Staff Engineer (Ecosystem)

Extensive experience designing and delivering complex distributed or API-based systems, ideally in a SaaS environment. Deep understanding of software architecture, system design, and scalable integration patterns. Strong experience with PHP, Node, TypeScript, AWS, MySQL, SQS, and API Gateways (e.g. Kong) or equivalent technologies. Demonstrable track record of implementing performance, observability, and security improvements. Experience guiding multiple teams in technical design, code quality, and framework adoption. Skilled in using engineering metrics (DORA, SPACE) to identify and drive measurable improvements. Excellent communication and influencing skills across technical and non-technical audiences. Proven ability to mentor engineers and drive alignment across distributed, cross-functional teams. Experience working in agile delivery environments (Scrum or Kanban) with CI/CD practices. Expertise in various relational database technologies Familiarity with software best practices such as Refactoring, Clean Code, Domain-Driven Design, Test-Driven Development, etc. Experience leading or contributing to enterprise-scale API strategies and platform modernisation initiatives. Exposure to AI integration, automation, or intelligent tooling within software delivery. Knowledge of microservices and event-driven architecture design. Experience contributing to or leading technical communities of practice. Familiarity with education technology or other regulated SaaS domains. Experience with containerisation (Docker) and microservice orchestration. Understanding of Domain-Driven Design (DDD) and API lifecycle management.

Define and maintain the target architecture and technical strategy for the Ecosystem area. Ensure alignment between product strategy, engineering goals, and architectural design. Drive improvements in system scalability, performance, security, and observability. Provide hands-on technical guidance across teams to support delivery of new features. Mentor and coach Technical Leads and senior engineers to improve architectural thinking and design capability.