Principal Engineer

£76,879

New entrants to the Civil Service will start their role on the salary band minimum £76,879 for National roles or £80,879 for London roles.

You may be eligible for an additional non-pensionable allowance, pending a Capability and Skills Assessment, with a value of up to £18,721.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Alongside your salary of £76,879, Home Office contributes £22,271 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Why work for us...

Find out more information at: Benefits - Home Office Careers, but some of the primary ones are:

• A Civil Service Pension with employer contribution rates of at least 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service.
• 8 days of public holidays, plus 1 additional privilege day.

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The advertised role is part of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession. This role has access to a digital capability-based allowance. Applicants who are successful at interview will be invited to complete a Capability and Skills Assessment post-interview. Any allowance awarded will be based on the assessment of your capability against the six skills advertised for this role. Please see the Home Office Pay Framework Allowance Careers page for more information.

The allowance values are set by the Home Office, subject to remaining in a qualifying role. This allowance is non-contractual, subject to an annual review and could be withdrawn at any time.

For both new entrants and existing civil servants, the total compensation offer is a combination of base salary and, if applicable, a capability-based allowance. The pay ranges for this role are National: £76,879 - £84,567 and London: £80,879- £88,967. New entrants to the Civil Service will start on the pay range minimum. For existing civil servants, our policies on level transfer and promotion will apply.

• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.

We are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.

This role sits in the Shared Applications Service department, with over 650 engineers. This is the engineering capability, developing in all areas including policing, Border Force, and migration. It includes the Automation and Innovation portfolio, which this role is focused on.

The Home Office Automation and Innovation portfolio delivers the government's commitment to "set the standard for excellence in the AI age" - harnessing cutting-edge technology to revolutionise public service delivery. As outlined in the Government's Generative AI Framework, we're in "a period of rapid and exciting technological changes, which offers huge potential", and we're turning that potential into reality.

Our work spans Home Office mission-critical operations, such as transforming Border Security and immigration processes, to revolutionising asylum case management and enhancing Counter-Terrorism capabilities. Imagine developing technology that helps reunite families, creates safer communities, protects vulnerable people, and ensures smoother journeys for the millions travelling to and from the UK.

Each area presents unique challenges where AI and automation can deliver substantial efficiency savings and improve outcomes for the public and colleagues.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Applicants can raise any queries to the email address at the bottom of the advert.

Watch this short video to hear from members of Home Office Digital talking about the projects they work on and their experience of working here: Working for Home Office Digital.

The Principal Engineer may be expected to take charge of engineering work across an ensemble of teams, or in a particular area of the business, such as the Automation Centre. You will be responsible for ensuring that engineering work can be done effectively in your area, relying on context provided by your Lead Engineers and peers. You will be expected to line manage or supervise multiple Lead Engineers.

As a Principal Engineer, your work will have an external focus, feeding insights into project/program management to ensure appropriate resourcing decisions are made, including ensuring assurance teams/processes are up to standard. You will be the central point of contact for engineers in your area, ensuring the systems produced are sustainable and meet Digital, Data and Technology strategy.

Along with other Senior, Lead and Principal engineers in your area, you will be responsible for ensuring that all technical approaches are appropriate and endorsed. You will take part in planning with senior stakeholders to ensure product delivery and maintenance is on a firm basis. Your remit will be across the engineering function and working closely with Architects and other professions.

• Supporting implementation against strategy; leading multiple engineering teams in line with our architecture and professions.
• Planning our workforce and recruiting civil servants, building a strong technical talent pool; coaching and mentoring as necessary.
• Ensuring the engineering activities undertaken in teams under your supervision are following suitable standards.
• Supporting technical decision making, feeding into roadmaps and overall strategy for the Engineering function in your area. Presenting decisions up and down the organisation clearly.
• Coordinating with other engineering leads to form an overall community, acting as the central point of contact in your area and leading collaborative efforts.

Like many organisations we need to maintain our services 24/7, therefore, on occasions there may be a requirement to work out of hours, for which you will be paid an additional allowance.

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time, Compressed hours

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working. This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 30 hours per week due to business requirements.

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 9th November 2026

487351

Grade 6

Permanent

Digital
Information Technology

1

Salford, Sheffield

We are keen for Engineers to continue learning new technologies, we have a large range in the Home Office including:

• Backend: C#, Java, Node.js, Python, PHP, Scala, Power Platform.
• Frontend: React, JavaScript, Typescript, Angular.
• Data: PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Mongodb, Apache Cassandra.
• DevOps/Platforms: Azure, AWS, Kubernetes, Azure, Jenkins, Docker, Ansible, Terraform.
• AI: Azure ML Studio, Python, Github Copilot, OpenAI.

Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) version 8 is the technical framework that sets the standard capability and development of all levels in the Home Office. This is a link to the capability framework: All skills A - Z English (sfia-online.org).

We use set SFIA technical skills to form our interview questions and we will assess you against these technical skills during the selection process.

The essential skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession Career Framework (based on the industry standard SFIA framework). Use the SFIA Levels of responsibility to understand what would be expected for each technical skills listed below.

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Systems development management (DLMG) - Level 5
• Software design (SWDN) - Level 4
• Programming/software development (PROG) - Level 3
• Performance management (PEMT) - Level 4
• Professional development (PDSV) - Level 5
• Quality management (QUMG) - Level 5

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

If you have previously made an unsuccessful application for a role with the same essential skills and are not able to demonstrate how you have developed these skills since your last application, please reconsider applying as your application is unlikely to be successful.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms directly. If you are doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

A reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Reserve lists may be held for each location. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location where this applies.

Job offers to this post are made based on merit. We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same competencies and essential skills.

For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers.

Please note that this role requires Security Check (SC) clearance, which would normally need 5 years' UK residency in the past 5 years.

However, in exceptional circumstances security clearance applications for candidates who have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years may be considered. Failure to meet this residency requirement will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the "Assistance Required" section in the "Additional Requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a language service professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

• Name : AC Recruitment
• Email : ACRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk

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