Principal Systems Architect - SaaS Platforms

Placements24; Gqeberha; Hybrid; ZAR 2,297,000 - 3,281,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly competitive salary and stock

Comprehensive health, dental, and 8

Remote work flexibility

Professional development budget

Home office setup allowance

Cutting-edge technologies

Annual performance bonuses

Retirement savings plan with company

Opportunity to shape architecture of a

Job summary

Placements24 is recruiting a Principal Systems Architect to define the architectural vision for enterprise SaaS products. This remote-first role leads microservice architectures, cloud-native patterns, and scalable systems, while mentoring engineers and guiding senior teams.

You will partner with product and exec leadership to drive technical excellence, performance, security, and cost optimization across our cloud platforms.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of experience in software engineering and architecture.
• Deep expertise in designing and building microservices architectures.
• Extensive experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and Docker/Kubernetes.
• Proficiency in Java, Python, Go, or Node.js; strong system design principles.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead and influence technical teams in a remote setting.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the overall SaaS architecture for scalability and reliability.
• Lead design and implementation of distributed systems and microservices.
• Set technical direction and standards for development and infrastructure.
• Evaluate technologies and architectural patterns.
• Mentor senior engineers and architects on best practices.
• Collaborate with product management to translate requirements into solutions.
• Ensure security, compliance, and resilience of the platform.
• Drive innovation and research new technologies.
• Conduct architectural reviews and provide technical oversight for major projects.
• Optimize performance and cost in a cloud environment.

Skills

Leadership

Distributed systems

Microservices

Software architecture

Cloud-native

Security & reliability

Performance tuning

System design

Communication

Remote collaboration

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

GCP

Java

Python

Go

Node.js

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a trailblazer in innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions, is looking for a highly experienced Principal Systems Architect to join their fully remote team. This is a remote-first opportunity, empowering you to design and shape the architectural foundations of our cutting-edge SaaS products from your chosen location. You will be responsible for defining the technical vision, architecture, and strategy for our platform, ensuring scalability, reliability, security, and high performance. This role requires a deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices, cloud-native technologies, and best practices in software architecture. You will lead architectural initiatives, mentor engineering teams, and collaborate closely with product management and executive leadership to drive technical excellence and innovation. This is a chance to make a significant impact on the future of our technology and play a key role in our continued growth. Join us and help build the next generation of enterprise SaaS solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the overall architecture for our SaaS platform, ensuring scalability, performance, and reliability.
• Lead the design and implementation of complex, distributed systems and microservices.
• Set technical direction and standards for software development and infrastructure.
• Evaluate and select appropriate technologies and architectural patterns.
• Mentor and guide senior engineers and architects on architectural best practices.
• Collaborate with product managers to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
• Ensure the security, compliance, and resilience of the platform.
• Drive innovation by researching and advocating for new technologies and approaches.
• Conduct architectural reviews and provide technical oversight for major projects.
• Optimize system performance and cost-effectiveness in a cloud environment.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in software engineering and architecture, with a focus on large-scale distributed systems and SaaS.
• Deep expertise in designing and building microservices architectures.
• Extensive experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proficiency in multiple programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, Go, Node.js).
• Strong understanding of architectural patterns, data modeling, and system design principles.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead and influence technical teams in a remote setting.
• Experience with performance tuning, scalability, and high-availability systems.
• Proven ability to define and enforce technical standards and best practices.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and significant stock options.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off and remote work flexibility.
• Professional development budget for conferences, training, and certifications.
• Home office setup allowance.
• Access to cutting-edge technologies and challenging projects.
• Collaborative and innovative remote-first company culture.
• Retirement savings plan with company matching.
• Opportunity to shape the architecture of a rapidly growing SaaS product.
• Annual performance bonuses and regular salary reviews.