Principal Software Architect

Uxbridge, Greater West London - Hybrid working, 2 days onsite per week in the officeSalary: £100,000 - £120,000 + benefitsAre 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 doingDefining architectural principles, standards and target-state designs across the platformDriving platform consolidation and reducing duplication across systemsDefining service boundaries, ownership models and integration patternsReviewing significant technical initiatives and providing architectural guidance across multiple engineering teamsEmbedding security, resilience, scalability and observability into platform design from the outsetIdentifying architectural risk, technical debt and platform constraintsPartnering with Engineering and Product leadership on strategic technical decisionsInfluencing engineering teams through technical credibility rather than direct line managementWhat we're looking forProven experience defining architecture across SaaS, product-led or platform-based environmentsExperience working across complex, multi-system or distributed technology landscapesStrong understanding of API design, integration architecture and service-oriented systemsCloud architecture experience, ideally within AzureA strong appreciation for security-by-design, resilience, scalability and operational excellenceComfortable influencing technical direction without formal management responsibilityExperience leading platform consolidation or large-scale modernisation programmes would be highly advantageousWhy join?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.Spectrum IT Recruitment (South) Limited is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.TPBN1_UKTJ