Senior Secure Software Architect (m/f/d)

Halian; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

Halian in Abu Dhabi invites a Senior Software Architect to define and govern the architecture of complex software systems, leveraging cloud-native designs and secure, scalable data architectures.

You will lead enterprise architecture, data & security practices, and guide engineering teams through modernization and governance across the SDLC.

Candidates should have 8+ years in software architecture, experience with microservices, IAM, and distributed systems.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software architecture, solution architecture, or related design roles.
• Experience designing and delivering large-scale enterprise applications and distributed systems.
• Proven ability to lead architectural initiatives across complex technical environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain end-to-end architecture for large-scale software solutions, including web apps, APIs, microservices, and backend services.
• Establish architectural standards, design patterns, and development guidelines for long-term scalability.
• Develop secure and scalable data models; define data segregation, access control, encryption, retention, and lifecycle strategies.
• Architect event-driven and service-oriented solutions with high availability and fault tolerance.
• Integrate security principles into system design and governance; define authentication/authorization controls.
• Lead IAM concepts with modern authentication frameworks and secure token management.
• Drive architecture reviews, threat modeling, and risk mitigation throughout project lifecycles.
• Mentor engineers and collaborate with stakeholders to translate requirements into scalable solutions.

Skills

Software architecture

Distributed systems

Cloud architecture

Security engineering

Tools

AWS

Azure

Kubernetes

REST APIs

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and technically accomplished Senior Software Architect to define, govern, and evolve the architecture of complex software systems. This role is responsible for establishing scalable application frameworks, designing secure and resilient data architectures, and driving technical excellence across the software development lifecycle. The ideal candidate combines deep engineering expertise with a strong understanding of security, cloud-native technologies, distributed systems, and modern application design principles.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Application Architecture

• Design and maintain end-to-end architecture for large-scale software solutions, including web applications, APIs, microservices, and backend services.
• Establish architectural standards, design patterns, and development guidelines to support long-term scalability and maintainability.
• Evaluate technology stacks and recommend solutions aligned with business and technical requirements.

Data Architecture & Information Management

• Develop secure and scalable data models for structured and unstructured data environments.
• Define strategies for data segregation, access control, encryption, retention, and lifecycle management.
• Ensure data architectures support performance, compliance, reliability, and future growth requirements.

Distributed Systems & Integration Design

• Architect event-driven and service-oriented solutions that support high availability, fault tolerance, and operational resilience.
• Design integrations between internal and external systems using APIs, messaging platforms, and asynchronous processing mechanisms.
• Optimize system performance through effective workload distribution and resource utilization.

Security Architecture

• Integrate security principles into system design, application architecture, and development processes.
• Define controls for authentication, authorization, encryption, secrets management, and secure communications.
• Ensure architectures align with industry-recognized security standards and secure-by-design principles.

Identity & Access Management

• Design and implement enterprise identity solutions leveraging modern authentication and authorization frameworks.
• Define access control models using role-based, attribute-based, or policy-driven approaches.
• Establish secure token management, federation, and single sign-on architectures.

Threat Modeling & Architecture Governance

• Lead architecture reviews and threat modeling exercises throughout project lifecycles.
• Identify design risks, security gaps, trust boundary concerns, and potential attack vectors during early-stage planning.
• Provide architectural recommendations to mitigate security, performance, and operational risks.

Technical Leadership & Engineering Enablement

• Mentor software engineers and technical leads on architecture best practices and emerging technologies.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Support development teams with architectural guidance, troubleshooting, and design reviews.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Evaluate new technologies, frameworks, and architectural approaches to improve system capabilities.
• Drive modernization initiatives, cloud adoption strategies, and platform optimization efforts.
• Promote engineering excellence through automation, observability, and reliability-focused design.

Required Qualifications Professional Experience

• Minimum 8 years of experience in software engineering, solution architecture, or systems design.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering large-scale enterprise applications and distributed systems.
• Proven success leading architectural initiatives across complex technical environments.

Architecture & Software Design

• Strong expertise in software architecture patterns, domain-driven design, microservices, and API-first development.
• Experience designing scalable, resilient, and maintainable systems in production environments.
• Deep understanding of database architecture, data modeling, and integration strategies.

Security Engineering Knowledge

• Thorough understanding of secure software development practices and application security principles.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • OWASP Top 10
  • OWASP API Security Top 10
  • Secure coding methodologies
  • Threat modeling techniques
  • Vulnerability management and risk mitigation

Identity & Access Management

• Hands-on experience designing solutions based on:
  • OAuth 2.0
  • OpenID Connect (OIDC)
  • SAML 2.0
  • JWT-based authentication and authorization

Cloud & Modern Infrastructure

• Experience designing architectures on public cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Knowledge of containerized environments, orchestration platforms, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Familiarity with event-driven architectures, distributed messaging systems, and scalable storage solutions.

Engineering Leadership

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience facilitating architecture reviews, technical workshops, and strategic planning sessions.
• Ability to influence technical direction and guide engineering teams toward architectural best practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing solutions within highly regulated, security-sensitive, or mission-critical environments.
• Knowledge of zero-trust architecture, platform engineering, observability, and reliability engineering concepts.
• Experience with large-scale modernization, cloud transformation, or digital platform initiatives.
• Familiarity with performance engineering, resiliency testing, and disaster recovery architecture.

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Software Security Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP)
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• TOGAF Certification
• Offensive Security Certifications (OSCP, OSWE)