Lead System Architect (Industrial IoT & Energy Systems)

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Lead System Architect to define and own the end-to-end technical architecture of our platform.

This is a unique role that sits at the convergence of Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT). You will not just be designing cloud microservices; you will be designing a distributed system that spans from a constrained edge compute device located inside a power cabinet to a serverless infrastructure on AWS.

You will serve as the technical captain, aligning the efforts of our Embedded/OT engineers, Edge Computing specialists, and Cloud/Data engineers. You must be comfortable making high-stakes trade-off decisions concerning latency, reliability, security, and cost in a mission-critical industrial environment.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-End Architectural Strategy
• Define and own the overall system architecture blueprint, from physical device connectivity (Layer 1) to user interface dashboards (Layer 7).
• Make critical architectural trade-off decisions, particularly regarding what processing happens at the "Edge" (on-premise) versus the "Cloud" to ensure low-latency control loops and bandwidth efficiency.
• Define data models and communication standards between disparate systems (e.g., defining the JSON schema that translates a Modbus register into an AWS IoT Shadow state).

Technical Leadership & OT/IT Convergence

• Act as the technical bridge between hardware-focused embedded teams and software-focused cloud teams, translating industrial constraints into software requirements.
• Mentor senior engineers across the stack, ensuring consistency in design patterns and code quality.
• Evaluated and select key technologies, frameworks, and third-party vendors for both edge runtimes and cloud services.

Reliability, Resiliency, and Safety Considerations

• Architect the system for high availability and disaster recovery. The architecture must account for unreliable network conditions, ensuring local safety capabilities remain functional even when severed from the cloud.
• Design robust buffering, store-and-forward mechanisms, and state reconciliation strategies to ensure zero data loss during outages.

Industrial Security Leadership

• Define the security posture for the entire stack based on a Zero Trust model.
• Oversee the implementation of device identity management (X.509 certificates), mutual TLS (mTLS) authentication, and secure over-the-air (OTA) update mechanisms for edge infrastructure.

Skills you bring

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 5+ years in a dedicated System Architect or Principal Engineer role managing complex, distributed systems.
• Deep AWS Expertise: Demonstrable experience designing hyperscale solutions using the AWS serverless stack (Lambda, DynamoDB, Kinesis, API Gateway).
• IIoT/Edge Experience: Strong understanding of the unique constraints of industrial environments. You understand that network connectivity is not guaranteed and latency matters.
• Experience with AWS IoT Core and related services (Greengrass, Device Shadows, IoT Rules Engine).
• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, MQTT, WebSockets, firewalls, cellular connectivity).
• Experience designing data pipelines for both "hot" (real-time telemetry) and "cold" (historical data lake) paths.

Preferred Qualifications (The "Wow" Factor)

• Experience directly working in Energy, Utilities, Manufacturing, or Automotive sectors.
• Familiarity with industrial protocols (Modbus, OPC UA, CANbus, DNP3) — you don't need to code drivers, but you need to understand how they work and their limitations.
• Experience with "Digital Twin" concepts and modeling physical assets in software.
• Advanced knowledge of cybersecurity standards for industrial control systems (e.g., IEC 62443).

Attributes for success

• Pragmatic over Dogmatic: You know when to use the latest cutting-edge technology and when to use boring, proven solutions because reliability is paramount.
• System Thinker: You see the whole board. You understand how a change in the embedded C++ code affects the AWS Kinesis shard throughput cost.
• Strong Communicator: You can explain complex cloud concepts to electrical engineers, and complex hardware limitations to frontend React developers.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive Compensation Package
• Health Insurance: We offer 100% coverage of employee premiums under a Gold-level PPO plan. Dental & Vision Insurance: 50% of employee premiums are covered.
• Retirement Plan: A 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.