Solutions Architect

At CEC Entertainment, we build careers around great food, family, and fun! Our purpose and our passion is to create the best place for kids and families to eat and play!

Job Description

The Solution Architect is responsible for designing, building and guiding the evolution of business-critical digital and store platforms for CEC Entertainment. The role is a hybrid of hands-on engineering and architecture leadership, split roughly 50% hands-on software development and 50% architecture and technical product management. The Solution Architect translates business requirements into scalable solutions, writes production-quality code and acts as the technical product manager for assigned platforms across point-of-sale, loyalty, guest-facing and enterprise integration domains. Deep retail experience and a strong command of Microsoft Azure and its services are essential.

Role Split:

* Hands-on engineering (~50%). Design, build and review microservice/API, integration and Azure cloud solutions; prototype architectural approaches; resolve complex technical issues; and set engineering standards.

* Business requirements, architecture and technical product management (~50%). Partner with business stakeholders to define requirements and own the solution architecture.

Major Responsibilities:

* Back-end APIs and Azure services (hands-on). Design, develop, deploy and operate Java/Spring Boot and C# .NET REST APIs, Azure Functions and background services in Microsoft Azure using App Service, API Management, Key Vault, Storage, Service Bus/Event Grid, Azure SQL and Application Insights; own infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD pipelines for the services you build.

* Microservices and integrations (hands-on). Build and maintain REST and event-driven integrations with third-party platforms and vendors - NCR Voyix, FreedomPay, Affirm, Twilio, Workday and SaaS partners - and with internal platforms such as OmniFun loyalty and the enterprise data hub.

* Proofs of concept and engineering quality (hands-on). Build proofs of concept to validate architectural approaches before full-scale delivery; lead code reviews and establish and enforce best practices for secure, scalable, resilient and efficient software.

* Production support (hands-on). Provide tier-3 support for critical POS and API incidents, perform root-cause analysis, and drive permanent fixes into the backlog.

* Business requirements and solution design. Work with business, operations, marketing and store stakeholders to turn business needs into clear technical requirements and solution designs; document and communicate them through solution designs, integration and data-flow diagrams, and architecture decision records.

* Enterprise architecture and governance. Own the architecture for assigned platforms and align it with enterprise architecture principles and the cloud roadmap.

* Delivery and outcomes. Define and track product and technical KPIs such as availability, latency, adoption and conversion; coordinate engineering, QA, DevOps, vendors and business teams to deliver on time.

* Collaboration and communication. Communicate technical options, risks and trade-offs clearly to executives, business stakeholders and engineers; mentor engineers and promote reusable patterns and standards across teams.

Qualifications:

Required

* Bachelor's degree in computer science, Computer Engineering or similar degree

* 10+ years of professional software engineering including 2+ years of solution architecture experience, with significant hands-on development in Java/Spring Boot, C# and the .NET ecosystem

* 5+ years designing and delivering solutions on Microsoft Azure: App Service or Azure Functions, API Management, Key Vault, Storage, Azure SQL, messaging (Service Bus/Event Grid), Application Insights, and Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions CI/CD

* Proven retail industry experience in areas such as POS, e-commerce, omnichannel, order management, loyalty, inventory or store systems

* Expertise in microservices, REST and event-driven architecture, API design (authentication with OAuth 2.0 / JWT, versioning, resilience patterns, OpenAPI documentation) and system integration

* Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous business needs into clear requirements and architecture, and experience acting as, or working closely with, a product owner or product manager

* Working knowledge of SQL Server / Azure SQL and NoSQL data platforms, and of secure coding practices for environments handling payment card and guest data (PCI DSS awareness; secrets never in code or logs; TLS in transit, encryption at rest)

* Experience in a fast-paced Agile / Scrum, continuous-integration environment using Jira, Confluence and Git-based workflows (GitHub)

* Demonstrated ability to work effectively in and help lead high-performing, globally distributed development teams

* Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to present to both executives and engineers, and the ability to build relationships across the organization with a sharp focus on the customer - both internal and external

Preferred

* Azure certifications (AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect Expert, AZ-204, AZ-400) and/or TOGAF or a similar architecture framework

* Experience with payment and loyalty integrations (FreedomPay or similar gateways, tokenization, buy-now-pay-later providers, loyalty/CRM platforms)

* Experience with legacy modernization or migration to the cloud, and with observability tools (Application Insights, Azure Monitor)

* Familiarity with front-end frameworks (Angular, React) and exposure to AI/ML services (Azure OpenAI) in a retail context

Physical Demands:

To perform the duties of this position, the incumbent must have the ability to sit, walk, stand, bend, twist, reach, and carry, lift, pull, push between 1 - 25 lbs. Incumbent must use a computer, with the repetitive movement of both hands. Incumbent must be able to work an 8-hour shift, with some overtime. Incumbent must also be available to travel to various locations by airplane or by operating a vehicle if needed.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

#Diversity #Inclusion #Culture

The Company:

CEC Entertainment, LLC ("CEC"), headquartered in Irving, Texas, is a nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment, proudly operating the iconic Chuck E. Cheese, Peter Piper Pizza and Chuck's Arcade brands.

Chuck E. Cheese celebrates over half a million birthdays annually, dedicated to creating joyful, lasting memories through fun, food, and play. As the placeWhere a Kid Can Be a Kid, the brand is committed to safetythrough programs like Kid Check and community support, having donated more than $24 million to schools and nonprofits. In 2025, Chuck E. Cheese received the "Best in STEM" award and was named one of America's Greatest Workplaces, highlighting its industry leadership both in innovation and employee well-being.

Peter Piper Pizza offers a neighborhood pizzeria experience with quality food, engaging entertainment, and lifelong memories because fun isn't added on---"The Fun is Baked In"! Through amusement and connection, families and communities are brought together every day. Both Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza champion play through different attractions to support physical wellness and strengthen motor skills in kids.

CEC Entertainment and its franchisees operate nearly 600 Chuck E. Cheese locations and over 120 Peter Piper Pizza venues across45statesand 18countries. The company proudly fosters a culture of diversity and celebrates fun and play to unite every family. Learn more at chuckecheese.com and peterpiperpizza.com.

Benefits:

CEC Entertainment offers a wide variety of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and 401(k) retirement savings plan to eligible U.S. employees as part of their overall employment package. We also offer job training and career growth opportunities. Chuck E. Cheese is a "Work Today, Get Paid Tomorrow" employer.

* * *

At CEC Entertainment, we believe that our workforce should reflect the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of many guests we serve. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we do not discriminate against applicants due to race, ancestry, color, genetics, gender identify, gender ex-pression, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or on the basis of any other federal, state or local protected class.