Software Architect

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa | Hybrid

Employment Type: Full-Time

Industry: Technology | Software Engineering | AI & Digital Innovation

Experience: Minimum 5 Years

WatersEdge Solutions is partnering with a forward-thinking technology business to find an experienced Software Architect who combines deep technical expertise with sound commercial judgement and a practical approach to software design.

We're looking for someone who enjoys solving complex engineering challenges, designing scalable systems and making architectural decisions that stand the test of time.

This opportunity is particularly well suited to an experienced Software Engineer or Architect who understands how modern technology platforms are built, maintained and scaled, and who is excited about the growing role of artificial intelligence in software development.

Strong API design and development experience is essential, along with experience working in established engineering teams and the ability to evaluate architectural approaches based on real technical and business requirements.

About the Role

As Software Architect, you'll play an important role in shaping the architecture and technical direction of software solutions.

Working closely with an established engineering team, you'll help design systems that are reliable, scalable and maintainable, while ensuring technical decisions support the broader objectives of the business.

A central part of the role will involve assessing different architectural approaches, particularly microservices versus monolithic architectures, and understanding when each is appropriate.

You'll consider factors such as scalability, system performance, development complexity, operational overhead, maintainability and long-term sustainability when recommending solutions.

You'll also contribute to decisions involving AI models, frameworks and tooling, evaluating different technologies against specific use cases and considering their capabilities, performance, cost and practical implementation requirements.

This is a role for someone who can confidently explain not just what technology should be used, but why it is the right choice.

Key Responsibilities

Software Architecture & System Design

• Design and guide the development of scalable, reliable and maintainable software systems.
• Establish architectural approaches that align with technical requirements and business objectives.
• Evaluate existing software architectures and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Make informed decisions around system design, scalability, performance and maintainability.
• Assess architectural risks, dependencies and potential technical limitations.
• Contribute to the long-term technical direction and sustainability of software platforms.
• Ensure architectural decisions remain practical and appropriate as systems and engineering teams evolve.

API Design & Development

• Provide technical leadership in the design and development of robust, scalable APIs.
• Establish effective API design principles and integration approaches.
• Guide the development of reliable communication between applications, services and systems.
• Evaluate API performance, maintainability and integration complexity.
• Work closely with engineers to ensure API implementations align with architectural standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve existing API structures and integrations.

Architectural Strategy & Technology Selection

• Evaluate different software architecture patterns and frameworks.
• Assess the trade-offs between microservices and monolithic architectures.
• Consider scalability, performance, development complexity, deployment requirements and operational overhead when selecting architectural approaches.
• Recommend technologies and frameworks based on practical business and technical needs.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and their suitability for existing or future software platforms.
• Balance innovation with system stability, maintainability and long-term sustainability.
• Clearly document and communicate the reasoning behind significant architectural decisions.

AI Architecture & Technology Evaluation

• Evaluate AI models, frameworks and development tools for potential business and software applications.
• Assess AI technologies against specific use cases and implementation requirements.
• Consider model capabilities, performance, cost, complexity and operational implications.
• Recommend appropriate AI approaches based on practical technical and commercial considerations.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to explore opportunities for integrating AI into software products and workflows.
• Stay informed about relevant developments in artificial intelligence and AI-assisted software engineering.
• Help ensure AI-related technology decisions support maintainable, scalable solutions.

Technical Leadership & Engineering Collaboration

• Work closely with software engineers to guide architectural implementation.
• Contribute to technical design discussions, architecture reviews and engineering decisions.
• Provide guidance on complex system design and integration challenges.
• Promote sound software engineering principles and architectural consistency.
• Support engineering teams in evaluating alternative technical approaches.
• Communicate architectural decisions clearly to technical stakeholders.
• Encourage knowledge-sharing, collaboration and continuous technical improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with technical stakeholders to understand business requirements and system needs.
• Translate complex requirements into practical architectural recommendations.
• Balance technical best practices with commercial priorities and delivery considerations.
• Contribute to technology planning and discussions around future platform development.
• Ensure architectural decisions are understood and supported by relevant engineering stakeholders.

What You'll Bring

Essential Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of professional software engineering experience, including meaningful exposure to software architecture and system design.
• Strong, demonstrable experience in API design and development.
• Experience designing reliable, scalable and maintainable software integrations.
• Previous experience working within engineering teams of 15 or more engineers.
• Strong understanding of modern software architectural patterns, frameworks and design principles.
• Practical understanding of microservices and monolithic architectures.
• Ability to confidently explain the trade-offs between architectural approaches, including:
• Scalability and performance
• System complexity
• Deployment and operational overhead
• Maintainability
• Long-term technical sustainability
• Experience contributing to architectural decisions for modern software applications or platforms.
• Exposure to AI technologies, models, frameworks and tooling.
• Ability to evaluate AI technologies and recommend appropriate solutions for different use cases.
• Understanding of the technical and commercial considerations involved in AI technology selection.
• Strong technical judgement and the ability to explain architectural recommendations clearly.
• A pragmatic approach to problem-solving that balances engineering best practices with business priorities.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Confidence working with experienced engineers and contributing to technical design discussions.
• A genuine interest in emerging technologies and continuous technical improvement.

The ideal candidate will be someone who makes architectural decisions thoughtfully, understands the consequences of different approaches and can guide engineering teams towards practical, sustainable solutions.

Nice to Have

• Experience within a successful start-up or scale-up environment, particularly during periods of significant product or engineering growth.
• Background within an established technology company or product-led software business.
• Experience helping engineering teams manage increasing architectural complexity.
• Previous involvement in scaling software platforms or modernising existing architectures.
• Practical experience incorporating AI capabilities into software products or platforms.
• Experience evaluating the financial, operational and technical implications of different AI models and frameworks.
• Exposure to AI-assisted software development workflows.
• Experience influencing architectural standards across larger engineering teams.

What's On Offer

• Full-time hybrid opportunity based in Johannesburg.
• Opportunity to play a meaningful role in shaping software architecture and technical direction.
• Exposure to complex engineering challenges and modern software development practices.
• The chance to work alongside an established engineering team.
• Involvement in evaluating emerging AI technologies and their practical applications.
• Opportunity to influence technology selection and architectural decisions.
• Scope to contribute to the long-term scalability and maintainability of software platforms.
• A collaborative environment where technical depth, independent thinking and sound engineering judgement are valued.
• The opportunity to contribute to meaningful technical decisions while continuing to develop your architectural expertise.

Company Culture

You'll be joining an engineering-focused environment where technical excellence, collaboration and thoughtful decision-making are valued.

The emphasis is on building technology that works, choosing architectural approaches for the right reasons and finding practical solutions to complex engineering challenges.

The team values individuals who are comfortable challenging assumptions, sharing knowledge and considering different technical perspectives.

This opportunity will particularly appeal to someone who enjoys working with experienced engineers, takes ownership of technical decisions and understands that good software architecture requires a balance of innovation, scalability, maintainability and commercial practicality.

Please Note: If you have not been contacted within 10 working days, consider your application unsuccessful.