Architect, Agentic Interfaces

IFS; Staines-upon-Thames; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Job summary

IFS is building AI-native enterprise software and seeking a senior architect to own the agent-native layer end-to-end. You will oversee architecture across multiple teams, define interface contracts, and ensure secure, scalable design for production AI applications.

You'll influence senior stakeholders, shape evaluation standards, and collaborate with product, platform engineering and AI teams to drive the delivery roadmap. Hybrid work is offered, with a global impact.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software engineering with 3+ years in a lead architect role on a platform used by other teams or external developers.
• Track record of owning the architecture of a production platform at enterprise scale.
• Deep API and interface design experience, including versioning, backward compatibility and deprecation.
• Hands-on experience with AI systems that call tools or functions in production.
• Experience with semantic modelling, knowledge graphs or ontologies over an existing product or data estate.
• Security and multi-tenancy design: identity, entitlements, isolation between customers.
• Able to hold a technical position with senior stakeholders and change it on evidence.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture of the agent-facing interface, the semantic layer beneath it and the controls around it.
• Set and hold the interface contract: what is exposed, at what granularity, how it versions, and what stays private.
• Adjudicate between competing technical approaches and make the call.
• Define the evaluation approach that decides whether the layer is good enough to expose.
• Establish the security and governance model for agent access, covering identity and entitlements.
• Work with product management, platform engineering and AI teams to sequence the build against a roadmap.
• Represent the architecture to senior technical stakeholders inside IFS, customers, and partners.

Skills

Software engineering

Lead architect

API design

AI production systems

Security & multi-tenancy

Semantic modelling

Stakeholder influence

Job description

At IFS, we're building the next generation of AI-native enterprise software, transforming how some of the world's largest organisations manage assets, operations and critical services.

This is an opportunity to work at the forefront of modern AI engineering, building intelligent products that combine Large Language Models (LLMs), agentic AI and cloud-native technologies to solve complex, real-world business challenges at enterprise scale.

We're looking for engineers who are passionate about building production AI systems and excited by the opportunity to shape the future of enterprise software.

Please note that this role requires demonstrable, hands-on experience designing, building and shipping production AI applications.

IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents. We deliver award-winning enterprise software solutions through the use of embedded digital innovation and a single cloud-based platform to help businesses be their best when it really matters-at the Moment of Service™.

At IFS, we're flexible, we're innovative, and we're focused not only on how we can engage with our customers, but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact. We help solve some of society's greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.

We celebrate diversity and accept that there are so many different perspectives in this world. As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.

By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.

We're looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can #MakeYourMoment so that we can help others make theirs.

If you want to change the status quo, we'll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.

Job Description

Own the technical design of the agent-native layer end to end, and hold it coherent across the teams building into it. This is a hands-on architecture role with design authority, not a line-management role.

Key responsibilities

• Own the architecture of the agent-facing interface, the semantic layer beneath it and the controls around it, and keep the design coherent as separate teams build into it.
• Set and hold the interface contract: what is exposed, at what granularity, how it versions, and what stays private.
• Adjudicate between competing technical approaches where more than one team is solving the same problem, and make the call.
• Define the evaluation approach that decides whether the layer is good enough to expose, and set the standard the engineering teams build to.
• Establish the security and governance model for agent access, covering identity, entitlements, isolation between customers and safe defaults.
• Work with product management, platform engineering and the AI teams to sequence the build against a delivery roadmap.
• Represent the architecture to senior technical stakeholders inside IFS, to customers, and to partners.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software engineering with 3+ years in a lead architect role on a platform used by other teams or external developers.
• Track record of owning the architecture of a production platform at enterprise scale, through delivery rather than on paper.
• Deep API and interface design experience, including versioning, backward compatibility and deprecation across a large consumer base.
• Hands-on experience with AI systems that call tools or functions in production, and a clear view of where they fail.
• Experience with semantic modelling, knowledge graphs or ontologies over an existing product or data estate.
• Security and multi-tenancy design experience: identity, entitlements, isolation between customers.
• Able to hold a technical position with senior stakeholders and change it on evidence.

Desirable

• Experience of enterprise application platforms and their extension or integration models.
• Published or public technical work: standards contributions, open source, conference talks.
• Background in asset-intensive industries.

Additional Information

We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships.