Senior IT Architect

Protective Life; United States; On-site; USD 125,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental and Vision insurance

Paid time off and parental leave

401(k) with company match

Pension plan and disability benefits

Employee wellness programs

Job summary

Protective Life seeks a Senior IT Architect to design and deliver enterprise-scale Microsoft‑based systems. You will shape architecture across applications, data, and infrastructure while writing production code in C# and .NET.

The role emphasizes secure, scalable designs and collaboration with stakeholders, product owners, and development teams. You will drive technical decisions, guide engineers, and help modernize legacy systems in Azure, including APIs and integrations using REST/messaging.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, system design, and application architecture.
• Extensive experience with the Microsoft technology stack: C#, .NET/.NET Core, ASP.NET, Web APIs, and service-based architectures.
• SQL Server and relational data modeling.
• Proven experience as architect and hands-on senior developer on large, complex systems.
• Experience with cloud platforms, preferably Microsoft Azure.
• Experience integrating with external and internal systems through APIs and messaging.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve high complexity technical problems under delivery pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to and shape solution architecture across application, integration, data, and infrastructure layers within a Microsoft-centric ecosystem.
• Design scalable, secure, and resilient systems using modern architectural patterns.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise standards for security, performance, observability, and compliance.
• Act as a senior technical authority and make appropriate technical decisions for the team.
• Actively design, write, review, and optimize production-grade code in C#, .NET, and Web APIs.
• Design and implement APIs and system integrations using REST and messaging patterns.
• Provide technical guidance to developers and produce clear technical documentation.

Skills

Strong communication

Influence technical direction

Strategic thinking

Architectural leadership

Tools

C#

.NET Core/.NET

ASP.NET/Web APIs

SQL Server

Azure

REST/messaging

Job description

The work we do has an impact on millions of lives, and you can be a part of it. We help protect our customers against life’s uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you’ll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most. The Senior IT Architect is responsible for contributing to the technical design and implementation of enterprise-scale systems built on the Microsoft technology stack. This role ensures that technical decisions are practical, scalable, secure, and implemented with high engineering standards. The role operates in a fast‑paced environment with critical delivery timelines and works closely with business stakeholders, product owners, architects, and development teams to design, build, modernize, and support complex applications and integrations. The Senior IT Architect is accountable for making sound technical decisions for the team they work with, writing production code, supporting implementation quality, and ensuring long‑term maintainability.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & Technical Decision-Making

• Contribute to and help shape solution architecture across application, integration, data, and infrastructure layers within a Microsoft-centric ecosystem
• Design scalable, secure, and resilient systems using modern architectural patterns (e.g., layered architecture, domain driven design, event driven and service oriented architectures)
• Ensure alignment with enterprise standards for security, performance, observability, and compliance
• Evaluate and recommend technologies, frameworks, and patterns appropriate for long term sustainability
• Act as a senior technical authority for assigned work and make appropriate technical decisions for the team they support

Hands‑On Development

• Actively design, write, review, and optimize production grade code
• Develop solutions using C#, .NET (.NET Core / .NET), ASP.NET, Web APIs, and related frameworks
• Apply and promote coding standards, best practices, and design guidelines
• Perform deep technical troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex issues
• Participate in code reviews and provide actionable feedback to support quality, performance, and security

Cloud, Integration & Platform Engineering

• Design and implement solutions leveraging Microsoft Azure, including compute, storage, messaging, and integration services
• Architect and build APIs and system integrations using REST, messaging, and event based patterns
• Support data architecture and persistence strategies using SQL Server and related data technologies
• Support modernization efforts, including refactoring legacy systems and contributing to cloud‑native or hybrid architectures

Delivery, Collaboration & Documentation

• Partner with business analysts and stakeholders to translate business requirements into robust technical solutions
• Manage assigned technical tasks within project plans, supporting delivery quality and timelines
• Provide technical guidance to developers as needed, without formal leadership or people-management responsibilities
• Produce and maintain clear, concise technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, design decisions, and operational guidance
• Communicate effectively with technical and non technical audiences, explaining tradeoffs and impacts of design decisions

Experience & Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, system design, and application architecture
• Extensive experience in the Microsoft technology stack, including:
• C#, .NET / .NET Core
• ASP.NET, Web APIs, and service based architectures
• SQL Server and relational data modeling
• Proven experience serving as both architect and hands‑on senior developer on large, complex systems
• Strong background designing and supporting enterprise scale, mission critical applications
• Experience with cloud platforms, preferably Microsoft Azure
• Experience integrating with external and internal systems through APIs and messaging
• Ability to diagnose and resolve high complexity technical problems under delivery pressure
• Strong understanding of software design principles, patterns, and performance optimization
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction and support engineering quality through sound technical judgment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred / Domain Experience

• Experience modernizing or integrating with legacy platforms
• Experience with data conversion or large scale system migrations
• Prior work in highly regulated or data intensive enterprise environments

Employee Benefits:

• In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program.
• Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits (e.g., paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day).
• The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health.
• Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching.
• All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective’s platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards.
• Eligibility for certain benefits may vary by position in accordance with the terms of the Company’s benefit plans.

Accommodations for Applicants with a Disability

If you require an accommodation to complete the application and recruitment process due to a disability, please email [e-mail]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application and recruitment process.

Please note that the above email is solely for individuals with disabilities requesting an accommodation. General employment questions should not be sent through this process.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to being inclusive and attracting, retaining, and growing an inclusive workforce.

Protective’s targeted compensation for this position is $125k-$180k. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors, including but not limited to, job location, skills, and experience. The range listed is just one component of Protective’s total compensation package for employees. This position also offers additional incentive opportunities through an annual incentive based on individual and Company performance.