Lead Software Architect

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus

Remote work

Health, wellness & life insurance

Development budget for certifications

Collaborative, inclusive culture

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Lead Software Architect to shape technical strategy and drive innovation from Cape Town in a fully remote role. You will design scalable, secure systems, mentor engineers, and champion best practices while collaborating with leadership, product, and engineering teams across distributed environments.

The role demands a Master’s degree or equivalent experience, 10+ years in software development, and 5+ years in architecture, with strong cloud-native and DevOps

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field or equivalent extensive experience.
• 10+ years in software development with at least 5 years in architecture or lead engineering roles.
• Proven track record designing and implementing complex, distributed systems.
• Deep understanding of architectural patterns (microservices, event-driven, monolithic) and trade-offs.
• Extensive experience with cloud-native technologies and modern DevOps practices.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and document the overall software architecture for new and existing systems.
• Lead design and implementation of microservices, APIs, and data management strategies.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies, tools, and frameworks to enhance capabilities.
• Provide technical leadership throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Establish and enforce coding standards and architectural principles.
• Collaborate with DevOps and infrastructure teams to ensure scalability, reliability, and security.

Skills

Technical leadership

Cloud-native

Microservices

APIs

Distributed systems

DevOps

Education

Master's degree

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a visionary Lead Software Architect to spearhead technical strategy and drive innovation for their digital initiatives from Cape Town . In this fully remote position, you will be responsible for designing scalable, resilient, and secure software systems that form the backbone of our client's operations. You will work closely with engineering teams, product stakeholders, and senior leadership to translate complex business requirements into elegant technical blueprints. This is a unique opportunity to influence architectural decisions, champion best practices, and mentor a talented team of engineers in a forward-thinking, remote-first environment that prioritizes collaboration and technical mastery.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and document the overall software architecture for new and existing systems, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technical standards.
• Lead the design and implementation of microservices, APIs, and data management strategies.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies, tools, and frameworks to enhance system capabilities and development efficiency.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to development teams throughout the entire software development lifecycle.
• Establish and enforce coding standards, architectural principles, and best practices across all engineering efforts.
• Collaborate with DevOps and infrastructure teams to ensure the scalability, reliability, and security of deployed solutions.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent extensive experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in software development, with at least 5 years in a software architecture or lead engineering role.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing complex, distributed systems.
• Deep understanding of various architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, event-driven, monolithic) and their trade-offs.
• Extensive experience with cloud-native technologies and modern DevOps practices.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Fully remote work environment with a flexible schedule.
• Generous health, wellness, and life insurance coverage.
• Significant budget for professional development, certifications, and conference attendance.
• A collaborative and inclusive culture that values autonomy and innovation.