Staff Technical Architect, Web Development

At Shopify, we're making commerce better for everyone, from independent entrepreneurs to global brands. We provide the scalability, reliability, and flexibility merchants need to build, grow, and evolve their businesses. Shopify powers commerce for brands like AllBirds, Gymshark, Staples, and more. Our Growth Services team partners directly with these brands to architect and deliver high-performing, native Shopify experiences that drive measurable improvements in performance, conversion, and developer velocity.

This is where Technical Architects come in, working closely with Plus merchants, Sales, Solution Engineers, and Product teams to solve the complex challenges that standard agencies haven't been able to crack. Technical Architects lead both the strategy and hands-on implementation of sophisticated Shopify solutions.

As a Staff Technical Architect, Web Development, you will:

• Partner with Plus and high-growth merchants to architect and deliver best-in-class native Shopify storefronts through paid engagements
• Lead technical discovery, solution design, and hands-on proof-of-concepts across themes, checkout, and app/extension surfaces
• Set frontend performance standards (Core Web Vitals) and coach teams to meet them
• Create reusable reference implementations (Theme App Extensions, Checkout UI Extensions, Functions) to accelerate future work
• Provide best-practice guidance on content modeling, Shopify Markets, translations, and multi-region architectures
• Advise on native extensibility choices (Liquid vs Hydrogen/Oxygen, Checkout Extensibility) based on merchant scale and goals
• Collaborate with Solution/Enterprise Architects, Merchant Success, Product, and Engineering to unblock complexity and influence product roadmaps
• Communicate effectively with technical and executive stakeholders; set expectations, surface risks early, and land clear recommendations
• Contribute thought leadership through internal enablement, public content, and tooling that scales impact across merchants
• Leverage and build with AI tools to 10x your impact and development velocity

What you can expect:

• A hands-on technical role embedded with high-impact merchant partnerships
• A fast-paced environment where requirements change frequently and ambiguity is the norm
• Autonomy to solve complex problems creatively, plus mentorship and opportunities to grow from each challenge
• Direct influence on merchant success and Shopify's product roadmap
• A culture that values authenticity, openness, and diverse perspectives and backgrounds
• Potential future leadership opportunities as the team grows

Your skills and experience:

• Deep expertise in Shopify Themes and Liquid templating, including Online Store 2.0 architecture, content schemas, and theme settings
• Modern storefront JavaScript, component architectures, and progressive enhancement
• Advanced CSS strategies and frontend performance optimization
• Experience with Checkout Extensibility: building Checkout UI Extensions, Pixels, and migration patterns from legacy Scripts
• Familiarity with Shopify Functions for discounts, validation, and delivery/payment customizations
• App and extension development: Theme App Extensions, Admin/Checkout UI Extensions, App Bridge
• Strong GraphQL and REST proficiency across Admin and Storefront APIs, webhooks, and rate-limit-aware patterns
• Content modeling with metafields/metaobjects, Files API, and Analytics/Pixels integration
• Proficiency with Shopify CLI, Git/GitHub flows, environments, and automated checks (Theme Check, ESLint/TypeScript)
• Proven use of AI tools (Cursor, VS Code/Copilot, ChatGPT) to ship production Shopify work
• Comfort utilizing AI tools to create prototypes and internal tools to accelerate development

• Strong communication and stakeholder management across engineering and executive audiences
• Ability to translate ambiguous merchant goals into clear native architectures with measurable outcomes
• Thrives in collaborative environments with cross-functional stakeholders
• Clear written and verbal communication for client-facing engagements and internal collaboration

Bonus if you have:

• Experience with Hydrogen/Oxygen implementations and clear criteria for when headless is the right choice
• Plus program depth (B2B, Launchpad alternatives, Bundles, Subscriptions) and experience migrating legacy surfaces
• Experience shaping reusable accelerators/starters for themes, checkout extensions, and Functions
• Familiarity with ERP/OMS/PIM integrations via Admin APIs/webhooks
• Public thought leadership (talks, articles, podcasts) on Shopify frontend or checkout topics
• Agency or consultancy background working with enterprise merchants
• Experience building internal tools and automation pipelines