Principal Software Architect

Job Title: Principal Software Architect

Job Description

The Principal Software Architect provides architectural vision and technical leadership across a distributed engineering environment, driving modernization initiatives that strengthen platform abstractions, improve architectural clarity, and increase technical leverage. This role focuses on complex system-level challenges while shaping long-term platform strategy, design principles, and technical standards to ensure scalability, maintainability, and innovation. The architect leads the development of a new platform, including building an iOS infrastructure to support build, test, and deployment pipelines, and enabling applications to run effectively on the platform.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural vision and technical leadership across a distributed engineering organization.

• Drive modernization initiatives that strengthen platform abstractions and improve architectural clarity.

• Define and evolve long-term platform strategy, design principles, and technical standards to ensure scalability, maintainability, and innovation.

• Work directly on complex system-level challenges, including OS internals, middleware, and service architectures.

• Lead the architectural development of a new platform that is currently in market, ensuring it can support diverse applications and use cases.

• Design and build an iOS infrastructure to support build, test, and deployment processes for applications on the platform.

• Architect and refine platform foundations that can be used by multiple internal teams and external partners.

• Balance abstraction and pragmatism by creating architectures that are both forward-looking and incrementally evolvable.

• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure platform services and system components perform reliably in embedded Linux and resource-constrained environments.

• Establish and promote best practices for middleware patterns, service architectures, and system services across the organization.

• Provide hands-on contribution to architectural development, dedicating a significant portion of time to design, prototyping, and code-level guidance.

• Mentor and guide engineers and technical leaders, fostering a culture of technical excellence and thoughtful system design.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field.

• 20+ years of software engineering experience with a deep focus on platform architecture, system services, and foundational systems that support diverse engineering organizations and use cases.

• Broad systems-level expertise spanning operating system internals, middleware patterns, and service architectures.

• Strong understanding of embedded Linux environments and resource-constrained systems.

• Proven track record architecting platforms used by multiple teams or external partners.

• Demonstrated ability to balance abstraction with pragmatism and long-term architectural thinking with incremental evolution.

• Experience with embedded software development.

• Experience with Go (Golang).

• Experience with iOS development and building supporting infrastructure.

• Experience in architecture development for complex, distributed platforms.

• Experience working with Linux-based systems and middleware components.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Brea, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $225000.00 - $260000.00/yr.

Full company benefits are attached

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Brea,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 6, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.