Software Engineer & Path To Product Architect

Ocho People; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing technology company based in Belfast is seeking a Software Engineer to transition into a Product/Technical Architecture pathway. In this role, you'll collaborate with Product Architects and Engineering teams to define Minimum Viable Features and produce solution designs. Candidates should have 4+ years of experience in software development and a strong understanding of APIs and cloud technologies. This position offers career growth opportunities within a hybrid working culture.

Benefits

Career growth opportunities

Mentorship and exposure to senior architects

Flexible working culture

Qualifications

• 4+ years' experience as a Software Engineer.
• Experience in product development with an interest in architecture.
• Strong understanding of APIs, distributed systems, and cloud components.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate to define and document Minimum Viable Features (MVFs).
• Produce solution designs and handoff specifications to engineering teams.
• Maintain documentation and dashboards on ongoing product work.

Skills

Software development

API development

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Tools

AWS

Databases

Job description

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Software Engineer ready to step into a Product/Technical Architecture pathway. This is a unique, hands-on growth role designed for engineers who want to transition into product and solution architecture, gaining exposure to strategic decision-making, stakeholder management, and solution design.

You'll work closely with Product Architects, Software Architects, Product Managers, and Engineering teams, helping translate business requirements into Minimum Viable Features (MVFs), API specifications, and actionable engineering projects. Mentorship, coaching, and a clear career pathway are provided to enable your progression into a full Product Architect role.

This is not a Product Manager position - it's designed for engineers who want to move away from purely coding-focused roles and expand their influence over architecture, solution design, and product delivery.

What You'll Be Doing

• Collaborate with Product Managers to review, refine, and prioritise business requirements
• Work with Software Architects and Engineering teams to define and document MVFs (1-6 month deliverables)
• Produce solution designs, gain architectural approval, and handoff specifications to engineering teams
• Write and maintain API specifications (e.g., Swagger)
• Engage with Engineering, Security, Compliance, and Architecture disciplines on a daily basis
• Apply commercial awareness, understanding ROI, usage frequency, and the business impact of technical decisions
• Maintain clear documentation and dashboards on ongoing product work
• Support release planning, issue resolution, and alignment between product and engineering teams

What We're Looking For

Essential Criteria

• 4+ years' experience as a Software Engineer
• Hands-on experience in product development, with an interest in moving into architecture/solutions roles
• Strong understanding of APIs, client-server architectures, distributed systems, and cloud components (e.g., AWS)
• Comfortable working with databases, querying for insights/statistics, and system architecture
• Curious, analytical, and able to reduce scope while maintaining commercial impact
• Strong communication skills and high emotional intelligence, able to work with stakeholders daily

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in enterprise engineering and N-tier systems
• Familiarity with payment systems or regulated environments (nice-to-have)
• Understanding of API design, logging, external integrations, and solution documentation
• Ability to prioritise work and assess technical decisions for business impact

Why Join

• Career growth: Step into a Product Architect career path while leveraging your engineering experience
• High-impact work: Contribute to critical, revenue-generating systems from Belfast, a core strategic engineering site
• Flexible working: Hybrid / remote-friendly culture - office attendance optional
• Mentorship & exposure: Work closely with senior architects and product leaders, shaping your development and influence
• Commercially aware engineering: Learn to balance technical solutions with business goals, ROI, and product strategy

This is an ideal role for a software engineer looking to grow into architecture, gain strategic exposure, and make a tangible impact on high-value, complex product platforms.