Systems and Cloud Platform Architect

ABOUT USWe are an innovative SaaS company dedicated to transforming critical infrastructure industries. We are embarking on a multi-year initiative to completely rebuild our platform from the ground up, focusing on scalability, performance, and future innovation. We thrive on data-driven decision-making and are looking for a hands-on Platform Architect to help build and shape the foundation of our platform systems for the next stage of our growth, with a keen focus on cloud infrastructure, infrastructure automation, CI/CD, while also establishing the cross-cutting concerns necessary to our next generation SaaS Platform.POSITION SUMMARYAs an experienced, hands-on Platform Architect you will need to have a strong background in systems design and architecture to drive the development of scalable, resilient, and efficient platforms. This role requires a deep understanding of automation, AWS cloud infrastructure, and a holistic view of systems, recognizing how different components interact and contribute to the overall system. The ideal candidate is passionate about creating robust solutions that empower developers, and has a laser focus on reducing complexity, improving reliability, and driving innovation while also being aware of how to optimize or improve cloud operating costs.The development organization currently leverages Java, Spring Boot, AWS RDS (Postgres, SQL Server), Oracle, AWS Serverless technologies (Lambda, SQS), REST, JavaScript, and Mobile development with React Native hosted in AWS using Atlassian tools (Jira, BitBucket, and Confluence).ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONSThe following duties and responsibilities outline the essential functions of the position. Actual metrics that measure job performance are in separate performance management documentation.Duties and Responsibilities Architect and design scalable, reliable systems that support diverse applications and services across the organization. Lead efforts to automate infrastructure provisioning using tools like AWS CDK, Pulumi, and CloudFormation, ensuring systems are robust, reproducible, and maintainable. Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate build tools such as Gradle, Maven, NPM, and React Native build processes into broader system architecture. Leverage AWS networking and infrastructure knowledge to design secure, performant cloud environments that meet the needs of evolving business requirements. Apply systems thinking to analyze and optimize system-wide behavior, reducing friction between different components and ensuring smooth, predictable operation. Maintain a deep understanding of how system design impacts cloud operating costs in AWS, making architecture decisions that optimize for cost efficiency while maintaining performance. Ability to write and maintain automation scripts using Python or similar languages to automate repetitive tasks and streamline system processes. Ability to Work with Unix command-line tools like `sed`, `awk`, `grep`, and others to simplify complex system-level tasks and manage operations at scale. Develop technical spikes to evaluate new tools, technologies, or approaches, providing technical insight into decision-making processes. Present architecture designs, findings from technical spikes, and recommendations to leadership and engineering teams, fostering alignment and understanding. Document architectural decisions through the development of **Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)** to ensure clarity and transparency in decision-making processes. Mentor engineering teams, providing guidance on best practices in systems design, automation, and cloud architecture, empowering them to grow their technical skills. Champion the adoption of best practices in systems architecture, automation, and configuration across teams. Identify and address system bottlenecks and inefficiencies, proposing architectural improvements that enhance system stability and developer productivity. Collaborate with stakeholders to align platform architecture with business goals and developer needs, creating systems that facilitate growth and innovation. Design & Build Data Infrastructure: Architect and implement scalable, high-performance data infrastructure focusing on event-driven architectures, real-time data streaming, and advanced AI-driven applications. Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, software engineers to deliver the platform infrastructure needed to support the platform. Other duties as assigned. Skills & Experiences: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent knowledge and experience. 5+ years of experience in systems architecture, platform engineering. Proven expertise in designing platform systems, with the ability to consider the broader impact of architectural decisions on overall performance. o Extensive hands-on experience with AWS cloud services (Networking, EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, IAM) and infrastructure-as-code tools like AWS CDK, Pulumi, and CloudFormation. Strong knowledge of build tools like Gradle, Maven, NPM, and React Native build processes (e.g., Fastlane, Metro bundler). Proficiency in Python or similar programming languages for system automation and scripting. Familiarity with Unix command-line tools such as `sed`, `awk`, `grep`, and others, with the ability to manage large-scale system operations. Empathy for platform developers, with a strong focus on designing systems that reduce complexity and friction. Understanding of how system design choices impact cloud costs in AWS and experience in optimizing infrastructure for cost efficiency. Experience in developing technical spikes, evaluating new technologies, and presenting findings to teams and leadership. Strong experience in documenting decisions through Architecture Decision Records (ADRs). Proven ability to mentor and guide engineering teams in systems architecture and best practices. Strong problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to addressing technical challenges. Preferred Qualifications: Experience in the SaaS industry or building scalable data systems for AI-powered products. Experience with additional automation tools like Terraform, Ansible, or Chef. Strong understanding of containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes. Experience with monitoring and logging tools like CloudWatch, ELK Stack, or Prometheus. Experience with mobile-specific tools like Fastlane for automating iOS and Android deployments. Production Support/On-Call Duties:As a key member of our engineering team, you will address escalated production issues from customer support. Your responsibilities will include: Participating in a rotational on-call schedule to handle significant production issues. Rapidly diagnosing and resolving technical challenges that arise in production. Collaborating with customer support and engineering teams for seamless issue resolution. Maintaining clear communication and documentation during and after incidents. Leveraging these experiences to contribute to continuous process improvement. Compensatory Time for On-Call Work:We value work-life balance and recognize the extra effort required during on-call rotations. For hours spent actively working on-call, compensatory time off is provided, unless the law requires otherwise. This ensures your commitment is appropriately acknowledged.Please coordinate with your manager regarding the approval and scheduling of compensatory time, to align with team needs and workload.Your contribution is essential in maintaining the smooth operation of our systems and in upholding high standards of customer satisfaction.Company CultureWe believe in fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and teamwork. We value the collective strength of our team and understand that our success results from our collaborative efforts. We're not just looking for employees; we're seeking partners in our mission. If you take pride in your work, are always eager to learn and grow, and believe in the power of teamwork, we want you on our team.