Lead Software Architect

Jacobs; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Well-being benefits

Volunteer program

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking an experienced Enterprise Architect to shape how a global product organisation designs, builds and evolves its software. You will set architectural principles, drive scalable and secure solutions, and lead across product and engineering teams in multiple markets.

You will guide complex enterprise software delivery, establish technical standards, and explore AI-enabled capabilities to create sustainable value for Jacobs and its clients.

Qualifications

• Significant experience delivering complex enterprise software systems.
• Strong knowledge of software architecture, system design and patterns.
• Experience designing scalable, secure and maintainable software.
• Led technical initiatives across multiple teams.
• Judgement to balance strategy with delivery constraints.
• Experience with cloud-based platforms.
• Familiarity with CI/CD, DevOps and source control.
• Ability to explain complex decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define architecture strategy enabling scalable, secure product platforms.
• Lead architecture and design discussions across engineering and product teams.
• Guide development of complex enterprise software and integrations.
• Identify opportunities to improve platforms and engineering practices.
• Explore AI and agent-based capabilities to create strategic value.

Skills

Enterprise software design

Software architecture

Cloud platforms

CI/CD & DevOps

Stakeholder communication

Cross-team leadership

Technical decision framing

AI/agent-based capabilities

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission‑critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting‑edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

You will shape how a global product organisation designs, builds and evolves its software. You will give teams the technical direction and practical frameworks they need to deliver high-quality products more consistently. This is an opportunity to influence more than an individual platform or project. You will establish architectural principles and patterns that can be applied across products, helping the organisation make better technical decisions and create greater long-term value from its technology. You will also help determine where artificial intelligence and agent‑based capabilities can solve meaningful problems. This includes ensuring that platforms, data, integrations and engineering practices are ready to support more intelligent and connected digital products.

About The Opportunity

You will help shape how a global product organisation designs, builds and evolves its software. Working across product and engineering teams in all our markets, you will define an architecture strategy that enables products to become more scalable, secure, integrated and easier to change. You will introduce practical architectural principles, reusable patterns and technical standards that help teams make better decisions, reduce unnecessary complexity and deliver high-quality software more consistently. This is a broad and influential role where you will remain connected to delivery while setting the longer‑term technical direction. You will lead architecture and design discussions, guide the development of complex enterprise software and identify opportunities to improve platforms, integrations and engineering practices. You will also explore where AI and agent‑based capabilities can create genuine value, helping ensure the organisation’s technology, data and delivery approach are ready to support more intelligent and connected digital products. Success will mean creating an architecture that works in practice, earns the confidence of engineering teams and supports sustainable product growth.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Significant experience designing and delivering complex enterprise software systems.
• Strong knowledge of software architecture, system design, architectural patterns and technical trade‑offs.
• Experience designing software that is scalable, maintainable, secure and extensible.
• Evidence of leading technical initiatives across more than one engineering or product team.
• The judgement to balance strategic architecture with practical delivery constraints.
• Experience working with cloud‑based software platforms.
• A good understanding of modern software delivery practices, including CI/CD, DevOps and source control.
• The ability to explain complex technical decisions clearly to engineering, product and non‑technical stakeholders.

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well‑being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about ourJacobs Employee Networks here.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https//www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.