Senior Software Architect & Tech Lead

Senior Software Architect & Tech Lead Full Ownership | AI Strategy | Startup Agility with Enterprise Backing Location: Remote (UK) | Monthly Strategy Meet-ups in London Team: 1 Junior Developer (Mentee), 1 Technical Product Manager The Setup: A high-growth agile unit within the global STARLIMS ecosystem. STARLIMS provides leading Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) solutions that have served customers around the world for over 30 years. Our solution suite helps labs:

• Improve the reliability of sampling and testing
• Manage complex testing workflows and analytical methods
• Support compliance with global regulatory requirements and industry standards
• Unlock comprehensive reporting, monitoring, and analysis

With multiple support centers across the globe, STARLIMS is used in labs across pharma & biotech, life sciences, food & beverage, manufacturing, petrochemical refineries and oil & gas, chemical, public health, forensics, and environmental industries—offering you exposure to a wide range of customers and career paths. The Role: Architect, Mentor, & AI Pioneer We are looking for a Senior Architect/Lead Developer to take complete ownership of the Labstep platform. You will be the primary decision-maker for our architecture, moving us from a robust data tool to an AI-augmented powerhouse. The Opportunity: The Best of Both Worlds Labstep was founded to build user-centric software that accelerates scientific discovery. Recently, we joined forces with STARLIMS, a global leader in Informatics. What this means for you: You get the high-impact, fast-moving "Day 1" culture of a startup where you own the entire tech stack, backed by the job security, comprehensive healthcare, and professional benefits of a major global organization.

• Complete Technical Autonomy: You own the AWS-based stack (Pulumi, ECS, Fargate). You decide the "how" and the "when" for every major architectural shift.
• Lead the AI Roadmap: You will architect our AI Search and Natural Language Agent. We want a pragmatic engineer who can lead the implementation of LLMs and Vector Databases to help scientists automate complex tasks.
• Mentorship & Team Lead: You will work closely with a Technical Product Manager and mentor a Junior Developer, setting the standard for engineering excellence and clean code.
• DevOps Excellence: Managing our infrastructure via Pulumi to ensure the high-availability and security standards required by global research institutions.

The Tech Stack We believe in using the right tool for the job. You will manage the current foundation while evolving it:

• Current Core: PHP 8 / Symfony / Doctrine API, React / TypeScript Frontend.
• Cloud/Infra: AWS (Fargate, ECS, Lambda), Pulumi (IaC), MySQL.
• The Frontier: This is your domain. You will lead our transition into Vector Search, Hybrid Search Engines, and AI Orchestration.

Who You Are

• A Technical Owner: You’ve scaled production web apps and are comfortable across the full stack and infrastructure.
• Pragmatic AI Enthusiast: You don't need a background in AI, but you are excited to build production-ready AI features (RAG, Agents) that solve real problems.
• Empathetic Mentor: You enjoy leveling up junior talent and collaborating deeply with product peers.
• Mission-Driven: You want your work to help scientists cure diseases and solve global challenges.

Skills Required:

• 5+ years of leading development teams
• 5+ years of leading architect
• 5+ Years of AWS DevOps experience
• Experience coding with the following languages/technical solutions - PHP 8 / Symfony / Doctrine API, React / TypeScript Frontend

Why Labstep & STARLIMS?

• Impact: Your code directly supports the world’s leading scientists and researchers.
• Stability & Perks: Enjoy the comprehensive benefits package of a large corporation—including private healthcare, pension, and enhanced job security—without the corporate red tape.
• The "Startup" Feel: We remain a small, agile team that moves fast, experiments often, and values your voice.
• Work-Life Balance: Remote-first flexibility with meaningful monthly in-person collaboration in London.

STARLIMS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, veteran status, age or disability status. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job