Solutions Architect (Contract, Outside IR35)

hedgehog lab; Newcastle upon Tyne; Remote; GBP 83,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

hedgehog lab is a digital product consultancy based in the UK with 20 years of experience. You will design systems and cloud architectures for client projects and act as the technical voice with clients during discovery, shaping the technical approach and guiding engineering teams.

Remote-first role with potential on-site workshops, collaborating with delivery and product teams to scope and estimate new work for public and private sector clients across health tech, retail and financial services.

Qualifications

• You've designed systems on commercial projects, as a solutions architect or under another job title.
• You've designed cloud architecture for systems running in production, ideally on AWS.
• You've worked directly with clients to agree what gets built.
• You can explain technical decisions to people who aren't technical, such as client stakeholders and product owners.

Responsibilities

• Designing systems and cloud architecture for client projects
• Working with clients to understand what they need and shaping the technical approach
• Guiding engineering teams on how to build what you've designed
• Building proofs of concept to test ideas early
• Reviewing technical decisions on live projects, including security
• Helping estimate new work

Skills

Systems design

Cloud architecture

AWS

Client engagement

Technical storytelling

Tools

TypeScript

Python

Node

Job description

Design How It's Built, And Help Clients Get There

You'll design the systems behind our client projects and be the technical voice in the room when clients are working out what they need.

What's In It For You

You'll work with clients from the early conversations, alongside delivery and product.

You'll work alongside engineers who build with AI agents every day.

Who You'll Be Doing It For

hedgehog lab is a digital product consultancy with 20 years behind us. We build apps, websites and AI platforms for public and private sector clients in health tech, retail and financial services.

Our project teams are 5 to 15 people, made up of agentic engineers, software engineers, QA and designers.

We're around 100 people across the UK and Europe, about a quarter of them contractors.

What You'll Be Doing

• Designing systems and cloud architecture for client projects
• Working with clients to understand what they need and shaping the technical approach
• Guiding engineering teams on how to build what you've designed

Some of your time, depending on your strengths:

• Building proofs of concept to test ideas early
• Reviewing technical decisions on live projects, including security
• Helping estimate new work

Experience You'll Need

• You've designed systems on commercial projects, as a solutions architect or under another job title
• You've designed cloud architecture for systems running in production, ideally on AWS
• You've worked directly with clients to agree what gets built
• You can explain technical decisions to people who aren't technical, such as client stakeholders and product owners

Experience That Would Help, But Isn't Essential

• You've written production code in TypeScript, Python or Node
• You've run technical reviews across more than one team
• You've worked on a large replatforming or data migration
• You've worked in a consultancy or agency
• You've been involved in pre- and post-sales work, such as scoping new projects and supporting delivery once they're signed
• You've built with AI agents

Contract details

Outside IR35.

Start within a week, for three months.

Remote first, with potentially some time on client sites for workshops and key meetings on an ad-hoc basis.