Principal Engineer
Likely
Sponsorship likelihood
This employer has issued visas recently
Not disclosed
Salary
Not disclosed by employer
£54,700
Going rate
Skilled Worker going rate
This role likely qualifies for a Skilled Worker visa
SOC 2134 (90% match) is an eligible occupation, with a going rate of £54,700, and Specsavers Optical Superstores Limited is a licensed sponsor. That is our reading of the rules. Whether they issue a Certificate of Sponsorship is still their call.
New graduate or PhD holder? Pick one of the lower rates.
What each route needs for this job
| Occupation code | New entrant 70% of going rate | STEM PhD 80% of going rate | Relevant PhD 90% of going rate | Standard rate 100% of going rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2134 Programmers and software development professionals Most likely code | £38,300 | £43,700 | £49,200 | £54,700 |
2133 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers Also possible | £38,400 | £43,900 | £49,400 | £54,900 |
We use the lowest threshold across the plausible codes. Likelihood is Possible at most when the pay clears only a lower rate, or only under a less likely code. How the Home Office picks the code
About the role
Are you a Principal Engineer who loves being hands-on, solving complex technical problems, and building products that customers use every day?
At Specsavers, we're building something truly exciting. Our IDOC business operates with the pace, innovation, and ownership mindset of a startup, backed by the investment and stability of a global organisation. We're looking for a Principal Engineer to play a key role in shaping the future of our digital platform as we continue to scale and evolve our products across the US market.
This isn't a traditional leadership role where you're managing from a distance.
We're specifically looking for a highly technical engineering leader whose primary passion remains engineering. Someone who still enjoys writing production code, solving difficult technical challenges, reviewing architecture, and working directly with teams to build great software. You'll help define technical direction and engineering standards while remaining deeply involved in implementation, delivery, debugging, and production operations.
Our products span frontend applications, backend services, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and digital commerce capabilities. We're particularly interested in candidates with strong frontend engineering expertise who can help drive improvements in architecture, performance, maintainability, quality, accessibility, and customer experience across our digital products.
You'll thrive in this role if you're equally comfortable discussing long-term architecture strategy and rolling your sleeves up to ship production code. One day you might be designing platform capabilities and shaping engineering standards, the next reviewing code, troubleshooting production issues, or delivering new features alongside the team. You'll work closely with Product, Design, Development, and Architecture leaders to turn ambitious ideas into exceptional customer experiences.
We're looking for someone who has experience as a Principal Engineer, Staff Engineer, Lead Engineer, or senior technical leader within a high-growth technology business. You'll bring a strong track record of building and scaling modern SaaS products, deep engineering expertise across modern web technologies, and the ability to move comfortably between strategy, architecture, and hands-on delivery.
You'll also have the opportunity to support and develop a small UK engineering team. While people leadership forms part of the role, the focus remains firmly on technical leadership, engineering excellence, product delivery, and building great software. This role is perfect for someone who wants to lead through technical expertise rather than moving into a purely management-focused career.
If you're excited by the idea of joining a startup-like environment within Specsavers, helping shape the future of our US digital products, influencing technical strategy, and remaining at the heart of engineering delivery, we'd love to hear from you. Join us as Principal Engineer and help build the next generation of digital experiences for our customers.
#LI-CB1
This description is the source posting as it read when we added it. We are not affiliated with Specsavers Optical Superstores Limited, so check their own site for the current details.
Where this offer sits in the market
Programmers and software development professionals (SOC 2134) · UK · ONS ASHE 2025 · basic pay · ~399k in sample- Middle half £42,536–76,752
- Median £56,784
- Going rate £54,700
- Threshold £41,700
- New entrant £38,300–49,200
Similar sponsored roles
See all UK visa jobsNo close matches live right now.
Browse more sponsored jobs at Specsavers Optical Superstores LimitedAbout sponsorship for this role
Does this job guarantee visa sponsorship?
Not necessarily. Specsavers Optical Superstores Limited holds a sponsor licence, but sponsorship for a specific hire is always the employer's decision. Be upfront in your application that you'll require it.
What salary is needed for this role to be eligible?
The offer must clear both the general threshold and the SOC 2134 going rate of £54,700. New-entrant and shortage discounts can lower it.