Principal Architect

S&C are recruiting Principal Architect to join a high-performing technology environment, shaping the architecture of a modern, evolving SaaS platform. This role sits between product vision and engineering execution, ensuring solutions are technically sound, commercially viable, and aligned to long-term platform evolution.

The Role

Own the end-to-end technical design across the platform, ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, and aligned to long-term architectural direction. Acting as the bridge between product and engineering, the role validates feasibility early, translates requirements into clear designs, and supports teams through delivery to ensure outcomes match intent. It also involves governing data architecture, maintaining platform consistency, managing technical risk, and contributing to technology strategy. This includes the thoughtful adoption of emerging capabilities such as AI always with a strong commercial and pragmatic focus.

Key Skills & Experience

• Senior-level experience in software engineering with proven capability designing systems at scale.
• Brownfield architecture capability: review, diagnose, and improve an existing platform.
• Strong expertise in cloud-native architectures (AWS preferred), microservices, APIs, and data modelling.
• Experience producing and owning technical designs for SaaS platforms, including architecture artefacts, API specifications, and data models.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable design artefacts.
• Strong commercial judgement when assessing feasibility, trade-offs, and delivery impacts, with a clear understanding of the “so what” behind architectural decisions.
• Real-world commercial software engineering experience with exposure to enterprise-grade systems and environments.
• A pragmatic, outcome-focused approach to architecture—balancing best practice with business value and delivery realities.
• Comfortable exploring new technologies, including AI, while prioritising practical solutions that solve genuine business problems rather than applying approaches purely based on past experience.
• Solid grounding in secure design principles (e.g., OWASP, privacy-by-design, compliance frameworks).
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without relying on formal authority.
• Experience incorporating AI/ML into system design is highly regarded.

What Sets You Apart

• You bring clarity to complexity and communicate the reasoning behind architectural decisions.
• You think holistically, ensuring local decisions support the broader platform.
• You balance innovation with pragmatism, focusing on outcomes that deliver tangible value.
• You remain engaged through delivery, ensuring designs translate into real, successful outcomes.

For further information or a confidential discussion, please submit your CV directly or email Jaydene d'Offay - [email protected]