At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead software architecture and design for modern, scalable systems while coding alongside your team.
- Company: Join Appvia, a rapidly growing consultancy with a human-centric culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive salary, private healthcare, and a £1,000 learning budget.
- Other info: Be part of a fun, collaborative environment with regular socials and a dog-friendly office.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by modernising systems and solving complex challenges with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Deep experience in Domain Driven Design and strong full-stack development skills required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Description
Principal Software Architect - UK Security Clearance eligibility required.
Location: London, UK - Hybrid (~1-2 days per month in office / onsite) Contract: Permanent, Full-time Package: £80,000-100,000 + 10% bonus + 10% shares options + benefits
About Appvia
At Appvia, we help organisations modernise how they build and operate software.
We are a specialist platform engineering, software, and AI enablement consultancy, delivering resilient, scalable systems that help teams move faster while maintaining quality, security, and reliability.
Our work spans cloud platforms, developer experience, modern application delivery, and AI-assisted engineering practices.
We partner with customers across public and private sectors to reduce technical debt, improve engineering standards, and evolve complex systems using modern software engineering approaches.
Since the start of 2026, our Software Engineering practice has grown rapidly into a dedicated team supporting large-scale modernisation programmes across public and private sectors, and we’re continuing to invest heavily in growing the capability further.
About the Role
As a Principal Software Architect, you will be the architectural voice within our software engineering engagements: owning solution design, shaping technical direction, and constructively challenging both the business and technical architecture of the systems we help modernise.
Domain Driven Design sits at the heart of how we approach this.
You will lead the domain modelling that underpins our solutions, working with customer stakeholders and domain experts to build a shared understanding of the business, establish a ubiquitous language, and translate that into well-defined bounded contexts, service boundaries, and system decomposition.
Where a customer's existing architecture doesn't reflect their domain, you'll make the case for change and lead it.
This is a hands-on role.
You'll spend most of your time developing alongside the team, but you'll be doing so while driving the solution: ensuring the domain model is expressed faithfully in the code, making and documenting architectural decisions, and ensuring what we build is coherent, evolvable, and aligned to the customer's business goals, not just well-engineered in isolation.
You will work closely with delivery managers, platform engineers, customer architects, and senior stakeholders to influence decisions that sit above the codebase: system decomposition, integration strategy, domain modelling, and the trade-offs between business need and technical direction.
You'll also help lead and grow the team, and contribute to Appvia's broader engineering strategy by shaping the architectural patterns, DDD practices, standards, and AI-assisted engineering approaches we apply consistently across customer engagements.
- Interview Process - 3 Stage
- Discovery conversation with Talent Acquisition
- Technical & Architecture Interview with the Engineering Team
- Final Interview with Leadership
- Important
You must be eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC)
- British Passport or ILR
- Resided in the UK for the last 5 years
- No criminal record or financial irregularities
Requirements
About You
You are an architecturally minded senior engineer: someone who thinks in domains, systems, and trade-offs, but who has never stopped coding.
You believe that good architecture starts with a deep understanding of the business domain, and you're energised by shaping the why and what of a solution as much as the how.
You're comfortable challenging established thinking with customers in a consulting environment, earning influence through credibility, clarity, and delivery.
You'll bring
- Deep, practical experience applying Domain Driven Design on real systems: strategic design (bounded contexts, context mapping, ubiquitous language) as well as tactical patterns (aggregates, domain events, anti-corruption layers) and knowing when each is warranted.
- Experience leading collaborative domain discovery with business stakeholders, using techniques such as Event Storming, domain storytelling, or similar.
- Strong architectural judgement, with a track record of owning and driving solution design on complex systems, not just contributing to it.
- Proven delivery of microservice-based architectures where service boundaries were derived from the domain, including the hard parts: data ownership, integration patterns, and evolving boundaries as understanding of the domain deepens.
- The ability to understand a customer's business architecture, connect it to technical decisions, and constructively challenge it when it doesn't serve the outcome.
- Confidence communicating and defending architectural decisions to senior stakeholders, and documenting them clearly (e. g. ADRs, C4 or similar).
- Strong hands-on full-stack development skills. You lead from within the codebase.
- Experience improving engineering effectiveness through testing strategy, automation, and developer tooling.
- Exposure to AI-assisted development approaches to improve code quality and productivity.
- Confidence mentoring engineers and growing domain-driven and architectural thinking across a team.
- A consulting mindset, able to translate business problems into practical technical solutions.
- Experience in regulated or public sector environments is beneficial but not required.
Responsibilities
- Own the architecture and solution design of modern, scalable software systems across customer engagements.
- Lead domain discovery and modelling with customers, establishing bounded contexts, a ubiquitous language, and a shared understanding between business and engineering.
- Shape and challenge business and technical architecture: service boundaries, domain models, dependencies, and integration strategy across complex systems.
- Ensure the domain model is reflected in the software itself, keeping code, architecture, and business understanding aligned as systems evolve.
- Act as a trusted architectural advisor to customers, guiding decision-making, articulating trade-offs, and influencing direction at a senior level.
- Work hands-on across the stack, particularly on React-based applications. Architecture at Appvia is done in the code, not just on the whiteboard.
- Establish and document architectural decisions, patterns, and standards that outlive individual engagements.
- Drive improvements in development processes, testing strategy, and delivery cadence.
- Support teams in reducing technical debt and improving long-term maintainability and evolvability.
- Collaborate with platform and cloud engineers to deliver cohesive end-to-end solutions.
- Mentor engineers and grow DDD and architectural capability within Appvia's engineering practice.
- Technical Skills
Core technologies (in order of importance)
- Java / Spring
- No SQL / SQL databases
- Type Script / Java Script
- HTML / CSS / XML
- Playwright
- Docker / Kubernetes
- Maven
- Git Lab
- AWS
Nice to have
- Gov UK UI Framework
- Azure / GCP
- . NET
Benefits
Why join Appvia?
We are a self-funded, London-based consultancy, growing rapidly while staying true to what got us here: a human, engineering-led culture built on trust, ownership, and getting things done.
As we scale, we’re maturing as a business and expanding into new areas across platform engineering, software, data, and AI.
We’re intentional about keeping our culture at the heart of it.
We operate with a flat structure, agile ways of working, and a strong focus on collaboration, where good ideas come from anywhere and people are trusted to make an impact.
We work alongside our customers to solve complex, real-world problems: modernising systems, improving delivery, and building scalable platforms that enable long-term success.
If you want to be part of a team that values people as much as technology and gives you the space to grow while working on meaningful challenges, Appvia is the place to do it.
What’s on offer?
- Work-life balance
- Flexible working hours - because we know life happens outside of work
- Hybrid working - outcomes focused working
- 25 days’ holiday a year, plus bank holidays
- An additional day off for your birthday
- Enhanced maternity and paternity to full pay
- Workplace Nursery Benefit to help working parents
- For your well-being
- Full Private Healthcare cover for you with partners and children covered 50%
- Death in Service
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Electric Car Scheme
- Pension plus a salary sacrifice option for even greater savings
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Free hygiene products available in the London office
- Mental health support
- Free therapy through AXA
- Access to the Headspace App
- Trained Mental Health First Aiders
- 😃 Other fun perks
- Learning budget of £1,000 a year
- Your own Mac Book Pro while you work at Appvia
- Dog friendly office
- Wear what makes you comfortable
- Free snacks in the office
- Pool table & ping pong table
• Regular team socials, board game nights, industry meetups and more!
But don’t just take our word for it, you can check out what our Appvians say about us on Glassdoor and by following us on Linked In, Twitter and Tik Tok.
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and actively encourage, respect, and recognise diversity of thought and background throughout the business.
All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, or veteran, neurodiversity, and disability status.
Note
While all roles are active and approved at the time of posting, the dynamic nature of our start-up means some applications may be processed to pipeline talent for future opportunities rather than current openings.
We will strive to keep you informed of any changes to the status of your application.
Principal Software Architect in London employer: Appvia
At Appvia, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. Our hybrid working model allows for flexibility while providing ample opportunities for professional growth and development in the rapidly evolving cloud technology landscape. Join us to be part of a team that values strong client relationships and is dedicated to driving meaningful transformation for our clients.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Architect in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Appvia or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Appvia.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Appvia.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Appvia that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Software Architect in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Appvia.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Appvia and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Appvia
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Appvia uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
