Senior Staff Architect - Software Architecture

Role Description

The Sr. Staff Architect – Software Architecture plays a strategic role in designing and evolving modern enterprise application architecture, enabling scalable, secure, and high-performing software platforms across the organization. This role drives adoption of cloud-native, API-first, and microservices-based solutions, partnering with application, cloud, data, and security teams to deliver resilient systems that support Penn Mutual’s digital platform strategy. The architect establishes standards, promotes reusable architecture patterns, and enables engineering teams to deliver innovative, high-quality solutions aligned with enterprise architecture principles.

Responsibilities

• Leadership: Provide thought leadership and technical guidance across IT and business teams on modern software architecture, engineering practices, and platform strategy.
• Architecture Strategy: Define and drive adoption of modern architecture principles including microservices, API-first design, and cloud-native development.
• Standardization: Establish enterprise architecture standards, reference architectures, and reusable design patterns for distributed and Java-based systems.
• Solution Design & Delivery: Lead architecture and design of scalable applications, including service decomposition, API contracts, and integration patterns.
• Platform & Cloud Enablement: Architect and guide development of cloud-native solutions leveraging AWS services and ensuring alignment with AWS Well-Architected principles.
• API & Microservices Architecture: Design and govern API ecosystems and enable event-driven and loosely coupled service architectures.
• Engineering Enablement: Improve developer productivity through frameworks, templates, CI/CD enablement, and best practices in quality, testing, and observability.
• Operational Excellence: Establish monitoring, performance, and reliability standards; lead troubleshooting and continuous optimization.
• Governance & Compliance: Ensure solutions align with enterprise architecture standards, security requirements, and governance frameworks.
• Collaboration: Partner with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to align technical solutions with strategic objectives.
• Continuous Improvement: Mentor engineers and promote continuous improvement through modern engineering practices and emerging technologies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in software development and architecture, including enterprise-scale systems.
• Deep expertise in software architecture, microservices, distributed systems, and API design.
• Strong experience with Java-based development frameworks (e.g., Spring Boot).
• Proven experience designing cloud-native solutions on AWS.
• Experience defining architecture standards, governance models, and engineering best practices.
• Strong understanding of security, scalability, and performance optimization in distributed systems.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across technical and business stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tooling.
• Knowledge of containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, ECS/EKS).
• Exposure to AI-enabled architectures or integration of AI capabilities into enterprise applications.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Planning & Organizational Skills
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
• Risk Analysis & Decision Making
• Governance & Compliance Orientation
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Data Analysis & Reporting Accuracy

Benefits

• Base Salary Range: $170,000 - $190,000

Company Description

For over 175 years, Penn Mutual has empowered individuals, families and businesses on the journey to achieve their financial goals. Through our partnership with Financial Professionals across the U.S., we help instill the confidence and reliability that comes from a stronger financial future. Penn Mutual and its affiliates offer a comprehensive suite of competitive products and services to meet the unique needs of Financial Professionals and their clients, including life insurance, annuities, wealth management and institutional asset management.

Penn Mutual is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). We provide employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and associates, according to applicable laws. This is reflected in our practices for hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment, compensation, selection or training, and all other terms and conditions of employment. All employment-related decisions and practices are free from unlawful discrimination.