About the job

Division:  IT

Job type:  Principal Developer

Location:  Manchester, UK

At TAG, our company values matter. Each member of our staff should exemplify Teamwork, an Ambitious spirit and a Genuine attitude.

It is important that you have passion for the job you do, as well as a drive to want to do better. In return, TAG will support your growth and development, as well as offer opportunities to progress or maybe even change tack!

The What

The Principal Developer is a senior technical leader responsible for driving the architectural direction, design, and development of complex software systems. This role involves leading high-level projects, making strategic decisions regarding technology stacks, and ensuring the scalability, maintainability, and performance of applications. The Principal Developer works closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product, and business stakeholders, to align technical solutions with business objectives. This position performs important team leadership, primarily leading engineers and developers within the development function.

Role

As a Principal Developer, you will have a diverse and varied role. Here are just some of the things you’ll be getting involved with:

Development, design, architecture 

Technical leadership and oversight 

Innovation and Problem Solving 

Quality Assurance 

Governance and Compliance 

Strategy 

Budget Requirements 

IP 

Cross-Functional Collaboration 

Uphold TAG’s reputation for high-quality service levels and always represent TAG IT with full professionalism

Remain an expert in the design, development and maintenance of software applications, and high-quality scalable code, and stay comprehensively knowledgeable in the Travel, Entertainment and Events industries

Initiate continuous improvement and give suggestions and recommendations to continually improve at staff or business level

Partner with relevant TAG departments and personnel for cross-division and global business activities

Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time

The How

To be successful at TAG is as much about mindset and attitude as it is about skill set and qualifications. We’re a team who share the same desire and passion to go above and beyond for each and every client. We revel in making the seemingly impossible possible, always rising to the challenge with ambition and a genuine, open attitude.

We work flexibly to accommodate our TAG team colleagues, meaning on occasion there could be requirements outside of office hours to manage time zones and other work commitments. As a Principal Developer, there are several credentials and attributes which would be advantageous, but a determined attitude and willingness to learn, are equally important.

Education to Degree level or higher in related field, or in lieu of education, the equivalent combination of education and directly related experience 

Successful experience of working within development teams 

Experienced in Development methodologies covering both Agile and traditional Waterfall 

Proven record of working in an ambiguous and fast paced environment 

Working knowledge of travel industry technologies, e.g. booking tools and GDS systems 

Previous experience of developing software in the entertainment industry 

Accomplished technical awareness and trusted advisor with a collaborative and pragmatic approach 

Capable of creating the bandwidth to lead on multiple projects and manage staff teams simultaneously 

Ability to distribute workloads effectively, delegate appropriately and able to interchange independent work with teamwork 

Versatile, adaptable, and a willingness to handle constantly changing priorities with continued enthusiasm 

It is also a requirement have had strong practical experience of C# and Azure Development:

C# Development, .NET core/.NET Framework 

Full understanding of Object Orientated and SOA design patterns 

Azure: APIM, including extensive use of policies, caching and security aspects: 

Azure Functions 

Azure AI Search, using API and designing indexes 

Azure Blob and Table Storage used via Rest APIs 

Azure AD, Enterprise apps and interactions via Graph API 

Azure Cosmos DB 

Azure best practice architecture patterns 

Data sources: via ODBC, RESTful API, Message-based Architectures 

Development of relational and non-relational databases and ORMs, e.g. Entity Framework 

DevOps processes, CI/CD, writing Unit Tests 

Testing frameworks (e.g. xUnit, NUnit, MSTest), and broader testing tools such as Selenium, Playwright, Docker, Postman 

GitHub or similar 

Containerization tech: Docker, Kubernetes 

Relevant Microsoft Certifications 

The Where and When

This is a full-time role (35 hours per week) based in our Manchester office. Since March 2020, we have operated a flexible, hybrid approach to working and will continue to do this moving forward. We will work with you to find the best mix of office and home working that suits your life and the needs of the team.

You will report into the Engineering Manager who is also based in Manchester. There are other regional teams based in the US, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand that you may work closely with, too.

The Important Bit

About

As passionate as you may be about changing the face of travel, let’s be honest – you're not doing this for free. So, here’s our promise to you:

Competitive salary DOE 

Private Medical and Dental Insurance 

Wellness/EAP programme 

Employee discounts 

Enhanced employer pension contributions 

Service-based holiday entitlement 

We are also committed to offering an equal opportunity for all employees and applicants.

How to Apply

We want to know a bit about you. Send a cover letter outlining why you think TAG is a good fit for you and an up-to-date CV/resume to UK-Recruitment @Tag-group.com.

And before you press send, please make sure you’re eligible to work in the UK!