Solutions Architect (Hands-on)

Step up and shape how its built

Youll take the lead on how client systems are designed then help build them yourself from the code to the cloud it runs on.

If youve been acting as a lead without the title or want the chance to this is a role you can grow into with support.

Whats in it for you

Youll work with clients from the early conversations alongside delivery and product.

Youll be matched to projects on your skills so you wont be put on something just because youre free.

Youll learn to build with AI agents alongside engineers who already do it every day. How we build with AI has changed a lot in two years and well help you keep up.

Who youll be doing it for

hedgehog lab is a digital product consultancy with 20 years behind us. We build apps websites and AI platforms for public and private sector clients in health tech retail and financial services.

Our project teams are 5 to 15 people made up of agentic engineers software engineers QA and designers.

Were a certified B Corp and Great Place to Work certified with around 100 people across the UK and Europe.

What youll be doing

Most of your time:

• Designing the systems behind client projects using recognised architecture patterns

• Writing production code alongside the engineering team

• Designing and building the cloud infrastructure pipelines and environments your systems run on

• Leading the technical side of a workstream working with tech leads and architects

Some of your time:

• Building prototypes and proofs of concept with AI agents to test ideas early

• Supporting engineers with less cloud experience

• Helping estimate new work

What comes with the role

• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays

• 5 Impact Days for learning innovation or volunteering

• 2 wellbeing days and a wellbeing budget

• Learning budget plus time for training and conferences

• Enhanced sick pay and parental leave

• Free counselling Cycle to Work and a company laptop

Where youll work

There are no set office days but we value time together and with clients.

Youll come into our Leeds or Manchester office or a client site for important meetings workshops and key moments so youll need to be within easy reach of one of them.

Experience youll need to be considered

• Youve designed and built software on commercial projects

• You know enough cloud or DevOps to build cloud-native systems ideally on AWS using recognised architecture principles and design patterns

• Youve led the technical side of a project or workstream even if it wasnt your job title

• Youre happy writing production code in TypeScript Python or Node. Any one of them is fine.

• Youve got a good grasp of architecture from working alongside architects

• You care about how well a system is designed and you enjoy the design work as much as the building

• Youve started building with AI agents beyond asking a chatbot for code. Your own projects count and a GitHub repo you can walk us through is a good way to show it.

• Youre confident explaining technical decisions to people who arent technical

Your job title today doesnt matter. You might be a senior software cloud or DevOps engineer and you might lean more towards software or cloud. We dont expect you to be equally strong in both.

Nice to have but not essential

• Experience working directly with clients

• Consultancy or agency background

How to apply

Click apply and well be in touch.