Lead Software Architect – Cambridge

About the role

We are looking for a Lead Software Architect to own the architecture and delivery of a key product platform for a leading client in Cambridge. You will bridge product strategy, solution design and engineering, ensuring the technical direction is clear, maintainable and aligned with business goals. The role combines hands‑on development with leadership of distributed engineering teams.

Key responsibilities

• Define and evolve service‑oriented, event‑driven and API‑first architectures.
• Translate product priorities into scalable, secure and resilient software solutions.
• Lead and mentor on‑site and remote engineering teams, including offshore and contract resources.
• Drive adoption of AI‑enhanced development practices to improve quality and throughput.
• Ensure compliance with secure development, authentication, authorisation and data‑protection standards.
• Collaborate with product, design and operations to align technical delivery with business objectives.

Required profile

• Proven senior‑level experience as a Lead or Principal Architect, owning end‑to‑end product or platform delivery.
• Strong background in building large‑scale production systems in Agile/DevOps environments.
• Experience leading distributed, multi‑disciplinary engineering teams.
• Excellent communication and decision‑making skills, with the ability to influence across functions.

Required skills

• TypeScript
• Node.js
• Vue.js or React
• Cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• CI/CD pipelines
• Infrastructure‑as‑code (Terraform, CloudFormation, etc.)
• AI‑assisted development tools

What we offer

• Competitive salary up to £91,000 per year, dependent on experience.
• Hybrid work model – 2‑3 days per week on site.
• Opportunity to shape architecture for a high‑impact product platform.
• Collaborative environment with cutting‑edge technologies.