](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/682-meet-your-new-bff-backend-to-frontend-without-the-duct-tape) - [Nest.js - TypeScript in the backend can also be clean](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1033-nest-js-typescript-in-the-backend-can-also-be-clean) ## Related Articles - [What Are The Top Skills Required For Azure Developers?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/77-what-are-the-top-skills-required-for-azure-developers) - [What’s the Difference Between Frontend and Backend Development?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/240-what-s-the-difference-between-frontend-and-backend-development) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated) - [Why Upskilling And Reskilling is Important For Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/428-why-upskilling-and-reskilling-is-important-for-developers) - [How to Answer the Interview Question: “Why Do You Want to Be a Software Engineer?”](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/392-how-to-answer-the-interview-question-why-do-you-want-to-be-a-software-engineer) - [Frontend Developer Salary in The UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/233-frontend-developer-salary-in-the-uk)