Contractor: Principal Mobile Software Engineer

*this role is open to remote working within the UK. Successful candidates will be required to travel to their closest UNiDAYS campus (London or Nottingham) on occasion.The role in a nutshell

Overview

A Principal Software Engineer in UNiDAYS is a hands-on software development role focused on building innovative solutions to delight our members and drive product success in a fast-paced company.

It’s more than just lines of code; we are looking for a commercially-minded Principal Software Engineer who can bridge the gap between user needs and business goals. You will have the ability to build resilient, cost-effective solutions and navigate evolving market demands. 

You will be working in our Marketplace team alongside our product, delivery, and engineering teams, defining, refining, building, and measuring the impact of the solutions you implement. Our marketplace products are key to everything we do, enabling our users (students and graduates) to access a wide range of learning, earning, and retail experiences with some of the top brands on the planet.

You will play a key part in the transition of our Mobile apps to a more modern architecture utilising KMM.

RESPONSIBILITIES: What we need you to do

• Contributing to the team's goal of delivering our next generation Mobile Apps.
• Deliver impactful features with a pragmatic approach
• Proactively contributing to the betterment of other engineers in the company through pair programming, mentoring, coaching and providing constructive, candid feedback.
• Proactively giving technical and strategic feedback on projects that enable our teams to build more effective products that provide greater value to the business .
• Prioritisation of the most impactful problems and being able to bring about change with effective momentum.
• Communication of solutions/risks of technical problems to non technical stakeholders.
• Championing user-centric solutions with a keen eye on market fit and profitability

EXPERIENCE: What we need you to have done

In order to be your best self in this role, you will be/have:

• Master of Modern Mobile Technologies: Expertise in building complex frontend applications for iOS and Android devices using KMM, SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose.
• In-depth understanding of app performance: Proficient in optimization techniques and performance monitoring tools.
• Experience with UI/UX principles and accessibility: Ability to translate designs into high-quality, responsive, and accessible user interfaces.
• Strong architectural capabilities: Proven ability to design and implement scalable and maintainable app architectures. Experience with microservices and API integrations is desired.
• A desire to continuously shift quality left and embed modern quality practices within the mobile team, including a commitment to test automation for E2E, unit and integration testing. 

Expected Behaviours:

• Strong leadership and mentorship: Ability to guide and inspire all other engineers, foster a collaborative culture, and provide constructive feedback.
• Technical visionary: Proactive in staying ahead of the curve with new trends and technologies, and readily sharing knowledge with the team.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills: Able to clearly explain complex technical concepts, collaborate effectively with designers and product managers, and find creative solutions to challenges.
• Focus on quality and delivery: Possess a strong commitment to building high-quality code, meeting deadlines, and delivering impactful results.
• Autonomous and decisive: Able to work independently, make informed decisions, and take ownership of projects from conception to completion.

We’re aware that everybody is different and comes with differing experiences. If you don’t have all of the skills/experience in our list but are keen to learn and offer something different, please reach out as we are still keen to talk to you.

COMMITMENT: Internal commitments

• Evaluate and measure your own performance and seek feedback for continuous improvement. You also commit to regular check-ins with your line manager and to be proactive in completing your quarterly, Mid-Year and End of Year reviews to ensure your manager has enough time to complete before the deadline.
• Ensure you complete all mandatory training and/or workshops set by the business or your manager.
• Ensure you are aligned with the UNiDAYS values & behaviours
• Everyone is important. Strong stakeholder management and can lead others. 
• No BS, no jerks. Communication
• Be clear on your purpose. Prioritisation 
• Be a builder. Entrepreneurship and collaboration.
• Jump into the unknown. Adaptable and innovative.

KNOWLEDGE: What You know

The UNiDAYS Way

Our diversity and inclusion ambition is to support, enable and inspire our people to be their best selves.

We know that by reflecting the stakeholders we serve and drawing on diverse mindsets, backgrounds and perspectives, we will develop the best leaders, products and services. 

So at UNiDAYS, we will continue to create a culture where everyone is committed and empowered to create an inclusive environment for all. An ambitious, high performing culture where we support, enable and inspire our people to be their best selves. Together we will learn, share and respectfully challenge each other to create an organisation where everyone can contribute towards our shared mission.

To achieve this, we will continuously assess and improve our impact across UNiDAYS and beyond, ensuring that collectively, we operate with kindness and empathy towards our team and external stakeholders alike.