Job Description

We're an award-winning digital agency based in Oxfordshire, working with high-profile clients including hmv, Optibac and Yo! Sushi. We deliver bespoke eCommerce and website solutions built using a modern tech stack and tailored to client needs.

We're growing our team and are looking for an additional Solutions Architect to lead their own client projects.

The role

As a Solutions Architect at Ridgeway, you'll own projects end-to-end--from leading discovery workshops and scoping, through architecting the solution, to implementing critical components alongside a talented, highly-skilled team.

You'll provide the technical voice in client conversations, architect solutions that are performant, resilient, secure and scalable, and provide technical oversight throughout the development lifecycle, from pitch to production and beyond.

Responsibilities

While this role will be shaped and built around the right person, these are the key responsibilities the role will include:

Technical leadership:

Drive architectural decisions across your projects and provide technical leadership across the company. Critically evaluate client briefs and proposed solutions in context of the entire solution. Conduct design reviews to ensure delivery aligns with approved architecture.

Solution design and delivery:

Create robust, scalable architectures for headless commerce and CMS projects. Lead requirements gathering workshops and translate business needs into technical solutions.

Meaningful documentation:

Write detailed technical specifications, cost estimations, and integration strategies, that provides clarity and helps the team and our clients understand the solution we're building.

Client and partner engagement:

Lead technical discussions with clients, technology partners and third-party vendors. There will also be opportunities to pitch to prospective clients.

Hands-on implementation:

Stay close to the code, taking an active role in building critical technical components and mentoring the team to build their own skills. Stay ahead on the development landscape and bring new thinking to the team.

Collaboration:

Work closely with Delivery Managers as a technical partner. Support and mentor senior developers in translating high-level designs into component-level implementations. Facilitate design workshops to ensure shared understanding.

Risk and quality management:

Identify technical risks early. Manage design changes during development, assessing impact on scope and timeline. Ensure solutions meet production requirements--performance, security, resilience, scalability.

Your background

Don't tick every box?

If you have similar experience or transferable skills, we encourage you to apply. We're looking for curious, proactive problem solvers with an innovative mindset, if that sounds like you, we want to hear from you.

Essential Skills and Experience

Previous experience as a Solutions Architect, Technical Architect, System Architect or Solution Consultant with responsibility for project ownership and delivery Strong commercial experience with modern application stacks and architectures--particularly headless CMS, composable commerce, and API-first design Experience integrating multiple third-party services into a single secure, scalable solution. Infrastructure and DevOps knowledge: hosting, networking, security, CI/CD--you understand how solutions perform in production A track record of leading technical discussions with clients and stakeholders, translating business requirements into robust technical solutions Strong business acumen and a client-centric approach--you balance technical excellence with commercial reality Strong communication skills across technical levels--from senior developers to non-technical clients A delivery-focused mindset with the ability to manage priorities and make autonomous decisions

Desirable Skills and Experience

Strong background with JavaScript-based development frameworks such React and Next.js or back-end frameworks such as .NET. Hands-on experience with DXP/CMS platforms (Storyblok, Kentico, Kontent) and commerce platforms (BigCommerce, Shopify Plus, commercetools) Knowledge of Azure infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, and cloud architecture patterns Previous experience with any of our current technologies: https://ridgeway.com/technologies

Why Ridgeway?

Working as part of a collaborative, highly-skilled team, you'll lead technical direction on genuinely bespoke projects--composable, headless architectures built around client needs, not pre-existing templates.

We're based in a beautiful Cotswolds setting with excellent connectivity. Our Hanborough office has been designed with modern working life in mind and is just a two-minute walk from direct trains to Oxford, Reading, and London, taking the stress out of your commute.

Learning budgets, conference attendance, and paid certifications are standard--we're active in the Oxford tech community and support all our team members to learn and grow their skillset.

How to apply

If you're a creative problem solver, who enjoys getting into the details while also taking a high-level view, we would love to hear from you. We're looking for the right person for the role, not necessarily the one that ticks the most boxes.

To apply, please provide your CV and a covering letter with a summary of a previous solution you have worked on, the key decisions you took as part of the delivery and short explanation of the rationale behind them.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 55,000.00-68,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Cycle to work scheme Free parking Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking Private medical insurance Referral programme Transport links Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Witney OX29 8LA