We’re proud to be an ambitious, fast-growing technology scale-up with a dynamic and diverse international team representing more than 20 nationalities. Collaboration, flexibility, and continuous learning are part of our DNA.
At CluePoints, you’ll find a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and have fun along the way. Guided by our values of Care, Passion, and Smart Disruption, we’re united by a shared mission: to create smarter ways to run efficient clinical trials and deliver AI-powered insights that improve human outcomes worldwide.
The Role
We’re looking for a Principal Architect to join our Data Layer squad and contribute to our mission of transforming clinical research through data-driven insights. This is a hands-on, player-coach role: you’ll own the design of the CluePoints data layer and build it with the squad. You’ll report to our GM, with a dotted line to the VP Engineering.
What You'll Need
Must Haves
• Has built and evolved a metadata-driven or schema-flexible data platform in production.
• Currently writes production code; this is a hands-on role.
• Audit-grade thinking: data lineage, versioning and attributable change, in any regulated domain.
• Can describe living with schema drift in production: what broke and what they changed.
• Separates structural mapping from semantic meaning in data design.
• Uses AI tools in day-to-day delivery with explicit verification and evaluation of the output.
• Track record of coaching other engineers through code.
• Designs for the team available, with scope sized to a small squad.
• Communicates architecture clearly to engineering, QA and business leadership.
Nice To Haves
• Experience of multi-tenant SaaS with strong data segregation.
• Background in semantic layers, ontologies, knowledge graphs, or schema and ontology matching.
• Familiarity with clinical and health data standards such as CDISC, ODM, FHIR or OMOP, or with GxP and 21 CFR Part 11 (clinical knowledge can be learned on the job).
• Visible hands-on work, such as recent open-source commits, contributions to projects like OpenLineage, DataHub, Iceberg, HAPI FHIR or OHDSI, or conference talks.
What You'll Be Doing
- Own the design of the CluePoints data layer and build it hands-on, writing production code alongside the squad.
- Design a metadata-driven schema with a stable spine that absorbs change without breaking the applications built on it.
- Build a semantic tier that maps study fields to concepts, keeping structure and meaning cleanly separate.
- Deliver a versioned, auditable query interface for our applications, with lineage and attributable change built in.
- Set the squad’s engineering and AI-first practices, using AI tools with clear verification and evaluation.
- Coach engineers through code and design, and partner with our GM and VP Engineering on direction.
Benefits
What We Offer – United Kingdom
- Private Medical Insurance through Vitality Health (full hospital cover, 24/7 GP, and therapy sessions)
- Group Critical Illness Cover with Aviva
- Life Insurance (death-in-service lump sum)
- Pension Scheme with 9% employer contribution via Scottish Widows
- Opportunities for professional development and sponsored certifications
- A hub-based hybrid model that blends flexibility with purpose — connecting teams through collaboration, learning, and a vibrant social culture.
Equal Opportunities & GDPR Notice
CluePoints is an equal opportunities employer. We value and respect diversity in our workforce and do not tolerate discrimination based on gender, age, disability, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected ground under Belgian law.
Personal data collected as part of your application will be processed in compliance with the EU GDPR and Belgian data protection legislation.
You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data at any time by contacting [email protected].
At CluePoints, we believe that diverse teams make better decisions and drive innovation. We’re committed to building a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone can thrive.
Skills Required
- Experience building and evolving a metadata-driven or schema-flexible data platform in production
- Currently writes production code
- Audit-grade experience with data lineage, versioning, and attributable change in a regulated domain
- Experience managing schema drift in production
- Ability to separate structural mapping from semantic meaning in data design
- Uses AI tools in day-to-day delivery with explicit verification and evaluation
- Track record of coaching engineers through code
- Ability to design solutions sized for a small squad
- Ability to communicate architecture clearly to engineering, QA, and business leadership
- Experience with multi-tenant SaaS and strong data segregation
- Background in semantic layers, ontologies, knowledge graphs, or schema and ontology matching
- Familiarity with clinical and health data standards such as CDISC, ODM, FHIR, or OMOP, or with GxP and 21 CFR Part 11
- Recent open-source contributions, relevant project contributions, or conference talks
What We Do
CluePoints provides pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs) with technology for identifying, visualizing, managing, and documenting risks that could affect clinical-trial outcomes. Its mission is to give clinical research organizations a better way to oversee risk, helping them recognize, assess, and document potential problems that might undermine trial success and strengthen the quality and reliability of clinical-trial decision-making.
