Principal Software Architect

Spectrum IT Recruitment; Uxbridge; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Spectrum IT Recruitment is seeking a Principal Architect in the Uxbridge area to shape the future of a broad, complex technology platform across multiple systems, services and data capabilities. You will define architectural directions at the platform level and collaborate with engineering and product leaders to ensure a scalable, maintainable architecture.

The role is hybrid with 2 days onsite per week in the office, reporting to the CTO.

Qualifications

• Proven experience defining architecture across SaaS, product-led or platform-based environments.
• Experience working across complex, multi-system or distributed technology landscapes.
• Strong understanding of API design, integration architecture and service-oriented systems.
• Cloud architecture experience, ideally within Azure.
• A strong appreciation for security-by-design, resilience, scalability and operational excellence.
• Comfortable influencing technical direction without formal management responsibility.
• Experience leading platform consolidation or large-scale modernisation programmes would be highly advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Defining architectural principles, standards and target-state designs across the platform.
• Driving platform consolidation and reducing duplication across systems.
• Defining service boundaries, ownership models and integration patterns.
• Reviewing significant technical initiatives and providing architectural guidance across multiple engineering teams.
• Embedding security, resilience, scalability and observability into platform design from the outset.
• Identifying architectural risk, technical debt and platform constraints.
• Partnering with Engineering and Product leadership on strategic technical decisions.

Job description

Uxbridge, Greater West London - Hybrid working, 2 days onsite per week in the office
Salary: £100,000 - £120,000 + benefits

Are you comfortable setting architectural direction across an entire technology estate rather than focusing on a single product or project?

Spectrum IT's client are looking for a Principal Architect to shape the future of a broad, complex technology platform comprising multiple systems, services, integrations and data capabilities. As the business continues to evolve, you'll play a key role in creating a more consistent, scalable and maintainable architecture.

This is a genuine platform-level architecture position. You'll define architectural principles, establish technical standards and support engineering teams in making decisions that stand the test of time.

We're looking for someone who has operated at platform or business level within a SaaS, product-led or multi-service environment. This role is about guiding the evolution of an entire technology landscape rather than delivering architecture for a single project. It wouldn't suit someone whose experience has been limited to a single product or individual engineering team.

What you'll be doing

• Defining architectural principles, standards and target-state designs across the platform


• Driving platform consolidation and reducing duplication across systems


• Defining service boundaries, ownership models and integration patterns


• Reviewing significant technical initiatives and providing architectural guidance across multiple engineering teams


• Embedding security, resilience, scalability and observability into platform design from the outset


• Identifying architectural risk, technical debt and platform constraints


• Partnering with Engineering and Product leadership on strategic technical decisions


• Influencing engineering teams through technical credibility rather than direct line management

What we're looking for

• Proven experience defining architecture across SaaS, product-led or platform-based environments


• Experience working across complex, multi-system or distributed technology landscapes


• Strong understanding of API design, integration architecture and service-oriented systems


• Cloud architecture experience, ideally within Azure


• A strong appreciation for security-by-design, resilience, scalability and operational excellence


• Comfortable influencing technical direction without formal management responsibility
  
• Experience leading platform consolidation or large-scale modernisation programmes would be highly advantageous

This is an opportunity to influence the long-term technical direction of a complex and evolving platform. You'll work closely with senior engineering and product leaders, helping shape architectural decisions that will have a lasting impact across the organisation while reporting to the CTO.

If you're an experienced architect who enjoys balancing strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery, and you're passionate about creating coherent, scalable platforms rather than isolated solutions, we'd love to hear from you.