Job Description
Position Title:
Lead Software Architect
Position Description:
Protingent Staffing has an exciting FTE Lead Software Architect opportunity.
Job Responsibilities:
- Software architecture across our embedded firmware, application software, and platform-level systems; setting the technical direction for how company's software stack evolves alongside our hardware roadmap.
- Release ownership - versioning, code freeze discipline, release candidates, firmware bundle creation, and the change-order process that gates production releases.
- Security ownership - vulnerability management, credential and certificate custody, and the security posture of a product deployed in K-12 schools, including responding to the security reviews our district customers conduct.
- Leadership of our external development partner, holding outsourced work accountable to architecture, quality, and timeline standards, and making calls informing decisions on what should stay outsourced versus brought in-house over time.
- Building and leading a small internal software team, starting with yourself and growing to include additional engineers.
- Close collaboration with Hardware and EE teams, including firmware planning and definition, to ensure software and hardware/firmware decisions are made together rather than in sequence or in silos.
- Close collaboration with Product Management and Implementation teams, incorporating voice-of-the-customer input, feature definition, and testing support into the software roadmap.
- Hands-on technical work- this is not a pure management role today. You'll be writing code, reviewing architecture, and making direct design decisions, especially in the first year as the team is small.
- Use of AI-assisted development tooling to amplify the output of a lean team without sacrificing quality or architectural integrity.
Job Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience as a software architect or senior technical lead across embedded/firmware and application-level software.
- Track record of defining and documenting software architecture for connected/IoT hardware products, not just greenfield app development.
- Direct experience with firmware planning and definition, and a working fluency in how software architecture decisions constrain — and are constrained by — hardware and firmware realities.
- Comfort operating in ambiguity, building process and structure.
- Experience directing or managing an external/outsourced software development partner; holding a vendor accountable to specs, architecture standards, timelines, and quality.
- Strong collaborative instincts and communication skills; this role requires taking input from and coordinating closely with hardware/EE peers and navigating disagreement constructively.
- 7+ years of software engineering experience, including in an architect or senior technical leadership capacity.
- Production-level experience with a systems language. Go is preferred, but strong C or C++ experience is also acceptable.
- Experience in IoT, embedded systems, or connected hardware products strongly preferred; audio-specific experience is a nice-to-have, not a requirement.
- Direct experience managing or mentoring a small team (2-5 people) is expected.
Job Details:
- Job Type; Direct Hire
- Salary Range: $168K-183K
- Location: Tualatin, OR
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer.
About Protingent:
Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.