Backend Software Architect

LE043 Quality Technology Services, LLC; Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 228,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Bonus eligibility

Generous PTO

Volunteer days

Stock Purchase Plan

Holiday pay

Parental Leave

Wellness program

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

QTS Realty Trust is seeking a Backend Software Architect to provide deep technical leadership, translating business requirements into robust architectural designs. You will evaluate tradeoffs, promote reusable patterns, and partner with solution architects, engineering leads, and product teams to deliver secure, scalable systems.

Requirements include 8+ years of backend experience and strong mentoring skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of engineering or architecture leadership experience.
• Deep expertise in backend software development and scalable production solutions.
• Ability to translate requirements into detailed technical designs and guidance.
• Proven ability to mentor engineers and influence decisions across teams.
• Familiarity with security, reliability, and architecture governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide deep technical leadership within a defined technology domain.
• Translate architectures and standards into detailed technical designs and guidance.
• Evaluate alternatives balancing security, performance, cost and delivery needs.
• Promote reusable patterns and engineering practices to reduce complexity.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers and product teams to resolve challenges.
• Mentor engineers and technical leads to enable autonomous decision making.

Skills

Backend software development

Technical leadership

Architecture design

Solution architecture

Mentoring engineers

Security and reliability

Tools

SharePoint Online

Job description

Who we are:

As a global leader in digital infrastructure, QTS designs, builds and operates advanced data centers that support strategic AI, cloud and digital transformation initiatives. We are driven by a mission to connect the world for good and our people make it possible. Every single day, the creativity, dedication and genuine care for our communities are what push us forward and make this a truly special place to be. As the Backend Software Architect, you will provide deep technical leadership within a defined. You will translate business requirements, solution architectures, and enterprise standards into detailed technical architectures, reusable patterns, engineering guidance, and practical implementation approaches. Working closely with Solution Architects, Engineering Leads, and delivery teams, you will evaluate technical alternatives, resolve complex design and implementation challenges, and ensure solutions are secure, scalable, reliable, maintainable, supportable, and aligned with established architectural principles and guardrails.

What You Will Do:

• Manage and maintain SharePoint Online sites, libraries, lists and permissions
• Provide deep technical leadership and serve as a technical authority within a defined technology domain.
• Translate solution architectures, business requirements, and enterprise standards into detailed technical designs, patterns, and practical implementation guidance.
• Evaluate technical alternatives and tradeoffs, balancing security, scalability, reliability, performance, maintainability, cost, and delivery needs.
• Establish and promote reusable technical patterns, standards, reference implementations, and engineering practices that reduce complexity and improve consistency.
• Partner closely with Solution Architects, engineers, and product teams to resolve complex technical challenges and ensure implementations align with the intended architecture.
• Validate technical approaches through design reviews, prototypes, reference implementations, code or configuration reviews, and other methods appropriate to the technical domain.
• Identify and address architectural risks, technical debt, and modernization opportunities within the area of specialization.
• Mentor engineers and technical leads, enabling teams to make increasingly autonomous technical decisions within established architecture standards and guardrails.

What You Will Need to Be Successful:

• Minimum of 8 years demonstrated experience in engineering, technical architecture, platform architecture, or technical leadership within the applicable specialization.
• Deep technical expertise in backend software development.
• Proven experience designing and guiding the implementation of secure, scalable, reliable, maintainable, and supportable production solutions.
• Ability to translate solution-level requirements and architecture into detailed technical designs, standards, patterns, and implementation guidance.
• Practical implementation experience sufficient to evaluate technical feasibility, validate designs, identify risks, and guide engineering teams.
• Experience evaluating technical alternatives and clearly articulating tradeoffs involving cost, complexity, delivery speed, security, performance, scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
• Experience identifying and addressing technical debt, architecture risks, operational concerns, and modernization opportunities.
• Proven ability to influence technical decisions and engineering practices across multiple teams without relying on direct reporting authority.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and technical leads and communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with enterprise architecture principles, security requirements, operational support considerations, and technology lifecycle management.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, collaboration, and written and verbal communication skills.

Nice to Have:

• Experience supporting enterprise-scale technology environments and modernization initiatives.
• Experience creating reference architectures, reusable patterns, technical standards, and architecture decision records.
• Experience operating within formal architecture governance, security review, risk management, or design assurance processes.
• Experience with automation, observability, resilience engineering, DevSecOps, infrastructure as code, or equivalent practices relevant to the specialization.
• Experience evaluating emerging technologies through prototypes, proofs of concept, benchmarks, or controlled implementation.
• Relevant technical, architecture, cloud, data, network, security, or platform certifications appropriate to the specialization.

Compensation (Virginia)

In accordance with applicable law, the following represents a reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation for this role if hired in Virginia. Please note that this information is provided for those hired in Virginia only, and this role is open to candidates outside of Virginia with compensation that aligns with your location. The successful candidate’s starting salary will be determined based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as skills, experience, and geographic location. The estimated pay range for this role, if based in Virginia, is: $151,511.59 - 228,277.46

Benefits:

• Roth and Traditional 401(k) matching contributions with immediate vesting
• Every employee is bonus or commission eligible
• Generous PTO, Paid Volunteer Days Plus Floating Holidays
• Stock Purchase Plan (SPP)
• 11 paid Holidays Annually/Holiday compensation when worked
• Pet and Legal Insurance
• Q-Rest Sabbatical Program
• Q-Anniversary Service Award Program
• Parental Leave
• Military Benefits Package
• QTS Charitable Matching Gift Program
• QTS Scholarship for Employee Dependents
• QTS Crisis Fund
• Wellness Program
• Tuition Reimbursement Program

Equal Opportunity and Diversity:

QTS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action.

We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or discrimination claim.

The "Know Your Rights" Poster is included here: Know Your Rights (English) Know Your Rights (Spanish) The pay transparency policy is available here: Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster-Formatted

QTS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.