Principal Architect IP

Company Description: At S&W, we help our clients thrive by simplifying the complex, illuminating new paths, and shaping solutions that make a difference. As one of the UK’s top 10 fastest-growing accountancy firms, we have been a trusted partner since 1881—helping businesses and individuals meet challenges and seize opportunities across generations. Built on expertise and driven by ambition, we provide a comprehensive range of services, including tax and accountancy, advisory and assurance, corporate finance, and restructuring. We are defined by our purpose—to help navigate challenges, unlock potential, and achieve the extraordinary. S&W acquired ClearViewIP in September 2025 to complement the existing advisory services that S&W currently offers its clients including corporate finance, valuations, transaction services and forensic services, along with business tax, audit, consulting and business outsourcing services. The ClearViewIP team comprises experienced IP professionals, with decades of experience in managing, protecting and commercialising innovation and ensuring best practice IP approaches are deployed to help clients win in the market. Job Description: We are transforming IP research workflows into an AI-first, scalable platform architecture. Our mission is to convert complex, knowledge-intensive IP workflows—prior art search, patent landscape analysis, FTO, competitive intelligence—into modular, explainable, enterprise-grade AI systems. The Principal Architect will partner directly with the Head of Engineering to design and implement the core technical backbone of our next-generation AI platform. This is a foundational architecture role with long-term platform ownership and significant technical influence. As Principal Architect, you will define and build the core architecture that enables: • AI-native workflows powered by semantic retrieval and reasoning • Modular backend services and scalable APIs • Modern, high-performance frontend experiences • Secure, enterprise-grade multi-cloud deployments • Robust DevOps and MLOps foundations You will operate at both strategic and hands-on levels—designing long-term architectural blueprints while actively shaping core systems in their earliest stages. This role is not about maintaining existing systems. It is about laying the foundations for a platform that will define the next decade of the firms growth. The role is based at our India office location. Skills & Experience • 12-15+ years in software engineering, with significant architectural ownership • Experience building large-scale, distributed, enterprise-grade systems • Proven track record designing modern backend and frontend architectures • Strong experience in multi-cloud deployments • Polyglot programming capability (e.g., Python, Java, Go, Node.js, TypeScript, or similar) • Deep knowledge of distributed systems, APIs, and microservices architecture • Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) • Infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD pipeline design • Strong understanding of data storage systems (SQL, NoSQL, search indexes) • Experience integrating AI/ML components into production systems • Familiarity / experience with the following is highly desirable: • Vector databases, Semantic search systems, RAG architectures, Knowledge graphs • Experience in IP analytics, patent intelligence, legal tech, or other knowledge-intensive domains • Exposure to patent data formats, citation networks, IPC/CPC classifications • Experience building explainable systems in regulated or high-trust environments Job Purpose We are transforming IP research workflows into an AI-first, scalable platform architecture. Our mission is to convert complex, knowledge-intensive IP workflows—prior art search, patent landscape analysis, FTO, competitive intelligence—into modular, explainable, enterprise-grade AI systems. The Principal Architect will partner directly with the Head of Engineering to design and implement the core technical backbone of our next-generation AI platform. This is a foundational architecture role with long-term platform ownership and significant technical influence. As Principal Architect, you will define and build the core architecture that enables: • AI-native workflows powered by semantic retrieval and reasoning • Modular backend services and scalable APIs • Modern, high-performance frontend experiences • Secure, enterprise-grade multi-cloud deployments • Robust DevOps and MLOps foundations You will operate at both strategic and hands-on levels—designing long-term architectural blueprints while actively shaping core systems in their earliest stages. This role is not about maintaining existing systems. It is about laying the foundations for a platform that will define the next decade of the firms growth. The role is based at our India office location. Skills & Experience • 12-15+ years in software engineering, with significant architectural ownership • Experience building large-scale, distributed, enterprise-grade systems • Proven track record designing modern backend and frontend architectures • Strong experience in multi-cloud deployments • Polyglot programming capability (e.g., Python, Java, Go, Node.js, TypeScript, or similar) • Deep knowledge of distributed systems, APIs, and microservices architecture • Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) • Infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD pipeline design • Strong understanding of data storage systems (SQL, NoSQL, search indexes) • Experience integrating AI/ML components into production systems • Familiarity / experience with the following is highly desirable: • Vector databases, Semantic search systems, RAG architectures, Knowledge graphs • Experience in IP analytics, patent intelligence, legal tech, or other knowledge-intensive domains • Exposure to patent data formats, citation networks, IPC/CPC classifications • Experience building explainable systems in regulated or high-trust environments Key Competencies • Customer focus –core to your role is to provide an excellent service to clients. • Judgement – the firm relies on your judgement in the services supplied to clients. This has to be delivered as per the client’s needs, technically excellent, commercial and on time. • Technical expertise – strong technical leadership and maintaining your technical competence is critical to ensuring clients receive an excellent service. • Networking – you are skilled at developing and growing relationships in the wider market and leveraging these to create opportunities for the business. • Communication – you communicate both verbally and in writing in an engaging and purposeful manner. • Leadership – you will help drive and lead a culture of continuous development, be able to identify future talent and act as mentor and sponsor. Qualifications: Educated to degree level or equivalent. A relevant qualification (such as qualifications in IP) is desirable, although not essential.