Technical Architect (Ruby On Rails, AWS) (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Job Description
hackajob is collaborating with Sage to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.
\n
We’re looking for a hands‐on Technical Architect to join our Sage HR organisation and play a key role in shaping the technical direction of one of Sage’s most strategic growth products. Sage HR sits at the centre of our HR and payroll ecosystem, already supporting over 4 million employees globally and continuing to scale rapidly as we invest in its future.
\n
This role is deeply embedded with our engineering teams — working alongside product managers, engineers, and technical leaders to define architectural direction, establish patterns, and guide teams. You’ll act as a technical authority, coach, and consultant: setting direction where needed, rolling up your sleeves to solve complex problems, and helping teams navigate scale, technical debt, and an increasingly service‐ and event‐driven architecture.
\n
*** Please note: This is a hybrid role requiring 3 days per week in our Newcastle office ***
\n
In this role you’ll:
\n
• Act as the architectural authority for Sage HR, defining and evolving the technical architecture as the product continues to scale from a high‐growth platform into an enterprise‐grade solution.
\n
• Work closely with engineering teams, product managers, and engineering leaders to translate product strategy and commercial priorities into clear architectural direction, patterns, and technical approaches.
\n
• Provide hands‐on architectural leadership, staying close to delivery by guiding teams through complex technical decisions, problem‐solving alongside engineers, and shaping solutions as work progresses.
\n
• Establish and embed architectural standards, patterns, and best practices (including service‐based and event‐driven architectures) to address scale, integration, and long‐term maintainability.
\n
• Coach and mentor engineers, helping raise technical maturity and architectural capability across teams — particularly in a context with varying seniority and a high proportion of contingent labour.
\n
• Lead architectural thinking around integrations and platform connectivity, working across HR and payroll products and supporting an increasingly API‐ and event‐driven ecosystem.
\n
• Tackle technical debt and legacy challenges, guiding the evolution of existing systems towards more modern, scalable architectures.
\n
• Partner closely with other architects and senior technical leaders across Sage to ensure local decisions align with wider organisational standards while remaining pragmatic and delivery‐focused.
\n
• Champion modern engineering practices and AI‐assisted development approaches, helping teams adopt and use tools such as GitHub Copilot and similar technologies where appropriate
\n
Skills, Knowledge & Experience (Requirements)
\n
Must Have:
\n
• Significant experience working as a Technical Architect or Senior Engineering Leader within product‐led software teams, with a strong focus on architecture that supports real delivery.
\n
• Deep hands‐on technical expertise with Ruby on Rails and strong experience designing and operating systems on AWS (experience with Azure transferable).
\n
• Proven experience designing and evolving service‐based and/or event‐driven architectures, including APIs and integrations between complex systems.
\n
• Strong background in scaling software products, including refactoring existing codebases, evolving monolithic systems, and supporting vertical or horizontal growth.
\n
• Excellent problem‐solving skills, with the ability to balance architectural direction and pragmatic delivery.
\n
• Experience working closely with engineering teams as a coach and consultant, not just a reviewer — able to guide, challenge, and, when needed, roll up sleeves and contribute directly.
\n
• Strong communication skills, with the confidence to defend architectural decisions, influence senior stakeholders, and work collaboratively across disciplines.
\n
Nice to Have
\n
• Experience working on HR, payroll, or compliance‐sensitive products (not essential).
\n
• Exposure to AI‐assisted development tooling (e.g. GitHub Copilot, Claude Code) and interest in applying AI to improve engineering productivity and quality.
\n
• Familiarity with multiple database technologies (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) and data‐centric architectural challenges.
\n
• Experience working in distributed or hybrid teams and navigating complex organisational environments.
\n
Benefits? We have plenty...
\n
Video:
\n
\n
• Generous bonuses and pension scheme: Up to 8% matched pension contribution plus 2% top-up by Sage.
\n
• 25 days of paid annual leave with the option to buy up to another 5 days.
\n
• 8 bank holiday days.
\n
• Paid 5 days yearly to volunteer through our Sage Foundation.
\n
• 50% income protection.
\n
• Holiday buy + sell.
\n
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
\n
• Work away scheme for up to 10 weeks a year.
\n
• Ongoing training and professional development.
\n
• Hybrid working.
\n
• Healthy Mind app membership
\n
• Access to various helpful memberships for finances, health and wellbeing.
\n
#LI-MD1