Chief Architect

Role Overview

• Own the enterprise architecture vision across all Sitero products (CTMS, EDC, RTSM, Payments and emerging platforms)
• Chair the Architecture Review Board (ARB) bi-weekly reviews of significant technical decisions
• Mandate and review Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) for all major design choices
• Define architecture standards, approved patterns, and guardrails across the engineering organization
• Maintain living architecture documentation per product, regularly updated and accessible to all engineers
• Lead architecture audits across all products — identify gaps, risks, and technical debt
• Champion and mandate AI-enabled development as the standard operating model across all engineering teams
• Partner with the Head of Engineering & Product development and roll out the approved AI tooling stack: GitLab, Claude Code, and AI test generation tools
• Drive adoption of AI-assisted coding to ≥70% across all teams within Year 1
• Oversee the migration to modern CI/CD practices: zero-downtime deployments, automated regression suites, rollback capability within 15 minutes
• Build the engineering practices that eliminate manual coding as the default and establish AI-assisted review as the norm
• Own Sitero's AI-enabled development strategy as the organisation-wide AI Development Strategy lead
• Govern AI tooling adoption: approve tools, define usage policies, and maintain the approved AI tooling stack
• Build and maintain the Prompt Standards Library — organisation-wide approved prompts for common engineering tasks
• Establish CLAUDE.md configuration files per repository, encoding Sitero's coding standards and patterns
• Mandate and track AI code disclosure policies: all AI-generated code disclosed in PRs with tool and prompt summary
• Lead the Best Practices Programme across 6 domains: ARB, Standards Library, PoC Programme, Engineering Guilds, Health Metrics, Tech Radar
• Publish and maintain Sitero's quarterly Tech Radar — Adopt / Trial / Assess / Hold for all technologies and AI tools
• Establish and sponsor Engineering Guilds: Security, Data, Frontend, and AI Engineering
• Oversee quarterly Architecture Health Scorecards per product: test coverage, API conformance, security posture, AI adoption, cloud cost efficiency
• Lead time-boxed Proof of Concept programmes (2–4 weeks) before adopting new technologies or AI tools
• Ensure compliance-by-design across all products: GxP, SOC 2, 21 CFR Part 11, HIPAA, and GDPR
• Partner with the Security Architect to embed security and compliance into every architecture review
• Lead technology due diligence for new vendors, tools, and platforms
• Govern data architecture standards: data models, pipeline patterns, and integration security
• Build and lead the architecture team: Platform Architect, Application Architect, Security Architect, Data Architect
• Mentor senior engineers and fast-track high-performers for architecture and lead roles
• Partner with Engineering Leads, Product Management, and Operations on cross-functional initiatives
• Represent engineering architecture in leadership forums and client-facing discussions where required.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive software engineering and architecture experience
• 5+ years in a principal, staff, or chief architect role with organization-wide scope
• Proven experience defining and governing enterprise architecture across multiple products or business units
• Deep expertise in cloud-native architecture — AWS/Azure (AKS, App Service, Azure SQL, Aurora Postgres SQL, Service Bus)
• Strong hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools: GitLab/GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, or equivalent
• Track record of building and leading architecture or platform teams
• Experience with regulated-industry software: GxP, SOC 2, HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, or equivalent
• Demonstrated ability to define and enforce engineering best practices at scale
• Excellent written and verbal communication — able to translate complex architecture to all audiences.
• Experience in life sciences, clinical research, or healthcare technology domains (preferred)
• Familiarity with CTMS, EDC, or drug safety systems (pharmacovigilance, clinical trial platforms)(preferred)
• Experience building Architecture Review Boards and ADR processes from scratch (preferred)
• Track record publishing internal Tech Radars or engineering best practice programmes (preferred)
• Hands-on experience with test automation at scale (80%+ coverage targets, AI-generated tests)(preferred)
• Master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or related field (preferred).

Tech Stack

• AWS
• Azure
• Cloud
• Postgres
• SQL

Benefits

• A seat at the table: direct reporting to CTO — your decisions shape the company's technical direction
• Greenfield architecture mandate: design the engineering foundation from scratch across a growing product portfolio
• AI-first culture: full budget and mandate to deploy best-in-class AI development tools across all teams
• High-impact, low-bureaucracy environment: lean leadership team, fast decision-making, global scope
• Competitive compensation