Principal Software Architect / Engineering Manager Belfast | Hybrid | Permanent | Competitive + Leadership Bonus
This one is different.
Most architecture roles are advisory. This one has teeth. Our client is on a genuine platform transformation journey, moving away from complex legacy systems toward a modern, cloud-native architecture,and they need someone who can lead that charge technically and culturally. If you've ever wanted real ownership over a major engineering transformation, this is it.
The Role
This is a senior leadership position combining architectural ownership with people leadership. You'll define the long-term technical direction, guide teams through a significant legacy modernisation, and raise the engineering bar across the organisation. You'll report into the CTO / Head of Engineering and work closely with senior stakeholders to ensure every architecture decision supports both product ambition and future scale.
This isn't a consultancy gig. You'll own the outcomes.
What you'll be doing:
Architecture & Platform Modernisation
- Define and own the target architecture, leading the transition from legacy systems to modern, cloud-native platforms
- Drive the decomposition of monolithic systems into modular services, APIs, and event-driven components
- Collaborate with frontend and backend leaders to ensure scalability, performance, and consistency across the platform
- Introduce modern engineering practices and tooling to improve delivery quality, reliability, and developer experience
Technical Leadership
- Provide architectural oversight across multiple teams and applications
- Lead platform evolution initiatives including cloud migration, containerisation, and CI/CD automation
- Identify and resolve complex technical and performance issues across distributed systems
- Champion software craftsmanship, testing strategies, and design patterns
Engineering Management & Culture
- Lead and mentor engineering managers and senior engineers
- Support team growth, performance, and long-term capability development
- Establish and run architecture governance through review boards and technical working groups
- Help scale engineering teams across Belfast and international sites
Delivery & Stakeholder Engagement
- Work with product, infrastructure, and senior leadership to define architectural roadmaps
- Own the delivery of strategic technical initiatives from design through to implementation
- Communicate architectural decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Develop proofs of concept and technical spikes using modern languages and frameworks
What we need to see:
Essential
- 10+ years of professional software engineering experience
- Strong .NET background with modern cloud-based architecture experience
- Proven track record leading large-scale platform modernisation
- Experience operating at Principal Engineer, Architect, Engineering Manager, or equivalent level
- Deep understanding of distributed systems, APIs, and event-driven architectures
- Hands-on experience with Azure or AWS and container platforms such as Kubernetes
Tech Stack
- C# and .NET, legacy and modern frameworks
- Java and Python for architectural experimentation and prototyping
- Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines
- SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and performance optimisation
Leadership
- Experience leading multiple engineering teams
- Strong mentoring and coaching capability
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts at senior leadership level
- Track record of building engineering standards, culture, and scalable processes
Why this role?
- Lead a major platform transformation with long-term, visible impact
- Real ownership and genuine influence over technical direction, not a seat at the table, the head of it
- A supportive engineering culture built on quality, trust, and delivery
- Clear progression paths across Principal, Head of Engineering, and Enterprise Architecture
- Work alongside experienced engineers and leaders who care about doing things properly
Why Ocho?
We represent the largest selection of technology roles of any recruitment firm in Northern Ireland. If this one isn't the right fit, we're always happy to meet for a coffee and talk through where you want to go in 2026.
Reach out to Ryan Quinn directly on LinkedIn for a confidential conversation.