Lead Architect (Senior Director)

Vonage; London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cloud communications company is seeking a visionary Lead Architect to drive architectural vision across their CPaaS platform. This role involves leadership, technical expertise, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure scalable and compliant architecture. The ideal candidate will possess deep knowledge of cloud-native microservices and modern technologies, fostering innovation and guiding a high-performing team.

Qualifications

• Proven experience standardising managed platforms across distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in cloud-based microservice and real-time architectures on AWS.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear architectural leadership and build the embedded architecture department.
• Define and communicate the architectural vision, strategy, and roadmap.

Skills

Leadership

Cloud-native microservice architectures

Problem-solving

Strategic thinking

Communication

Tools

Kubernetes

Java

Go

Kotlin

Kafka

Job description

Join Vonage and help us innovate cloud communications for businesses worldwide!

Vonage is the emerging leader in the $100B+ cloud communications platform (CPaaS) market. Customers like Airbnb, Viber, Whatsapp, Snapchat, and many others depend on our APIs and SDKs to connect with their customers all over the world.

We are looking for a visionary and seasoned Lead Architect to take ownership of our globally distributed embedded API architecture team. This is a high-impact leadership position, responsible for defining and driving the architectural vision across our CPaaS platform in support of key strategic, compliance, and innovation initiatives. The ideal candidate will bring exceptional leadership capabilities, deep expertise in cloud-native microservice architectures, large-scale real-time communication systems, AI integration, and a strong command of modern technologies.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Team Management

• Provide clear architectural leadership by evaluating technical options, aligning stakeholders, and balancing vision, scalability, and delivery timelines
• Build and lead the embedded architecture department, fostering innovation, collaboration, and excellence
• Mentor a high-performing team across Enterprise, Solution, Data, and Cloud Architecture disciplines
• Act as a strategic advisor to Engineering and Product leadership, identifying architectural gaps and opportunities
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, development, QA, and operations teams to ensure architectural alignment

Architectural Strategy and Vision

• Define and communicate the architectural vision, strategy, and roadmap aligned with business goals and tech evolution
• Establish and embed architectural governance, best practices, design patterns, and coding standards
• Lead the technical architecture of the CPaaS platform to ensure scalability, performance, and compliance

Technical Expertise

• Design and oversee the architecture & implementation of a scalable cloud-based microservices platform on AWS
• Evaluate and recommend tools, technologies, and frameworks to optimise architecture and development processes
• Provide hands-on technical leadership to resolve complex challenges
• Drive innovation by tracking emerging technologies, with a focus on AI/ML impact

Collaboration and Communication

• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business needs into actionable architectural solutions
• Communicate architectural strategies and decisions to technical and non-technical audiences, including executives
• Lead architectural reviews, technical discussions, and design sessions to ensure alignment across projects

Core Requirements:

• Proven experience standardising managed platforms across distributed systems, with reusable patterns and governance (ideally in the CPaaS industry)
• Strong leadership and team management skills to inspire, guide & motivate a team architects
• Deep expertise in cloud-based microservice and real-time architectures on AWS
• Proficiency with modern technologies: Kubernetes, Java, Go, Kotlin, Kafka, related tools & frameworks
• Solid grasp of SDLC, agile methodologies, and DevOps practices at scale
• Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking abilities
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Experience with the following would be a plus:

• Knowledge of communications protocols e.g. SMS, MMS, RCS, SIP, RTP, WebRTC etc.
• Certifications in AWS, Kubernetes, or related technologies.
• Knowledge of other cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, Google Cloud) and their architectural frameworks.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, containerization, and infrastructure as code (IaC).

#LI-JM1

There’s no perfect candidate. You don't need all the preferred qualifications to make a valuable impact on our team. Our employees and customers come from diverse backgrounds, so if you're passionate about what you could achieve at Vonage, we'd love to hear from you.

Who we are:

Vonage is a global cloud communications leader. And your talent will further help brands - such as Airbnb, Viber, WhatsApp, and Snapchat - accelerate their digital transformation through our fully programmable-based unified communications, contact center solutions, and communications APIs. Ready to innovate? Then join us today.

Note: The purpose of this profile is to provide a general summary of essential responsibilities for the position and is not meant as an exhaustive list. Assignments may differ for individuals within the same role based on business conditions, departmental need or geographic location.

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