Job VC
Solution Architect
Technologies
Description
Solution Architect
Build products from scratch into production. Stay close enough to the codebase to understand what’s actually happening. Make architecture decisions that actually ship.
We’re looking for someone who can take technical ownership from the very first conversation with a client through to a working product and what comes after. This role combines architecture, product thinking, and client collaboration.
The accounts you work on are not typical staff augmentation setups. S&F operates as an embedded strategic partner. The work is technically non-trivial, the stakeholders are engaged, and the room you have to create impact is real.
What you’ll actually do
Early stage (pre-sale and discovery)
Joining initial conversations with prospects to understand what they’re trying to build
Contributing to early-stage solution discovery and technical planning by helping frame problems, evaluating possible approaches and trade-offs, and shaping initial architectural direction and system boundaries
Selecting technologies based on the problem and constraints
From idea to build
Working with a Project Manager or Product Manager to shape the roadmap and initial backlog, or shaping the backlog and making product decisions yourself if there’s no dedicated Product Manager on the project
Bringing structure to early-stage products where not everything is defined yet
Defining the initial architecture and validating the technical feasibility of backlog items
During execution
Guiding the engineering team through key technical and architectural decisions
Maintaining consistency of the architecture as the system evolves
Staying close enough to the codebase to understand what’s actually happening
Helping the team with hands on work whenever needed, not afraid to take on the execution for the part of the system if the team needs additional hands on keyboard
Participating in client conversations: demos, discussions, and decision-making
After release / ongoing work
Helping define how the product is supported and evolves over time
Contributing to discussions around further improvements or new initiatives
Supporting conversations about scope, priorities, and next steps
Architecture focus
A significant part of this role is shaping and evolving architecture in real conditions. This includes:
defining system boundaries and core components
making trade-offs between performance, scalability, and complexity
adapting architecture when initial assumptions don’t hold
working with existing systems by understanding current architecture and constraints, identifying improvement opportunities, and evolving them incrementally while ensuring compatibility and stability
Requirements
Several years of hands-on engineering experience, including time spent making or supporting architectural decisions in real projects
Experience building products from scratch and bringing them into production
Solid understanding of backend architectures (APIs, distributed systems, data flows)
Experience with all of the following:
at least one of the popular cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
backend frameworks (Node.js, Python, Java, or similar)
front end frameworks (vue, react, etc.)
relational and non-relational databases
Ability to work across different stacks and learn new ones when needed
Habit of exploring unfamiliar technologies and approaches before committing to a solution
Familiarity with machine learning and AI concepts is important — including a general understanding of how these systems work and where they are applicable.
What tends to work well in this role
Ability to choose and combine technologies based on context
Understanding of how technical decisions connect to product and business outcomes
Clear communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Curiosity about how things work beyond the immediate technical scope
Openness to learning and rethinking earlier decisions as new information appears
Comfort working without relying on a single preferred stack or set of tools
What success often looks like
Clients rely on this role when making important technical decisions
Systems hold up in practice and evolve without constant rework
Teams have clarity on direction, even in ambiguous situations
Clients continue to involve this role as the product evolves and return to work with the same person again
Why this role is interesting
It offers a full view of how products come together — from early ideas to real systems in use. There’s room to influence decisions at different levels and to stay connected to both technical depth and product direction.
Projects vary a lot — different domains, different levels of structure, different constraints. Some parts of the work are well-defined, others require figuring things out along the way.
Hiring process
Recruiting interview
— initial conversation about background, motivation, fit
Live coding session
—
45–60 min,
hands-on engineering exercise
System design interview
—
45–60 min,
architectural reasoning and trade-offs
Interview with Head of the Department
— 60 min
Build products from scratch into production. Stay close enough to the codebase to understand what’s actually happening. Make architecture decisions that actually ship.
We’re looking for someone who can take technical ownership from the very first conversation with a client through to a working product and what comes after. This role combines architecture, product thinking, and client collaboration.
The accounts you work on are not typical staff augmentation setups. S&F operates as an embedded strategic partner. The work is technically non-trivial, the stakeholders are engaged, and the room you have to create impact is real.
What you’ll actually do
Early stage (pre-sale and discovery)
Joining initial conversations with prospects to understand what they’re trying to build
Contributing to early-stage solution discovery and technical planning by helping frame problems, evaluating possible approaches and trade-offs, and shaping initial architectural direction and system boundaries
Selecting technologies based on the problem and constraints
From idea to build
Working with a Project Manager or Product Manager to shape the roadmap and initial backlog, or shaping the backlog and making product decisions yourself if there’s no dedicated Product Manager on the project
Bringing structure to early-stage products where not everything is defined yet
Defining the initial architecture and validating the technical feasibility of backlog items
During execution
Guiding the engineering team through key technical and architectural decisions
Maintaining consistency of the architecture as the system evolves
Staying close enough to the codebase to understand what’s actually happening
Helping the team with hands on work whenever needed, not afraid to take on the execution for the part of the system if the team needs additional hands on keyboard
Participating in client conversations: demos, discussions, and decision-making
After release / ongoing work
Helping define how the product is supported and evolves over time
Contributing to discussions around further improvements or new initiatives
Supporting conversations about scope, priorities, and next steps
Architecture focus
A significant part of this role is shaping and evolving architecture in real conditions. This includes:
defining system boundaries and core components
making trade-offs between performance, scalability, and complexity
adapting architecture when initial assumptions don’t hold
working with existing systems by understanding current architecture and constraints, identifying improvement opportunities, and evolving them incrementally while ensuring compatibility and stability
Requirements
Several years of hands-on engineering experience, including time spent making or supporting architectural decisions in real projects
Experience building products from scratch and bringing them into production
Solid understanding of backend architectures (APIs, distributed systems, data flows)
Experience with all of the following:
at least one of the popular cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
backend frameworks (Node.js, Python, Java, or similar)
front end frameworks (vue, react, etc.)
relational and non-relational databases
Ability to work across different stacks and learn new ones when needed
Habit of exploring unfamiliar technologies and approaches before committing to a solution
Familiarity with machine learning and AI concepts is important — including a general understanding of how these systems work and where they are applicable.
What tends to work well in this role
Ability to choose and combine technologies based on context
Understanding of how technical decisions connect to product and business outcomes
Clear communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Curiosity about how things work beyond the immediate technical scope
Openness to learning and rethinking earlier decisions as new information appears
Comfort working without relying on a single preferred stack or set of tools
What success often looks like
Clients rely on this role when making important technical decisions
Systems hold up in practice and evolve without constant rework
Teams have clarity on direction, even in ambiguous situations
Clients continue to involve this role as the product evolves and return to work with the same person again
Why this role is interesting
It offers a full view of how products come together — from early ideas to real systems in use. There’s room to influence decisions at different levels and to stay connected to both technical depth and product direction.
Projects vary a lot — different domains, different levels of structure, different constraints. Some parts of the work are well-defined, others require figuring things out along the way.
Hiring process
Recruiting interview
— initial conversation about background, motivation, fit
Live coding session
—
45–60 min,
hands-on engineering exercise
System design interview
—
45–60 min,
architectural reasoning and trade-offs
Interview with Head of the Department
— 60 min