Hands-On (Senior) Architect (f/m/d)

This is not a pure planning role. We are seeking a deeply technical, hands-on architect who will spend the majority of their time producing code, building systems, and leading execution. You will bridge the gap between strategy and daily development, ensuring architectural vision is translated into clean, performant, and maintainable code across our entire stack.

You will have architectural oversight of our core systems, which include: a unified Flutter mobile/web application, a TypeScript-based API layer, sophisticated Python data pipelines (Prefect), Keycloak for authentication, and an event-driven system powered by LavinMQ.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Hands-On System Design & Execution:

• Design and implement critical architectural components while authoring and establishing the best practices adopted by the team.
• Serve as the lead contributor, focusing on high-impact, high-complexity components (e.g., event stream handlers, core security flows, cross-platform performance optimisations).
• Evolve and enforce coding standards, design patterns, and deployment strategies (CI/CD, observability).

2. Architectural Leadership & Planning:

• Own the technical roadmap for the platform, identifying technical debt and proposing scalable, long-term solutions.
• Evaluate new technologies and frameworks, providing clear, data-driven recommendations for adoption.
• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Conduct architectural reviews, risk assessments, and performance deep dives across all components.

Full-Stack & Architecture

• Deep, demonstrable expertise in designing and scaling microservices or distributed systems.
• Proven track record of taking architectural designs from concept to successful production deployment.
• Strong understanding of security principles, network design, and cloud-native patterns (we use AWS and Digital Ocean).

Core Stack Requirements

• Agentic Development: You are an agentic development ambassador. You have the expertise to construct complete agentic workflows—spanning the entire lifecycle from idea creation and estimation to automated testing and production release.
• Database: Strong proficiency with MongoDB & Postgres, including experience with performance tuning, indexing, and designing flexible schema for high-throughput applications.
• Flutter: Familiarity with core Flutter architecture, including a conceptual understanding of state management, platform channels, and cross-platform deployment.
• Backend: Senior-level proficiency in TypeScript and modern Node.js/frameworks, used for building high-performance APIs and business logic.
• Data & Orchestration: Experience with Python development and data workflow orchestration tools, specifically Prefect, including defining complex pipeline dependencies and monitoring.
• Authentication & Security: Hands-on experience implementing and managing identity and access management (IAM) solutions, preferably Keycloak (setting up realms, clients, roles, and integrating with client and server applications).
• Event Streaming: Hands-on experience designing and implementing scalable event-driven architectures using message brokers like LavinMQ/RabbitMQ/PubSub, including defining exchange patterns, consumers, and ensuring message durability.

Desired Qualities

• Pragmatism: Ability to balance technical perfection with business urgency and iterative delivery.
• Communication: Excellent ability to articulate complex technical issues and decisions to both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentorship: A passion for raising the technical bar of the entire team through pairing, code reviews, and brown bag sessions.
• Proactive Ownership: A desire to "look around corners," anticipate scaling issues, and prevent them before they impact the business.