Principal Software Architect / Engineering Manager
Location: Belfast - Hybrid
Engagement: Permanent
Package: Competitive base plus leadership bonus
Reporting to: CTO / Head of Engineering
OCHO is partnering with an established technology business undertaking significant platform modernisation to appoint a Principal Software Architect / Engineering Manager.
This is a senior leadership role for someone who operates comfortably at both strategic and hands on levels. You will shape architectural direction, modernise legacy systems, and lead engineering teams through complex technical transformation.
This is not incremental change. This is structural evolution.
The Opportunity
The organisation is transitioning from legacy, tightly coupled systems toward modular, cloud native, event driven architecture. They require a leader who can define the roadmap, guide execution, and elevate engineering standards across multiple teams.
You will influence product direction, define platform strategy, and deliver measurable improvements across scalability, reliability, and developer experience.
If you enjoy owning complex landscapes and setting long term technical direction, this will resonate.
Architecture & Modernisation
* Define and lead modern architecture strategy, transitioning legacy platforms into modular, cloud native systems
* Decompose monoliths into scalable APIs, microservices, and event driven services across Azure and AWS
* Align frontend and backend architectural patterns to ensure performance and consistency
* Introduce AI enabled engineering practices to improve quality and delivery velocity
Technical Leadership & Platform Ownership
* Provide architectural oversight across multiple applications and teams
* Lead long term cloud migration, containerisation, and automation initiatives
* Diagnose and resolve deep performance and scalability challenges
* Champion craftsmanship including TDD, BDD, clean architecture, and scalable design principles
Team Leadership & Engineering Culture
* Manage and mentor multi disciplinary engineering teams
* Scale engineering capability across regions including Belfast and India
* Establish Architecture Review Boards and governance structures
* Build standards that enable consistency without slowing delivery
You will likely lead groups of 20 plus engineers through senior technical leads.
Delivery & Stakeholder Engagement
* Partner with Product, Infrastructure, and Executive leadership to define architectural roadmaps
* Own end to end delivery of major platform initiatives
* Develop proofs of concept in .NET, Java, or Python to validate architectural direction
* Communicate complex technical decisions clearly to senior stakeholders
This role requires someone comfortable switching between whiteboard strategy and production systems.
What We're Looking For
Core Experience
* 10+ years in software engineering with deep experience across .NET and distributed systems
* Proven leadership as an Engineering Manager, Architect, Principal Engineer, or Site Lead
* Track record modernising enterprise systems from Web Forms to modular monoliths or microservices
* Strong cloud expertise across Azure, AWS, Kubernetes, CI/CD ecosystems
* Deep understanding of messaging systems, API design, and event driven architecture
Technical Background
* .NET / C#, Web Forms, .NET Core, REST APIs
* Exposure to Java and Python for architectural experimentation
* Kubernetes, Docker, modern CI/CD pipelines
* SQL Server, Postgres, caching and performance optimisation strategies
Leadership Profile
* Experience leading multi team engineering groups
* Strong mentoring and talent development capability
* Confident communicator able to simplify complex architecture for senior leaders
* Proven ability to establish scalable engineering standards and culture
Nice to Have
* Experience scaling engineering across multiple regions
* Exposure to AI driven development practices
* BDD frameworks such as SpecFlow, xUnit, Hangfire
* Experience within regulated or enterprise domains
Why This Role
This is a senior leadership position with genuine long term architectural impact.
You will influence platform transformation at scale, operate within a mature engineering culture, and have a clear pathway toward Head of Engineering or Enterprise Architecture progression.
For a confidential discussion, connect directly with Ryan Quinn on LinkedIn.
OCHO. Building Teams.