What You’ll Be DoingSystem Design & Architecture
Own end-to-end system design of large-scale, distributed, cloud-native platforms – from API contracts and data models to deployment topology and observability. Define and enforce architectural standards and patterns (microservices, event-driven, serverless, CQRS) and lead architecture reviews, ADRs, and technical blueprints. Design for resilience, scalability, security, and cost-efficiency on cloud platforms (AWS preferred; GCP/Azure acceptable). Drive decomposition of monolithic and COTS systems into modern, maintainable, in-house services and platform capabilities. Hands-On Full-Stack Engineering
Write production-quality code across the stack using modern languages and frameworks (e.g., Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Java, Rust, or equivalent) on both frontend and backend. Build and optimise APIs (RESTful, GraphQL), real-time communication layers, and high-throughput data pipelines with appropriate database technologies (relational, NoSQL, or columnar). Champion code quality through rigorous reviews, test-driven development, and CI/CD automation. Apply DevSecOps principles end-to-end.
AI-Driven & Agentic Engineering
Architect and build agentic AI systems that autonomously execute multi-step workflows – leveraging LLM orchestration frameworks (LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, or equivalent), tool-use patterns, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Design AI-native architectures that embed intelligence into products: context-aware assistants, automated decision support, and self-healing infrastructure. Demonstrate mastery of prompt engineering, model evaluation, and responsible AI practices. Leverage AI-assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor) and set the standard for the team. Evaluate emerging AI technologies (foundation models, multi-modal AI, MCP, A2A protocols) and drive adoption where they create measurable value.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Influence
Act as the technical conscience across multiple teams and functions – challenging the status quo and providing recommendations to improve processes, tooling, and practices. Coach engineers at all levels, sharing specialised knowledge in architecture, AI, and software craftsmanship. Represent SPE in architecture guilds and technology leadership forums. What You Should Bring