Software Architect

Job Title: Software Architect
Reports to: Chief Architect
Location: Ireland - Remote

Purpose

We're hiring a Software Architect to partner with our Chief Architect and engineers to design, build, and ship AI-first software at the pace the market now demands. This is a hands-on role for an architect who still loves writing code and is energised by what generative AI has done to how real products get built.

Adherent helps global businesses understand and act on the regulations that govern their products. The domain is a near-perfect fit for AI: the volume of regulatory content is enormous, change is constant, and the payoff for structuring it well is transformational. Our regulatory content platform is already trusted by some of the world's largest manufacturers — the opportunity now is to put AI on top of that foundation.

Generative AI hasn't just improved what we ship — it has changed what's possible to ship. We're leaning into that hard, and architecture capacity is currently the rate-limiter on how fast we turn opportunity into product. That's the gap you fill.

What you'll do

You will design, build, and deliver in roughly equal measure.

• Design AI-first systems end-to-end — data ingestion and structuring, retrieval and search, agentic workflows, evaluation pipelines, human-in-the-loop interfaces, and the orchestration glue that holds it all together.
• Build. Write production code. Stand up prototypes. Pair with engineers. Cut through ambiguity by getting something working and iterating.
• Deliver. Own outcomes from architecture through release. Keep systems performant, economical to run, and stable in production — including the cost and latency profile of LLM-backed features.
• Raise the bar — patterns, evaluation discipline, prompt and model strategy, and what "good" looks like when LLMs sit in the critical path. We measure AI features against held-out evals before they ship, not vibes.
• Build with AI, not just on it. We are an AI-native engineering org — agentic coding tools are part of how we work, including autonomous and semi-autonomous development loops. You should be fluent in this way of working and help push it further.
• Engage with the product — partner with product and domain experts to translate hard customer problems into AI-shaped solutions. We don't build features looking for a problem.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering to translate architectural vision into implementable engineering roadmaps and ensure seamless integration of machine learning models and AI capabilities within our core architecture.
• Engage with the Product team to understand market needs and ensure the architecture supports future product directions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience with at least 5 years in architectural roles
• Proven experience architecting large-scale, secure SaaS applications
• Strong understanding of cloud architecture principles and experience with major cloud platforms, especially AWS and serverless
• Experience with AI/ML system integration and the unique architectural considerations they present
• Knowledge of security frameworks and compliance standards (SOC 2, GDPR, etc.)
• Expertise in API design, microservices architecture, and distributed systems
• Understanding of data architecture principles and experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Experience working in regulated industries or compliance-focused environments is highly desirable

Preferred Skills

• Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with regulatory compliance domains (product safety, environmental, etc.)
• Understanding of DevSecOps practices and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience with event-driven architectures and real-time processing systems
• Background in implementing zero-trust security models

Our stack

You don't need experience with every item, but this is the landscape you'll work in: TypeScript and Python across a monorepo codebase; serverless and edge deployment; multi-tenant PostgreSQL with strict tenant isolation; graph and document stores for global regulatory content; event-driven background workflows and data pipelines; LLM pipelines with structured extraction, agentic orchestration, and evaluation harnesses.

Specific tools and frameworks come up in the interview process — what matters here is the shape of the work, not the brand names.

Who we're looking for

• A senior engineer first, an architect second. You think in code as much as in diagrams.
• You've shipped non-trivial generative-AI systems to production — RAG, agentic workflows, structured extraction, evaluation harnesses, or some combination — and can speak in detail about what worked and what didn't.
• You've designed and operated cloud-native, multi-tenant systems at scale, and you make architecture decisions that hold up under real traffic, real data volumes, and real cost constraints.
• You work across the stack — backend and data deeply, fluent in both TypeScript and Python, and enough modern frontend to ship real product surface, not just APIs.
• You're product-minded. You ask "what does the customer actually need?" before "what's the cleanest abstraction?"
• You're a strong collaborator. You disagree well, give and take design feedback, and lift the people around you.

Nice to have: experience in regulated or compliance-adjacent domains; experience evolving a live platform incrementally rather than greenfield-only.

The kind of person we're looking for

Beyond the technical profile, the people who thrive here share a particular disposition.

You're energised by ambiguity, not slowed down by it. You move fast, learn from what doesn't work, and adjust without drama. You take real ownership — not just of your deliverables but of the outcomes they're meant to produce. You care about the customer's problem more than your own elegance. And you make the people around you better, not just by being good yourself, but by investing in them.

Attributes for Success at Adherent

• Collaborative Mindset — Thrives in a team-oriented environment, values partnership, and demonstrates care and respect for colleagues to achieve shared goals.
• Transformational Thinking — Embraces change and actively contributes to driving innovation and cultural evolution within the organisation.
• Agility — Adapts quickly to shifting priorities and market demands, maintaining focus and effectiveness in a fast-paced environment.
• Empowerment — Takes ownership of decisions and actions, demonstrating confidence in making autonomous choices that align with company goals.
• Fearless Flexibility — Approaches challenges with an open mind, learns rapidly from setbacks, and adjusts strategies to navigate dynamic circumstances.
• Innovation-Driven — Leverages creativity and cutting-edge technology to develop solutions that simplify complex problems and create competitive advantages.
• Customer-Centric Focus — Obsess over delivering value to customers by understanding their needs and providing impactful solutions that build trust and loyalty.
• Trustworthiness — Acts with integrity, builds credibility through consistent actions, and fosters an environment where others feel respected and valued.
• Respect for Diversity — Values diverse perspectives, treats everyone with dignity, and cultivates an inclusive workplace that encourages new ideas and opinions.
• High-Energy Execution — Brings enthusiasm, drive, and focus to every task, ensuring timely delivery of impactful results.
• Continuous Learner — Stays current with industry trends, tools, and technologies while seeking opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Results-Oriented Problem Solver — Tackles challenges with precision and determination, delivering measurable outcomes that align with company objectives.
• Visionary Contributor — Aligns personal goals with the company's mission to create a cleaner, safer, and better world while helping shape the organisation's future.