Tech Lead / Solutions Architect

iqbusiness South Africa; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology consulting firm seeks a highly experienced Tech Lead/Solutions Architect in Johannesburg. This role requires 8+ years in software engineering, with a focus on solution architecture, technical leadership, and the use of AI-assisted development tools. The successful candidate will establish technology standards, lead complex projects, and mentor teams. A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field is mandatory. Join a diverse team committed to sustainable growth and transformation.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in software engineering, with 5+ years in technical leadership and/or solution architecture.
• Proven experience in enterprise consulting environments delivering complex solutions.
• Ability to rapidly prototype and define technology stack standards.

Responsibilities

• Define and own end-to-end solution architectures aligned to business strategy.
• Lead design of complex distributed systems using modern architectures.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to stakeholders.

Skills

Software engineering

Technical leadership

Solution architecture

AI-assisted development tools

Cloud services

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

Tools

Lovable

Trae.ai

Copilot

Claude Code

ChatGPT

Job description

Overview

iqx the Technology Division of iqbusiness seeking a highly experienced Tech Lead / Solutions Architect with a strong background in enterprise solution design, modern software engineering, and technical leadership within consulting and product-driven environments. The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of architecture, hands-on engineering, and strategic technology decision-making, with the ability to rapidly prototype, define technology standards, and guide teams toward scalable, secure, and future-ready solutions.

The role requires comfort with AI-assisted development tools to accelerate solution exploration and proof-of-concepts, alongside responsibility for defining and governing technology stack standards across teams and projects.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years in software engineering, with 5+ years in technical leadership and/or solution architecture roles.
• Proven experience in enterprise or consulting environments delivering complex, multi-system solutions.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Key Responsibilities

Solution Architecture & Technical Strategy

• Define and own end-to-end solution architectures aligned to business strategy, scalability, performance, and security requirements.
• Establish and maintain technology stack standards, architectural patterns, and reference architectures across the organization.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and platforms, including cloud services, frameworks, and AI-assisted development tooling, and drive informed adoption.

Technical Leadership & Delivery

• Lead design and implementation of complex, distributed systems using modern architectures (microservices, event-driven, cloud-native).
• Set engineering best practices across code quality, testing, CI/CD, observability, and DevOps.
• Perform architecture and code reviews to ensure consistency with defined standards and long-term maintainability.

Rapid Prototyping & Innovation

• Rapidly prototype solutions and validate architectural approaches using AI coding tools and environments (e.g. Lovable, Trae.ai, Copilot, Claude Code, ChatGPT, similar platforms).
• Use AI-assisted development to explore solution options, accelerate proof-of-concepts, and de-risk architectural decisions.
• Translate prototypes into production-ready designs and delivery roadmaps.

Consulting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a trusted technical advisor to business and delivery stakeholders.
• Translate complex business requirements into clear, implementable technical architectures.
• Support pre-sales, solutioning, and technical due-diligence activities where required.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Lead and mentor engineers, senior developers, and technical leads.
• Build architectural capability across teams through coaching, documentation, and knowledge sharing.
• Drive alignment between delivery teams and architectural governance.

Governance, Security & Compliance

• Ensure solutions comply with security, regulatory, and operational standards.
• Embed security-by-design, resilience, and scalability into all architectural decisions.

Please Note: As all iqbusiness roles require honesty in the handling of or access to cash, finances, financial systems, or confidential information; our recruitment process requires that the following background checks be completed: credit, criminal, ID, and qualification verification.

iqbusiness is committed to sustainable growth and transformation, we embrace diversity and employ previously disadvantaged individuals