Principal Software Architect

Principal Software ArchitectStrongsville, Ohio Company • Hybrid remote • 401(k) with company match • Competitive compensation and bonus opportunities • Medical, dental, vision, generous PTO, tuition reimbursement • Consistently ranked as one of the best companies to work for in ClevelandSummary: Seeking a hands-on Principal Software Architect to provide technical leadership across our engineering organization. This role leads the Software Architecture team, mentors senior engineers, conducts design reviews, and drives architectural strategy into practical, scalable solutions. The ideal candidate stays engaged through proofs-of-concept, design sessions, and solving complex technical challenges, partnering closely with Product, Engineering, QA, Security, and DevOps.Key ResponsibilitiesLead and mentor the Software Architecture team, promoting technical excellence across engineering.Evolve the company's architecture, technology roadmap, and modernization strategy.Lead architecture and design reviews for major initiatives, providing guidance across desktop, cloud, APIs, and integrations.Establish and champion architecture standards, design patterns, and best practices (cloud-native, API-first, SOLID, Clean Architecture, DDD, secure coding).Help teams solve complex scalability, reliability, integration, and performance challenges.Evaluate emerging technologies, particularly AI, and lead strategic proofs-of-concept to shape the platform roadmap.Partner with Product, Engineering, and Infrastructure leadership to drive modernization and innovation initiatives.QualificationsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.12+ years of professional software engineering experience designing and delivering enterprise software.5+ years of software architecture experience across multiple applications or product lines.Experience leading or mentoring architects and senior technical professionals.Proven experience designing scalable enterprise SaaS applications and modernizing legacy desktop/client-server applications.Strong knowledge of cloud-native application architecture.Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams without direct authority.Excellent communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills.Technical ExpertiseLanguages & Frameworks: C#,.NET, ASP.NET Core, Web API, TypeScript, React, Vue.jsCloud: Azure, AWS, GCP (compute, serverless, storage, networking, identity, monitoring)Architecture: Microservices, API-first, event-driven architecture, Clean Architecture, DDD, SOA, REST APIs, distributed systems; CQRS preferredData: SQL Server, data modeling, performance optimization; PostgreSQL preferredDevOps: Azure DevOps, Git, CI/CD, IaC, automated testing, monitoring, observabilityLegacy Modernization: WinForms, WPF, MVVMPreferred QualificationsExperience with multi-tenant SaaS, hybrid desktop/cloud architectures, or enterprise modernization initiatives.Experience with Azure AI Services, Generative AI, or AI-assisted development.Knowledge of application security architecture.Familiarity with construction software, ERP, accounting, or job-cost applications.