Software Architect

About IRIS

IRIS Software Group is one of the UK's largest privately held software companies, trusted by 100,000+ businesses, schools and accountancy firms to keep their operations running. Our software pays 1 in 6 UK employees, supports over 12,000 schools, and is relied on by 91 of the top 100 UK accountancy firms.

We're a Great Place to Work® certified employer, recognised for our commitment to well-being, inclusion and development - and we're growing fast.

IRIS is expanding its next-generation cloud platform (IRIS Elements), a cloud-native SaaS platform built on event-driven, serverless, and container-based architectures (primarily AWS).

This role is a hands-on Architect (Level 4) position focused on supporting delivery teams and senior architects by producing high-quality architectural artefacts and ensuring consistent implementation of architectural direction.

The role requires the ability to work across application layers, including frontend, service, integration, and platform concerns, ensuring cohesive end-to-end solution design.

This is a highly collaborative role working closely with Senior and Principal Architects, engineering teams to translate architecture direction into practical delivery outcomes. The role is particularly well suited to strong senior engineers or emerging architects looking to broaden their architectural experience across multiple domains and teams.

Role Positioning

· Works alongside Senior and Principal Architects; does not replace or compete with them

· No tribe ownership or line management responsibilities

· Focused on collaborative architecture delivery and implementation support across the teams

· Success in the role comes from enabling teams, improving architectural consistency, and helping translate strategy into effective implementation.

Responsibilities

Architecture & Design

· Produce clear, implementable solution designs and architecture artefacts

· Translate high-level architectural direction into concrete designs

· Ensure alignment with established principles and standards

· Contribute to architecture backlog and design refinement

· Support architectural consistency across frontend, backend, and platform components

AI / LLM Application

· Support practical adoption of AI/LLMs in engineering workflows and products

· Contribute reusable patterns for LLM integration

· Guide teams on trade-offs (cost, accuracy, security, latency)

· Promote pragmatic use of AI rather than experimental or hype-driven adoption

Engineering Enablement

· Work closely with tribe architects and engineering teams

· Provide day-to-day architectural guidance

· Support planning by identifying risks and dependencies

· Help unblock teams from a design perspective

Platform & Cloud

· Apply and reinforce cloud-native patterns (event-driven, scalable systems)

· Support effective use of AWS and platform services

· Improve consistency across implementations

Quality & Standards

· Ensure designs are secure, maintainable, and observable

· Support adherence to engineering standards

· Identify and help reduce technical debt

Person Specification

Experience

· Strong senior engineering background or early architecture experience

· Experience with cloud-native systems (AWS preferred)

· Understanding of distributed, event-driven, and full-stack application architectures, including frontend integration patterns

· Ability to convert architecture into implementable designs

· Clear communication across technical and non-technical audiences

· Experience working with modern frontend application architectures and APIs is beneficial

· Ability to collaborate effectively with frontend engineering teams and contribute to end-to-end user-facing solution design

AI / LLM Exposure

· Experience using AI-assisted development tools

· Basic experience integrating LLM capabilities or strong interest in doing so

· Understanding of practical constraints (cost, performance, security)

Desirable

· Experience with SaaS platforms at scale

· Exposure to Terraform or infrastructure as code

· Migration from legacy to modern architectures

· Awareness of security best practices

Competencies

· Pragmatic and delivery-focused

· Strong systems thinking

· Collaborative, low-ego approach

· Attention to detail in design

· Willingness to learn and adapt (especially in AI space)

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Impact: Your work will influence millions globally.

• Growth: Continuous learning and career development opportunities.

• Belonging: A culture that celebrates diversity and empowers every individual.

Ready to Apply?

Click Apply - we’re excited to learn about your unique perspective and experience. If you need adjustments during the process, let us know. We’re committed to making this opportunity accessible to everyone.

What to expect from our hiring process

Our process is designed to be fair, transparent and straightforward. Stages vary depending on the role — more senior positions may involve additional steps, and some areas include role-specific assessments such as a technical test or case study — but typically you can expect:

• Application review — we assess your experience and potential

• Initial call — a short conversation to learn about you and share more about the role

• Skills assessment — tailored to the position, e.g. case study, coding challenge or portfolio review

• Final interview — meet the team and explore how you'll make an IMPACT at IRIS

We'll always walk you through the specific stages at the start of the process so you can prepare with confidence.

If you need any adjustments or accommodations during the process, let us know, we’re committed to making this experience accessible for everyone.