Principal Software Engineer Backend Technologies, Platform (UK Remote)

About Turnitin

Turnitin has been a global leader in education technology for more than 25 years, partnering with over 16,000 educational institutions and organizations across 185 countries. Its diverse portfolio includes innovative solutions like Feedback Studio, Clarity, Originality, Gradescope, ExamSoft, Similarity, and iThenticate, all aimed at promoting academic integrity and critical thinking.

The company embraces a remote-first culture that values purpose-driven work and accountability, offering a supportive environment that prioritizes employee well-being. Turnitin’s global team spans over 35 countries including the US, UK, Australia, Japan, India, and the Philippines.

Role Overview

We are looking for a Principal Backend Engineer focused on backend development primarily with Java and serverless platforms such as AWS Lambda. This role involves designing, building, and optimizing highly scalable distributed systems and developing foundational backend services within the shared services team of our educational platform. The position is hands-on requiring active coding, system architecture, mentoring responsibilities, and some front-end development tasks.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and lead the development of scalable backend services using Java and serverless technologies.
• Architect and implement RESTful APIs and event-driven distributed applications.
• Provide technical leadership ensuring compliance with architectural standards and best practices.
• Contribute to frontend components development using React and Web Components when necessary.
• Analyze and enhance existing backend services for improved performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product managers, architects, and engineering leads globally.
• Mentor junior engineers to foster continuous learning and technical growth.
• Manage CI/CD pipelines to enable smooth and reliable software delivery.
• Ensure high code quality through peer reviews, comprehensive testing, and clean coding standards.
• Develop detailed documentation for shared components including usage instructions and examples.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Over 10 years of experience in backend software development with deep expertise in Java.
• Extensive hands-on experience with serverless frameworks such as AWS Lambda and similar cloud functions.
• Proficient understanding of frontend technologies including React and Web Components, with capability to contribute to frontend development.
• Strong skills in designing scalable distributed systems and advanced data modeling.
• Demonstrated leadership experience collaborating with distributed teams across Europe and the USA and delivering high-quality software solutions.
• Experience developing serverless applications on AWS utilizing services like Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, SNS/SQS, and EventBridge.
• In-depth knowledge of software engineering best practices including design patterns, TDD, BDD, and clean code principles.
• Experience setting up and managing CI/CD pipelines for automated build, deployment, and testing.
• Familiarity with modern DevOps practices and infrastructure as code (IaC).
• Proficiency in conducting architectural reviews ensuring systems meet scalability, performance, and maintainability requirements.
• Proven track record as a technical lead mentoring junior developers and promoting engineering excellence within teams.
• Strong communication skills for effectively conveying complex technical ideas to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent problem-solving aptitude focused on optimizing systems for performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Ability to balance strategic technical decisions with project timelines and business objectives.

Preferred Skills

• Additional front-end experience with frameworks like Angular.
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools such as CloudWatch, New Relic, or Datadog.
• Knowledge of NoSQL databases and data modeling approaches.
• Understanding of agile development methodologies including Scrum, XP, and Kanban.
• Familiarity or experience with AI/ML concepts.

Additional Information

Turnitin offers a comprehensive Total Rewards package beyond salary, including a remote-first work environment, generous paid time off, health coverage options, education reimbursements, wellness programs, parental leave, retirement plans, and volunteer and charitable matching opportunities. The company culture emphasizes integrity, learning, collaboration, customer focus, and a global perspective.

We encourage candidates who meet most of the requirements and demonstrate a willingness to learn and excel to apply.