Principal Software Architect

The Mission Banking integrations are traditionally rigid, brittle, and human-heavy. At Zelody, we aren’t just "mapping APIs"—we are building an agentic orchestration backbone that treats financial data as a living, self-correcting ecosystem. The Role This is a high-leverage position combining system design, hands-on execution, and technical mentorship. As our first Principal-level hire, you will: Design the "AI-Native" Blueprint: Move beyond wrappers. You will architect a system where LLMs and Agentic frameworks aren\'t just features, but the core logic of the orchestration layer. Code the Foundation: Spend 60–70% of your time in the IDE, building the high-stakes components of our event-driven architecture (TypeScript/Node/Python). Lead & Scale: Act as a player-coach. You will oversee a lean team of engineers, conducting deep code reviews and setting the standard for "Zelody-grade" engineering. Deconstruct Legacy Constraints: Analyze how core banking systems (FIS, Fiserv, Jack Henry) communicate and design "agentic bridges" that make integration feel like magic to the end user. What You Bring (The "AI Mindset") Architecture over Implementation: You don\'t just know how to build; you know what to build to make traditional workflows obsolete. 7+ Years of Engineering Excellence: You’ve scaled distributed systems in high-stakes environments (Fintech, Payments, or Defense). AI as a First Principle: You have a track record of building with LLMs/Agents where the AI handles the "uncertainty" of data mapping and decisioning. The "0 to 1" Scar Tissue: You’ve been in the trenches of a pre-seed/seed startup and know when to build for "right now" vs. "forever." Leadership Maturity: Experience managing or supervising small, high-output teams. You know how to unblock others without micro-managing. Technical Stack & Requirements Languages: Deep expertise in TypeScript/Node.js and Python (for AI/Data orchestration). Infrastructure: AWS-native, event-driven architectures, and modern workflow engines (Temporal, etc.). Compliance: You treat SOC2, PCI, and GDPR as architectural constraints, not afterthoughts. Data: Familiarity with the "alphabet soup" of finance (ISO 20022, NACHA) is a plus, but the ability to automate their translation is the requirement. Why Join Zelody? We are backed by Counterpart Ventures and The Fintech Fund, we have revenue, and we have a massive problem to solve. We’re turning "data noise" into a symphony. If you’re tired of building incremental CRUD apps and want to design the autonomous future of finance, let’s talk. #J-18808-Ljbffr Zelody