Software Architecture Lead

About Normative

At Normative, we are committed to solving valuable problems through human-centered design consulting. Our team operates at the intersection of strategy, product design, and technology, helping organizations navigate complexity and drive meaningful innovation.

We believe that exceptional design comes from true partnerships, where collaboration is built on transparency, trust, and shared ownership. Our expertise in specialized problem-solving enables us to tackle hard challenges, leveraging deep domain knowledge and a user-first mindset.

If you thrive in ambiguous and complex environments, seek to design for real impact, and believe in the power of collaboration and innovation, Normative is the right place for you.

About This Role

We're seeking a Software Architecture Lead to own technical architecture across client engagements and internal infrastructure. You will lead delivery on complex projects in regulated industries (health, pharma, insurance, government), make architectural decisions, and build the internal systems that strengthen the practice over time. You'll join a small technical team with significant ownership and room to grow. Whether this is your first architecture role or a return to hands-on work, the opportunity is the same: real ownership, real decisions, real impact. We use AI-assisted development tools as a primary working method. Experience working in agency or consultancy settings is valued. We work sustainable hours to maximize our performance.

Work Eligibility & Location

Normative is a fully remote team and culture. This role requires candidates to be located in Canada with the ability to travel for work within North America and the EU (up to 25 % of the time).

What you'll do

• Lead technical delivery on client engagements in regulated industries.
• Own architecture, technical quality, and delivery timelines for complex digital products and services.
• Manage client relationships on technical workstreams, including scope, expectations, and progress.
• Design and build Normative's internal infrastructure and tooling, including data models, APIs, and integration layers using TypeScript and Postgres.
• Establish development patterns, code quality standards, and technical practices for the team.
• Manage CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and deployment processes.
• Work with AI-assisted development tools daily.
• Shape how the team uses these tools effectively.
• Mentor junior and intermediate developers on both client and internal work.
• Conduct code reviews with an emphasis on clarity, consistency, and maintainability.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and bring recommendations based on evidence.

What you'll bring

• 5+ years of experience in software development, with demonstrated experience making architectural or technical design decisions.
• Strong TypeScript and Node.js skills.
• Experience with Next.js, tRPC, Prisma, and React.
• Able to build full-stack applications and API layers.
• Strong front-end development skills and familiarity with UX development practices.
• Strong Postgres skills beyond ORM usage.
• Familiar with recursive CTEs, index strategy, query planning, and JSONB operations.
• Working knowledge of Python, including data pipeline and ML/AI integration work.
• Understanding of complex data modeling (entity-relationship patterns, connected data, traversal queries), including graph-shaped data.
• Direct experience is valued; strong conceptual grounding is required.
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools (Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or similar).
• Familiarity with AI development infrastructure: MCP servers, automation pipelines, and context engineering for LLM-assisted workflows.
• This space is new and moving fast. We value understanding of the concepts and willingness to build over years of experience.
• Solid CI/CD and DevOps fundamentals.
• Experience with Docker, GitHub Actions, and cloud infrastructure (Vercel, AWS, or similar).
• Strong communication skills.
• Able to lead cross-functional teams and explain technical decisions to designers, researchers, and strategists.
• Comfortable leading technical conversations with clients and managing client expectations directly.
• Experience building API integration layers.
• Comfortable with REST, GraphQL, or gRPC patterns.
• Experience in health, pharma, or other regulated industries is a strong asset.
• Track record of expanding your own scope.
• You take on more because you want to, not because someone asked.
• Demonstrated ability to grow beyond your current role.
• You've sought out responsibility, not waited for it.
• History of building new capability, not just maintaining existing systems.

If you meet most of these requirements and are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply.

Working at Normative:

At Normative, we offer a place where curious, driven people can do the best work of their careers in an environment built for autonomy, mastery, and impact.

We are a fully remote, highly collaborative team, designed to support independent thinkers who thrive in complexity, ambiguity, and high-accountability environments. We take on hard problems that matter, spanning strategy, UX, service design, and technology. You wont just execute - youll shape solutions, drive impact, and push boundaries.

We operate with high trust and high accountability. You own your work, manage your time, and contribute at a high level - without micromanagement. We stay connected through deliberate collaboration, a well-defined organizational cadence, and shared rituals. We expect ownership, directness, and bravery, but we also value introspection, creativity, and a positive mindset. We push for excellence while fostering continuous learning and growth.

We invest in our team with fair, clearly defined salary ranges. The expected base salary range for a new hire in this role is listed above. The annual base salary offered is determined by each candidates relevant knowledge, skills, education, training and experience. It is aligned to ensure both internal and external competitiveness using market data for the geographic location and industry.

We offer meaningful career growth opportunities, and a commitment to well-being. We support professional development, sustainable ways of working, and long-term success - for both our people and our company.

Inclusion

At Normative, we are committed to building an environment where everyone feels included, valued, and heard. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are an important part of our everyday work. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities, and/or people with intersectional identities.

Accommodations and Accessibility

Normative provides employment accommodation during the recruitment process. Should you require any accommodation, please indicate this on your application and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs. For any questions, suggestions, or required documents regarding accessibility in a different format, please contact us at hello@normative.com.

Use of AI

Normative uses AI tools in our recruitment process, including developing job postings and note-taking during interviews. AI is not used to screen, assess, or select candidates. All resumes are reviewed by a human, and all hiring decisions are made by humans. Any AI-generated output used during the recruitment process is reviewed by a human before action is taken.