Staff Systems Architect

Sava; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SAVA is seeking a Staff Systems Architect to drive system-level technical development across multidisciplinary programmes. You’ll own architecture and risk while supporting requirements and test, unifying software, hardware, chemistry, and manufacturing in pursuit of elegant, scalable, and robust designs.

You’ll thrive moving across domains, with broad technical range, curiosity, and humility. Regulatory collaboration is a key aspect of this senior role at SAVA.

Qualifications

• Broad technical understanding across engineering and science disciplines.
• Ability to learn unfamiliar domains quickly and ask precise questions.
• Strong system design judgment and transferable architectural skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level technical development across cross-functional features.
• Simplify interfaces, reduce coupling, and improve system reasoning.
• Identify weaknesses and risks using structured risk analyses (e.g., FMEA).
• Support testing activities and use results to refine designs.
• Define and refine requirements, diagrams, interfaces, and specs.
• Collaborate with software, hardware, chemistry, manufacturing, QA and regulatory teams.

Skills

Systems thinking

Architectural judgment

Cross-functional leadership

Risk analysis (FMEA)

Model-based engineering

Job description

About SAVA

All the health information we need is within us. Just below the skin. SAVA is redefining the way people interact with their health by developing the most advanced biosensing technology science has to offer, capable of accessing bodily information in a painless, real‑time and affordable way.

The Role

We are looking for a passionate Staff Systems Architect to drive system‑level technical development across complex, multidisciplinary product programmes at SAVA. Technical disciplines at SAVA span areas like mechanical engineering and chemistry through to manufacturing and software. Among the four pillars of Systems Engineering at SAVA (Requirements, Test, Architecture, Risk), this role focuses on Architecture & Risk, whilst firmly supporting Requirements & Test.

Its all about interfaces – obsess, refine, rinse and repeat. The relentless pursuit of system elegance is what this role is about. The right candidate will continuously simplify interfaces, lock in on areas of system brittleness, remove unnecessary coupling, challenge complexity, and keep iterating until the result is elegant, scalable, and robust. Does this resonate with you?

This role is for someone who enjoys moving across technical disciplines. A specialism in one or two areas is valuable, but the core requirement is broad technical range and, crucially, curiosity and humility to learn. If you prefer to stick with the familiarity of your own domain and keep other domains at arm’s length, this is not the right role for you.

What You’ll Do

• Lead technical development from a system‑level perspective across cross‑functional feature development cycles or other complex cross‑team initiatives.
• Drive architectural clarity by simplifying interfaces, reducing coupling, and making system behaviour easier to reason about.
• Use structured risk analysis techniques (e.g., FMEA) to identify system weaknesses & risks (patient, security etc.).
• Getting stuck in and supporting test efforts, and using them as feedback to validate/refine system design.
• Support in great requirements definition throughout.
• Consistently funneling work into clear tangible outputs such as requirements, block diagrams, interface control documents, architectural specifications, and introducing company‑level naming conventions where required.
• Enjoying the art of translating concepts, constraints, and trade‑offs between technical teams to allow cross‑disciplinary teams to truly engage. Technical teams at SAVA span areas such as software, hardware, mechanical, chemistry, biology, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory.
• Use model‑based engineering concepts where effective.
• Work closely with Quality and Regulatory Affairs to ensure designs and processes support regulatory compliance.
• Work closely with Programme Management to support timelines, coordination, and critical‑path delivery.
• Develop and refine technical processes that improve delivery quality and repeatability.

What We’re Looking For

• Broad technical understanding across multiple engineering and scientific disciplines.
• Ability to rapidly learn unfamiliar domains and ask precise, useful questions.
• Strong systems thinking and architectural judgment.
• Comfortable engaging deeply with technical detail without losing sight of the whole system.
• Confident and pragmatic to lead system design decisions, balancing collaboration with intentional design.
• The ability to keep conversations focused, balancing valuable diverse inputs whilst being confident and intentional in technically sound system design will be essential for the role of this seniority.
• Experience with risk analysis methods such as dFMEA, pFMEA, hazard analysis, or related techniques.
• Experience delivering cross‑functional technical programmes or feature cycles.

Bonus Points For

• Experience with creating and maintaining detailed documentation required for regulatory submissions and compliance for medical devices. Strong understanding of medical device regulations, including ISO 13485.
• A strong specialism in at least one relevant field is desirable.

Why SAVA?

This is a high‑ownership, high‑responsibility role in a company that’s building something complex, meaningful, and fast. The expectations are high, the learning curve is steep, and the work is often messy – but the impact is real.

We don’t have room for egos or passengers. What we do have is a team of thoughtful, driven, and mission‑aligned people who are committed to building something better – and doing it with urgency and integrity.