Solutions Architect

SMARTFOX; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SMARTFOX seeks a seasoned Solution Architect to translate business goals into scalable architectures across applications, data, and security in a cloud/hybrid environment. You will drive end-to-end designs, ADRs, and integration strategies with a focus on cost, risk, and business value.

You’ll lead design reviews, mentor engineers, and collaborate with pre-sales, security, and product teams to deliver high-impact solutions in the US.

Qualifications

• Deep experience designing and delivering complex systems with strong software engineering roots.
• Hands-on knowledge of at least one major cloud platform and modern architecture patterns (microservices, APIs, event-driven, containers).
• Strong grasp of integration, data architecture, security, and non-functional requirements.
• Ability to explain tradeoffs clearly and defend a design to skeptical engineers and executives.
• Leadership through influence: you bring people along without needing authority.
• Excellent written communication, especially architecture documents and diagrams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience. We care about what you’ve designed and delivered.
• Authorization to work in the US

Responsibilities

• Translate business goals and requirements into end-to-end solution architectures spanning applications, data, integration, infrastructure, and security.
• Design cloud-native and hybrid solutions on AWS, Azure, or GCP, including microservices, event-driven systems, APIs, and serverless patterns.
• Evaluate build vs. buy decisions, compare vendors and platforms, and write recommendations with clear tradeoffs and total cost of ownership.
• Create high-level and detailed designs, reference architectures, and decision records (ADRs) that teams actually use.
• Define integration strategy across enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, data platforms, SaaS) using APIs, messaging, and middleware.
• Design for scalability, resilience, performance, security, compliance, and cost from the start.
• Partner with security, data, infrastructure, and product teams on zero-trust, data governance, and DevSecOps practices.
• Lead design reviews, challenge assumptions respectfully, and guide engineering teams through implementation.
• Support pre-sales and discovery where relevant: technical workshops, proposals, estimates, and proof-of-concept scoping.
• Plan and guide migrations, modernization programs, and cloud adoption roadmaps.
• Communicate with executives in terms of cost, risk, timeline, and business value, and with engineers in terms of detail.
• Mentor engineers and build architecture practices, standards, and reusable patterns.

Skills

Architectural design

Cloud platforms knowledge

Integration architecture

Tradeoff communication

Leadership by influence

Technical writing

Bachelor's degree / equivalent

US work authorization

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering or related field

Tools

Lucidchart

Archi

Kubernetes

Terraform

CI/CD

Job description

• Translate business goals and requirements into end-to-end solution architectures spanning applications, data, integration, infrastructure, and security
• Design cloud-native and hybrid solutions on AWS, Azure, or GCP, including microservices, event-driven systems, APIs, and serverless patterns
• Evaluate build vs. buy decisions, compare vendors and platforms, and write recommendations with clear tradeoffs and total cost of ownership
• Create high-level and detailed designs, reference architectures, and decision records (ADRs) that teams actually use
• Define integration strategy across enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, data platforms, SaaS) using APIs, messaging, and middleware
• Design for scalability, resilience, performance, security, compliance, and cost from the start
• Partner with security, data, infrastructure, and product teams on zero-trust, data governance, and DevSecOps practices
• Lead design reviews, challenge assumptions respectfully, and guide engineering teams through implementation
• Support pre-sales and discovery where relevant: technical workshops, proposals, estimates, and proof-of-concept scoping
• Plan and guide migrations, modernization programs, and cloud adoption roadmaps
• Communicate with executives in terms of cost, risk, timeline, and business value, and with engineers in terms of detail
• Mentor engineers and build architecture practices, standards, and reusable patterns
• Level Typical experience What you’ll own
• Solution Architect II - 6-9 years : Architecture for a major project or product area, leading design reviews, guiding delivery teams, mentoring engineers
• Senior Solution Architect - 9-12 years : Architecture across multiple programs, setting standards and patterns, advising leadership, leading complex or high-stakes initiatives
• Principal Solution Architect - 12+ years : Defining long-term technical strategy, shaping platform and vendor direction, influencing company-wide architecture and key client relationships

Promotion criteria are written down at every level. Architect roles generally start at a mid-senior level. If you’re a strong senior engineer or tech lead ready to step up, we want to talk to you, and we have a clear path from engineer to architect.

What you bring

Must have

• Deep experience designing and delivering complex systems, with strong software engineering roots
• Hands-on knowledge of at least one major cloud platform and modern architecture patterns (microservices, APIs, event-driven, containers)
• Strong grasp of integration, data architecture, security, and non-functional requirements
• Ability to explain tradeoffs clearly and defend a design to skeptical engineers and executives
• Leadership through influence: you bring people along without needing authority
• Excellent written communication, especially architecture documents and diagrams
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience. We care about what you’ve designed and delivered.
• Authorization to work in the US

Nice to have (not required)

• Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect (Associate/Professional), Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305), Google Professional Cloud Architect, TOGAF, or similar
• Experience with enterprise platforms: Salesforce, SAP, Workday, ServiceNow, Dynamics, or data platforms such as Snowflake and Databricks
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD, and DevSecOps practices
• Knowledge of compliance frameworks (SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, FedRAMP) and how they shape design
• Experience with legacy modernization and large cloud migrations
• Pre-sales, consulting, or client-facing architecture experience
• Experience with architecture modeling (C4, ArchiMate, UML) and tools such as Lucidchart or Archi
• Industry background in [financial services, healthcare, retail, public sector, SaaS, manufacturing, etc.]