Software Architect

Job description

About the role A Software Architect has a strong command of software development across multiple technologies, with the judgment to assess technology fit and shape architecture decisions for a project, even in technologies new to them. They serve as a technical interpreter for clients, uncovering the real business need, framing options in plain language, and building trust as an advisor rather than working behind the scenes. Having led several projects of significant complexity to successful completion, they thrive in ambiguous client environments, using AI agents and tooling to absorb production work so their own contribution centers on the parts of delivery that require context, trust, and sound technical judgment. They collaboratively work with other developers and team members across internal and external organizations to build cutting-edge digital platforms and solve complex problems. They mentor other engineers and grow their impact by expanding beyond implementation into client leadership and strategic problem solving. This position reports to: VP, Engineering or Sr. Software Architect What You Are An evangelist for the evolution of the software development discipline, passionate about continuous learning and skill growth, and a role model for how to maximize the effective use and benefits of AI agents, while retaining crucial human oversight skills. A flexible thinker, who leads others through change in a role and industry that are evolving rapidly. A rapid learner of unfamiliar technical domains who can get up to speed quickly through AI-assisted learning, SME support, and internal knowledge capture, rather than defaulting to outside help. A partner with a genuine client-first mindset, naturally considering how your decisions and deliverables affect the teams and organizations depending on your work. A calming force who remains constructive, and professional under pressure, adapting your approach to the context. A mentor and leader who coaches and mentors more junior members of the engineering team and communicates and enforces standards within the company. A forward-looking visionary who recognizes opportunities for improvement to Phase2's engineering practices and assists in developing a roadmap for emerging technologies. What You'll Do Drive work with structure and momentum, eliminating ambiguity and building confidence across delivery teams and client stakeholders. Be the technical interpreter for client stakeholders: uncovering nuances of the business need; framing the requirements in actionable terms; articulating to stakeholders in plain language the available options and our recommendations; communicating how the designed solution meets the business need; building a relationship as a trusted advisor. Analyze existing systems and recommend improvements in system architecture, development, and deployment process. Create technical design of systems given desired functionality and project constraints such as budget and schedule. Proactively spot risks, gaps, and opportunities, and design solutions in ambiguous situations before they require escalation. When a client or project requires expertise in an unfamiliar technical domain, take ownership of closing the gap, learning on demand and adapting in real time. Oversee and participate in implementation, including mentoring and guidance for development staff on a project. Oversee and participate in deployment of systems and ensure maintenance and support capabilities for systems. Provide high level estimates as inputs to project plans. Prepare technical documentation. Ensure development proceeds in accordance with the designed architecture and supports code and system quality. Manage the AI agents used on the project team, including configuring, refining, and enhancing those tools, defining standards and constraints for their use across the team, and mentoring team members on them. Own AI agent economics at the architecture level: caching strategy, model tiering, and fallback patterns that keep solutions performant and cost-appropriate. Assist with proposed implementations and estimates for project proposals and RFP response activities. Support the ownership and evolution of technical tools and practices used within the company, including improvements to the software development lifecycle and workflows. Lead and support more junior members of the engineering team as a manager, mentor, technical resource, or career coach. What You'll Need Meets all qualifications for a Senior Developer. 6+ years of industry experience with progressive increases in responsibility. Ability to design system architecture and assess technology fit for requirements, with the breadth to weigh delivery, infrastructure, language, and architecture concerns together. Well versed in architectural patterns and able to identify appropriate patterns for project implementation. Familiar with multiple programming paradigms. Proficient at debugging and troubleshooting of technical issues, and identifying appropriate solutions which consider the impact on a wider range of functionality and overall usability. Proficient at requirements extraction and analysis. Demonstrated ability to communicate complex ideas, including technical information, adapting your message to the audience and context, and identifying technical approaches to satisfy business requirements. Able to bridge technical and business conversations, translating between client business goals and engineering execution. Demonstrated experience with LLMs, AI coding agents, and prompt engineering. Awareness of security and compliance considerations in system design, and able to ensure they are addressed across a project. What Would be Nice to Have Deep experience with at least two modern web or mobile stacks (for example React/Next.js, Drupal, decoupled CMS such as Sitecore/Optimizely/Adobe, mobile frameworks), and able to evaluate stack fit for a client's business needs. Experience with CI/CD processes, especially GitHub Actions. Experience architecting agentic AI coding workflows (using patterns such as Evaluator-Optimizer, Chaining, Parallelization, and Routing). Experience building custom agentic AI applications. Experience implementing prompt evaluation workflows. Ability to identify areas for development efficiency and institute processes to support reuse. Experience reading client or stakeholder signals, picking up on subtle cues of misalignment and adjusting your approach before friction escalates. Architect-level AI certifications relevant to Phase2 partnerships (such as Claude Certified Architect – Foundations). Public presentation capabilities. Clear writing on development topics. What Success Looks Like History of successful project completion across multiple projects and a variety of technologies. You lead the development of entire projects of large and small scales that demonstrably support clients’ real business needs. Other engineers see you as a leader: adept at delivering software on time, with an appropriate level of quality, which meets the clients’ needs, while also creating an environment where team members can grow their skills and perform their best work. You operate with broad independence: the organization trusts you to hold significant technical risk and make sound architectural calls without close oversight. Clients and stakeholders feel confident and supported in your presence: they describe the experience as seamless, proactive, and dependable. What You’ll Get The chance to make a real impact, helping millions of people per year. To work from wherever you thrive best. We’re a remote-first team built on trust, flexibility, and outcomes. A competitive compensation package that considers various factors. A comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, and supplemental insurance. Our fun and interactive wellness program offers rewards for participation. A 401(k) with a 3% employer contribution–no match required and 100% vested after just 90 days. You’ll start with 16 paid vacation days, 4 personal days, and 1 volunteer day each year. Vacation and personal time increase with your tenure, recognizing your continued contributions. Up to 12 weeks of fully paid leave for birthing parents and up to 6 weeks of fully paid bonding leave, based on your tenure. This includes support for adoption and foster placement, along with the option to extend time off through additional unpaid leave. Inclusive fertility, adoption, and surrogacy benefits through Kindbody, along with virtual health coaching and care navigation. A $500 stipend to personalize and equip your home workspace for success. What the Environment Looks Like Physical Demands Frequently remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time. Occasional adjusting or moving of light objects up to 20 pounds in all directions. Continuous communication on live video chats, calls, and through emails and messaging platforms for the purpose of exchanging information. Continuous repetitive movements that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Travel, sometimes frequent, is expected. Mental Demands Comprehension - Must continuously be able to understand direction and adhere to established procedures. Must also be able to gather information from clients and employees and synthesize this information in a meaningful way. May also be responsible for making improvements or recommendations to existing procedures. Organization - Must continuously be able to gather and classify information, store information learned from conversations and communications, and then be and be able to quickly recall, interpret, and explain information. Reasoning and Decision Making - Must continuously use logic to analyze and interpret information, and prioritize. Communication - Must continuously express or exchange ideas and meaning with employees and clients. Resilience - Must continuously adapt well in the face of workplace stressors. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Phase2 is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable laws regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other protected status. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. About Phase2 Our remote first employees join and stay at Phase2 to be a force. In pursuit of digital experience that advances the human experience, you will do your best work, live fully, and succeed as a team. Phase2 a digital agency passionate about customer experience, grounded in data & insights, and rooted in more than two decades of successful technology delivery. We guide industry-leading companies to what's next in their digital landscape. And it all begins with finding the right people who align with our values and passion for impact.