Principal Full Stack Engineer (Azure AI Search & Elasticsearch)

Location: London, UK; 2 days onsite per week

Salary

Competitive.

Company

hirify.global is recruiting for a contract software engineering role focused on enterprise search, cloud platforms, and AI-driven applications.

What you will do

• Design and optimize enterprise search solutions with Elasticsearch and Azure AI Search.
• Define Elasticsearch cluster architecture, index mappings, aggregation queries, lifecycle strategies, and performance improvements.
• Build Azure AI Search capabilities using indexers, custom skillsets, vector search, and semantic ranking.
• Develop responsive search-focused applications with JavaScript or TypeScript and React, Angular, or Vue.
• Build APIs, backend services, enterprise RAG, and Generative AI solutions across the Azure ecosystem.
• Deploy and operate applications with Docker, Kubernetes, AKS, CI/CD pipelines, Terraform, or Bicep while providing technical leadership.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of software engineering or solution architecture experience.
• Deep hands-on Elasticsearch experience, including cluster architecture, mappings, aggregations, Lucene internals, performance tuning, and snapshot/restore.
• Production experience with Azure AI Search, including indexers, custom skillsets, vector search, and semantic rankers.
• Strong JavaScript or TypeScript development skills with React, Angular, or Vue.
• Experience with Azure Web Apps, Functions, Event Grid, Key Vault, API Management, Private Endpoints, Docker, Kubernetes/AKS, and CI/CD.
• Practical experience delivering enterprise GenAI and RAG solutions with LangChain or LlamaIndex, plus the ability to influence architectural decisions at principal level.

Nice to have

• Relevant Microsoft Azure or Elastic certifications.

Culture & Benefits

• Six-month contract engagement.
• Outside IR35 contract structure.
• Hybrid working with two onsite days in London.