Principal Platform Architect

About DAT

DAT is an award-winning employer of choice and a next-generation SaaS technology company that has been at the leading edge of innovation in transportation supply chain logistics for 45 years. We continue to transform the industry year over year, by deploying a suite of software solutions to millions of customers every day - customers who depend on DAT for the most relevant data and most accurate insights to help them make smarter business decisions and run their companies more profitably. We operate the largest marketplace of its kind in North America, with 400 million freights posted in 2022, and a database of $150 billion of annual global shipment market transaction data. Our headquarters are in Denver, CO, with additional offices in Missouri, Oregon, and Bangalore, India. For additional information, see www.DAT.com/company.

Job Application Deadline: 03/31/2025

The Opportunity

DAT is seeking a Principal Architect, Platform Engineering to drive the technical vision and architecture of our platform capabilities. This critical technical leadership role will shape the foundation of DAT's technology as we scale our infrastructure to intelligently connect all players in the freight industry.

Candidate profile

As Principal Architect, you will own the technical architecture, patterns, and standards that power our platform engineering initiatives. You will provide technical leadership and mentorship across engineering teams while designing scalable solutions that enable our growing product portfolio. Working closely with Engineering, Product, and Operations teams, you will be a key technical leader advancing DAT's engineering excellence and innovation.

You are a seasoned technical architect with deep expertise in distributed systems and cloud platforms. You've architected complex solutions from conception to implementation—and, when necessary, made tough technical decisions to ensure scalability and reliability. You excel at balancing innovation with practical implementation, and you embrace a culture of engineering excellence and collaborative problem-solving. You believe in pragmatic architecture that enables teams to move quickly while maintaining quality and reliability.

What You’ll Do

• Define & Champion Architecture: Set clear technical vision for platform capabilities, ensuring architectural decisions align with business objectives.
• Guide Technical Excellence: Establish architectural patterns, standards, and best practices across platform engineering initiatives.
• Drive Platform Innovation: Design and implement scalable, resilient architectures that support DAT's growing product portfolio.
• Enable Cross-Team Collaboration: Partner closely with engineering teams, product managers, and technical stakeholders to guide architectural decisions and ensure successful implementation.
• Lead Technical Evolution: Oversee and improve platform architecture, balancing innovation, stability, and business value. Lead and define the architectural vision for large-scale, complex systems and solutions. 
• Collaborate with engineering, product, and business teams to understand requirements and design solutions that meet organizational and technical needs.
• Create and maintain architectural roadmaps, strategies, and best practices that align with business goals and technological trends. 
• Design systems that are scalable, secure, and maintainable while considering performance, cost, and other critical aspects.
• Ensure that software development aligns with architectural principles and industry standards. 
• Conduct regular architecture reviews and provide guidance to senior engineers and technical leaders.
• Mentor junior architects and engineers, providing thought leadership in both technical and strategic decision-making. 
• Stay up to date with industry trends and emerging technologies to help drive innovation within the organization.
• Own the technical vision and drive the development of high-performance, scalable, and maintainable systems. 
• Provide thought leadership on engineering best practices, including design principles, testing strategies, and development methodologies.
• Identify and address technical risks and issues, ensuring solutions are delivered on time and meet business requirements. 
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by advocating for technical debt management, innovation, and the adoption of new technologies.

The Skills and Experience You'll Bring

• Extensive Technical Experience: 12+ years in software engineering, including 5+ years in architectural roles.
• Platform Expertise: Deep knowledge of distributed systems, cloud-native architectures, and AWS services.
• Architecture & Design: Proven success designing and implementing large-scale platform solutions.
• Technical Leadership: Track record of providing technical guidance and mentorship to engineering teams.
• Exceptional Communication: Adept at communicating complex technical concepts and influencing architectural decisions across the organization. Expertise in various architectural styles (e.g., microservices, event-driven, cloud-native, etc.).
• Strong understanding of cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD, and automation.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work on complex, high-stakes projects.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Leadership experience in driving architectural decisions and leading teams.

Why DAT?
DAT is an award winning employer of choice.

For starters, we have a hybrid work environment, but we also know what makes a great workplace. We have a time-tested and resolute set of operating values predicated on integrity, mutual respect, open communication, and executing with excellence. These values inform our strategic vision as much as any one of our products does. We’ve been an employer of choice in the Portland metropolitan area for four decades, and within one year of opening our Denver office, DAT was #26 on Built In Colorado’s 100 Best Places to Work In Colorado.

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and AD&D insurance
• Parental Leave
• Up to 20 days of paid time off starting in year one
• An additional 10 holidays of paid time off per calendar year
• 401k matching (immediately vested)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Short- and Long-term disability sick leave
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Additional programs - Employee Referral, Internal Recognition, and Wellness
• Free TriMet transit pass (Beaverton Office)
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Work on impactful projects in a cutting-edge environment
• Collaborative and supportive team culture
• Opportunity to make a real difference in the trucking industry
• Employee Resource Groups

This position is not eligible for Visa sponsorship.

For Colorado-based candidates, in compliance with Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the minimum salary for this role is $195,000.00 + benefits. The maximum compensation for this role can vary significantly depending on your job-related skills and experience. DAT considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education and training, core skills, internal equity, and market and business elements when extending an offer.

DAT embraces the value of a diverse workforce, and believes it is a core strength of our company that we encourage those values in every DAT employee, at every level of our organization, regardless of tenure or rank. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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