Senior Principal Software Engineer

Aviva plc; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in Leatherhead is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to provide technical leadership and design innovative software solutions. The ideal candidate will have strong backend development skills, a solid understanding of agile methodologies, and the ability to inspire and lead a team. This full-time position offers a competitive salary, flexible benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Starting Salary Circa £85,000

Bonus opportunity of 12%

Generous pension scheme

29 days holiday plus bank holidays

Up to 40% discount on Aviva products

Up to £1,200 of free Aviva shares

Supportive policies including parental leave

Flexible benefits including sustainability options

3 paid volunteering days

Wellness support and tools

Qualifications

• Skilled in backend development and modern UI technologies.
• Proven leadership and mentorship in agile environments.
• A solid understanding of software governance and assurance.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across software development.
• Lead a team of engineers and collaborate with stakeholders.
• Design complex applications and set software standards.

Skills

Backend development

Entity Framework

Oracle

SQL Server

AWS

HTML

CSS

Bootstrap

Agile environments

Software governance

Job description

Principal Software Engineer

Location: Leatherhead, UK

Do you love solving complex technical challenges and inspiring others to deliver impactful solutions? This is a great job for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment, enjoys leading technical delivery, and is passionate about shaping the future of software development.

Whether you're an experienced software architect ready for a new challenge or someone with deep technical expertise looking to influence strategy and mentor others—this role could be your next step.

A bit about the job:

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking technology team that designs and delivers innovative software solutions across Aviva Protection.

This role exists to provide technical leadership across all stages of software development, ensuring high standards in design, security, and automation.

You’ll lead a team of engineers, work closely with senior stakeholders, and help shape the strategic direction of our technology landscape.

From designing complex applications to setting software standards and inspiring others—you’ll play a key role in how we build and deliver technology at Aviva.

Skills and experience we’re looking for

• Skilled in backend development with tools like Entity Framework, Oracle, SQL Server, and AWS.
• Comfortable working across legacy (Web Forms) and modern UI technologies (HTML, CSS, Bootstrap).
• Proven leadership in agile environments—removing blockers, aligning stakeholders, and mentoring teams.
• A solid understanding of software governance, assurance, and risk mitigation.

What you’ll get for this role

• Starting Salary Circa £85,000 (depending on location, skills, experience, and qualifications).
• Bonus opportunity of 12% (Actual amount depends on your performance and Aviva’s).
• Generous pension scheme - Aviva will contribute up to 14%, depending on what you put in.
• 29 days holiday plus bank holidays, and you can choose to buy or sell up to 5 days.
• Make your money go further - Up to 40% discount on Aviva products, and other retailer discounts.
• Up to £1,200 of free Aviva shares per year through our Matching Share Plan and share in the success of Aviva with our Save As You Earn scheme.
• Brilliantly supportive policies including parental and carer’s leave.
• Flexible benefits to suit you, including sustainability options such as cycle to work.
• Make a difference, be part of our Aviva Communities and use your 3 paid volunteering days to help others.
• We take your wellbeing seriously with lots of support and tools.

Aviva is for everyone

• We’re inclusive and welcome everyone – we want applications from all backgrounds and experiences.
• Excited but not sure you tick every box? Even if you don’t, we would still encourage you to apply. We also consider all forms of flexible working, including part time and job shares.
• We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, business, and you.
• Most of our people are smart working – spending around 50% of their time in our offices every week - combining the benefits of flexibility, with time together with colleagues.

We interview every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job. Once you’ve applied, please send us an email stating that you have a disclosed disability, and we’ll interview you.

We’d love it if you could submit your application online. If you require an alternative method of applying, please give a call on 02045922145 or send an email to [e-mail].

Seniority level: Director | Employment type: Full-time | Job function: Information Technology | Industries: Insurance, Financial Services, and Banking