About the role
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 Professional 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.
Key Responsibilities:
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:
You will run short spikes and longer projects (6-month to 1-year engagements), from hands-on delivery to architectural oversight.
A hands-on technical role embedded with high-impact merchant partnerships
A fast-paced dynamic 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
Qualifications:
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, Claude, 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
Nice to 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
We're interested in what you can do. If you're excited about the role, please apply even if your experience doesn't line up perfectly.
Experience can come from formal education, self-directed learning, agency work, or previous roles. No specific degree required (skills first).
Ready to help merchants unlock what's possible with Shopify? We'd love to hear from you.