We are seeking an experienced Fractional Software Architect to operate as a senior, hands-on technical leader responsible for defining, evolving, and communicating the architecture of complex, mission-critical software systems.
This is a hybrid leadership role that blends:
- deep technical expertise
- engineering leadership
- client-facing advisory responsibilities
The role is designed for architects who can work independently in a part-time or project-based engagement model, while influencing multiple teams and long-term product direction across the organization.
You will guide the system architecture across distributed backend services, data-centric applications, and modern React-based front-end platforms, ensuring scalability, performance, security, and architectural integrity.
About the project:
Our client modernizes complex government capability development by replacing legacy, manual workflows with data-driven and software-enabled decision making.
Its core platform delivers:
- advanced analytics
- AI-powered applications
- high-quality integrated data
- Serving teams across:
- supply chain
- research & development
- production & sustainment
- logistics
- long-term modernization
The platform is widely adopted across the U.S. defense and national security ecosystem, supporting faster and more informed strategic and operational decisions.
Location:
Hybrid - Boston, US.
Requires US citizenship and hybrid work from the Auburndale, MA office 3 days per week, with occasional travel to Pittsburgh.
Skills & Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field;
- 15 years of professional software engineering experience, including senior or leadership roles (Senior Engineer, Lead Engineer, Software Architect, Solutions Architect).
- Strong experience designing and implementing distributed systems, services, or microservices, including data modeling and integration patterns.
- Solid hands-on experience with Java or similar backend technologies used in large-scale production systems, including API and service design.
- Practical experience collaborating with React-based front-end teams, including defining API contracts for modern, data-heavy SPAs
- Solid understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), containerization, CI/CD, and modern DevOps practices, with the ability to guide teams on infrastructure and operational concerns.
- Experience with non-functional requirements: performance, reliability, observability, security, scalability, and maintainability.
- Proven experience in a client-facing or stakeholder-facing technical role (e.g. technical pre‑sales, solution architecture, engagement lead)
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical topics to non-technical stakeholders and to build consensus around architectural decisions
- Experience managing or leading engineering teams or initiatives, including prioritization, scoping, and balancing technical and business constraints.
- BS in Computer Science or similar technical degree.
- Proven track record of leading or influencing architectural decisions on large or mission-critical projects, preferably in a multi-team environment.
- Fluent in AI-enabled software development
Nice to have:
- Experience working in or with government, defense, national security, or adjacent analytics/insights domains, especially in a data-heavy or intelligence context.
- Familiarity with data platforms, analytics pipelines, or large-scale data processing (e.g., event streaming, warehousing, graph or time-series data).
- Background designing systems with elevated security, compliance, or regulatory requirements (FedRAMP, ITAR, CJIS, or similar frameworks).
- Prior experience operating as a fractional, consulting, or part-time architectural leader across multiple products or clients.
Responsibilities:
- Define and evolve overall system and platform architecture, including service boundaries, core components, and integration patterns.
- Translate business goals and product requirements into clear architectural roadmaps and implementation strategies.
- Lead technical conversations with stakeholders, explaining trade-offs, constraints, and solution options.
- Act as a trusted technical advisor, constructively challenging ideas that conflict with scalability, security, or architectural integrity.
- Facilitate architecture workshops and discovery sessions to translate client needs into actionable technical direction.
- Conduct architecture and code reviews for critical components, identifying risks, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.
- Drive decisions around technology stack, frameworks, infrastructure, and deployment strategy.
- Establish and maintain engineering standards, architectural principles, and best practices.
- Support teams during major technical initiatives, including:
- re-platforming & modularization
- cloud migration
- performance & reliability programs
- Provide hands-on mentoring to senior engineers, helping them grow into future architectural leaders.
Top Skills
