Job Title: Principal Software Architect Company Name: Robots & Pencils Job Url: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/robotsandpencils/jobs/5068249008 Job Description: Principal Software Architect USA, Remote Friendly At Robots & Pencils, we build meaningful, scalable digital products for forward-thinking organizations. We are seeking a Principal Software Architect to provide technical leadership across complex, multi-platform engagements. This role sits at the intersection  of architecture, delivery, and client partnership owning system design decisions while remaining deeply connected to execution. As a Principal Software Architect, you will guide architecture across mobile, backend, cloud, and emerging AI-enabled solutions. You will collaborate closely with delivery  leaders, engineers, designers, and client stakeholders to ensure systems are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with business outcomes. This is a hands-on, delivery-embedded role, not a pre-sales or advisory-only position. Key Responsibilities Architecture & Technical Leadership • Define and evolve application architecture across iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin), .NET, and Node.js backend services. • Lead architectural decisions for scalable, secure systems using SQL Server, Oracle, and Azure-based infrastructure. • Provide technical direction across frontend, backend, mobile, and integration layers. • Review designs and implementations to ensure alignment with architectural standards and long-term maintainability. Delivery & Execution Partnership • Partner with Delivery Managers and engineering teams to translate business requirements into robust technical solutions. • Support end-to-end delivery across multiple concurrent engagements, balance speed, quality, and sustainability. • Act as a technical escalation point, resolving complex architectural or integration challenges. • Ensure architecture supports CI/CD, observability, performance, and operational excellence. Client Engagement & Communication • Serve as a senior technical leader in client-facing discussions, building trust through clarity and credibility. • Translate complex technical concepts into clear business value for non-technical stakeholders. • Support roadmap planning, risk identification, and technical decision-making with clients. • Maintain strong relationships through proactive communication and follow-through. Platform, Tooling & Integration Oversight • Guide use of Azure DevOps, GitHub, Jira, Confluence, and modern delivery tooling. • Support integrations with enterprise platforms such as Radar/GeoMoby (geofencing), Oracle Recruiting Booster, and Dropbox Sign. • Contribute to AI-enabled initiatives using Python, TypeScript, and Azure OpenAI, ensuring responsible and practical adoption.  Mentorship & Engineering Excellence • Mentor senior and mid-level engineers, fostering strong architectural thinking and craftsmanship. • Promote engineering best practices, documentation, and shared learning across teams. • Encourage collaboration between disciplines including mobile, backend, design, and data. Required Skills & Experience • 12+ years of professional software engineering experience, with significant hands-on ownership of production application architecture. • Proven experience acting as the technical owner for complex, user-facing applications, not just reviewing or advising. • Demonstrated ability to design and deliver end-to-end application systems, including: Mobile clients (iOS with Swift, Android with Kotlin) Backend application services (.NET and Node.js)  RESTful and event-driven APIs Relational data models using SQL Server and Oracle • Strong experience defining application-level architecture patterns, including:  Service boundaries and ownership models API versioning and contract governance Data consistency, transactional integrity, and validation strategies Error handling, resiliency, and failure recovery • Hands-on experience building and operating applications on Azure, including: CI/CD pipelines Deployment and environment strategies Logging, monitoring, and performance observability • Experience working in delivery-driven consulting or product environments, where architecture must adapt to evolving requirements. • Comfort staying close to implementation through code reviews, architectural validation, and team unblockers. • Strong understanding of modern SDLC practices, DevOps workflows, automated testing, and release management.  Nice to Have • Experience modernizing or replacing legacy applications with modern mobile and cloud-native architectures. • Background supporting regulated or enterprise environments where reliability, auditability, and data integrity are critical. • Prior responsibility for architectural decisions that scaled to high user volumes or multi-region deployments. • Experience evaluating and integrating AI features into applications where they deliver clear user or business value.   Why Join Robots & Pencils? At Robots & Pencils, we blend strategy, design, and engineering to deliver technology that drives real impact. As a Principal Software Architect, you will shape the technical direction of high-visibility initiatives while working alongside talented teams across mobile, web, cloud, and AI. You’ll influence how modern systems are built without losing connection to delivery, people, or outcomes.