Staff Engineer (Platform/API)

TL;DR

Staff Engineer (Platform/API): Driving architectural alignment and technical strategy for an Ecosystem domain encompassing API Platform, Identity, and Workflow Automation with an accent on scalability, maintainability, and architectural excellence. Focus on translating strategic business objectives into solutions, providing technical guidance, and mentoring engineers.

Location: Remote. Unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Salary: £90,000–£105,000

Company

hirify.global is transforming schools with MIS and school management tools, aiming to create happier working lives for education staff.

What you will do

• Own and deliver a clear target architecture, strategy, and roadmap that supports the Ecosystem’s product strategy.
• Partner with Technical Leads to provide hands-on technical guidance, supporting feature delivery and architecture improvements.
• Collaborate with Product Directors to understand product vision and translate it into deliverables.
• Mentor and coach Technical Leads/Senior Engineers on architectural and engineering excellence.
• Act as a role model for technical leadership, focusing on outcomes.
• Head up architectural reviews for your domain, ensuring quality, reliability, security, and compliance.
• Collaborate with other Staff Engineers, Principal Engineers, and Architects to shape broader technology strategy.
• Partner with Engineering Management to help grow teams, identify dependencies/risks, and report progress.

Requirements

• Extensive experience overseeing complex API or platform integrations, ideally across distributed tech stacks in a SaaS environment.
• A track record of delivering value for at least one core vertical within this domain (API governance, API-as-a-product, Identity, or Account Management).
• Strong communication and influencing skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• An ability to support the growth of engineers and technical leads across distributed, cross-functional teams.
• Deep experience guiding teams in architectural design, MVP thinking, code quality, and framework adoption.
• Broad understanding of software architecture, system design, and scalable integration patterns.
• Examples of contributing to or leading technical communities of practice.
• Knowledge of API Gateways and AWS, with exposure to PHP, Node, TypeScript, MySQL, and SQS.

Nice to have

• Exposure to AI integration, automation, or intelligent tooling within the SDLC.
• Familiarity with education technology or other regulated SaaS domains.
• Have worked in a strong ownership culture where quality, performance, observability, and security are core engineer responsibilities.

Culture & Benefits

• Dedicated wellbeing team championing initiatives like mindfulness, lunch n learns, and mental health first aid training.
• 32 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays), including 25 days annual leave and 7 extra company-wide days.
• Life Assurance paid out at 3x annual salary.
• Comprehensive wellness benefit provided by AIG Smart Health.
• Private Dental Insurance with Bupa.
• Salary sacrifice Pension provided by Scottish Widows.
• Enhanced maternity (20 weeks full pay) and adoption leave (20 weeks full pay), and paternity (6 weeks full pay) pay.
• 5 free return to work maternity coaching sessions.
• Access to services such as Calm and Bippit (financial wellbeing coaching).
• Flexible working championed, with discussions encouraged.
• Social committees that plan team, office, and company-wide events.
• Dedicated professional development training budget (CPD courses, upskilling resources, professional memberships).
• Volunteer with a charity of your choice for a day each year.
• Dog friendly offices.

Hiring process

• Phone screen
• 1st stage
• 2nd stage