Aqua is a leader in cloud-native security, protecting critical workloads across the full application lifecycle - from development to production. Our runtime technologies operate at scale in complex, distributed environments and are trusted by leading enterprises worldwide.
We are looking for a Lead Software Architect (Individual Contributor) to join our Runtime Technology Group. This role is ideal for a highly experienced engineer who wants to remain hands-on while leading through architecture, technical decision-making, and collaboration - without people management responsibilities.
What you’ll do:
- Own and drive the architectural design of core runtime and SaaS platform components, with a strong focus on scalability, reliability, and data design.
- Translate high-level product and business requirements into clear, production-ready system designs for cloud and on-prem environments.
- Lead technical direction through design reviews, architectural discussions, and hands-on implementation.
- Define and promote architectural standards, patterns, and engineering best practices across teams.
- Work closely with backend, data, platform, and product engineers to design and build robust, data-driven systems.
- Design and optimize data models, storage strategies, and pipelines for high-volume, real-time, and analytical workloads.
- Remain hands-on by implementing strategic components, building PoCs, and supporting complex engineering efforts.
- Evaluate and introduce technologies that improve performance, scalability, security, and observability.
- Act as a technical mentor and trusted advisor, influencing teams through expertise rather than authority.
- Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure architectural decisions align with product goals and long-term strategy.
- 8+ years of experience designing and building large-scale, distributed systems.
- Proven experience in a senior IC, technical lead, or architect role
- 5+ years of hands-on experience with Linux systems programming (agents, low-level components, OS internals).
- Strong understanding of microservices architectures, modern SaaS platforms, and data pipelines.
- Solid experience with cloud-native technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, and public cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure).
- Ability to lead technical initiatives across multiple teams through influence, collaboration, and clear communication.
- Excellent design, documentation, and communication skills.
- A pragmatic, hands-on mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
- BSc in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience (advanced degree or military tech unit background - a plus).
- Experience working in an Agile R&D environment - an advantage.
Why join Aqua?
- Work on core runtime security technology that operates at scale in real-world, production environments.
- Take on meaningful architectural ownership with visible impact on the product and customers.
- Collaborate with strong, experienced engineers who value depth, clarity, and execution.
- Stay hands-on while shaping long-term technical foundations.
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What We Do
Aqua Security is the largest pure-play cloud native security company, providing customers the freedom to innovate and accelerate their digital transformations. The Aqua Platform provides prevention, detection, and response automation across the entire application lifecycle to secure the build, secure cloud infrastructure and secure running workloads wherever they are deployed.
Why Work With Us
Now is the perfect time to join Aqua! We are a global scale-up company, but still small enough for you to make a big impact. We have dedicated employees around the globe. And aside from being in a hot cloud security industry, we love to have fun! Aqua also offers great company culture, amazing colleagues, international travel, and lots more!
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