Architecte principal.e (Chief Architect)

Harris Computer•Quebec, QC

20h

About The Position

This role is responsible for owning and evolving the architectural vision, managing long-term complexity within the technological ecosystem, and making critical technology decisions. The Chief Architect will also drive architectural governance, promote corporate standards, and provide technical leadership and influence across all technical teams. They will ensure strategic alignment between technology and business objectives, foster a community of practice for architecture, and establish non-functional requirements (NFRs) with a focus on security, reliability, performance, and cloud cost optimization (FinOps). Additionally, the role ensures the exploitability of production systems by designing resilient distributed architectures with built-in observability.

Requirements

10 years of overall experience in software engineering and information technology.
5 years of confirmed experience in an architecture role (solutions, platform, or enterprise architecture), ideally in a multi-product context.
In-depth understanding of cloud architectures, microservices, and SaaS environments.
Concrete experience in system modernization (e.g., transitioning from monolithic to distributed architectures) with an iterative approach.
Proficiency in the .NET ecosystem and modern front-end technologies (particularly Angular).
Solid expertise with Docker and Kubernetes, including deployment and management in hybrid cloud or on-premise environments.
Proficiency in CI/CD concepts and automation, with strong experience in Azure DevOps.
Demonstrated ability to define security, observability, and performance standards (NFRs).
Pragmatism and business acumen: Ability to balance technical excellence with the reality of existing (legacy) systems and profitability objectives (ROI).
Excellent communication skills: Talent for simplifying complex concepts and adapting discourse to the audience (developers, DevOps, management, business teams).
Influence leadership: Ability to unite, convince, and mentor teams without direct hierarchical authority.
Bilingualism: Strong command of French and English is required for frequent oral and written communication in both languages.

Responsibilities

Own and evolve the architectural vision, iteratively and pragmatically modernizing the existing foundation.
Manage long-term complexity by structuring, governing, and ensuring the sustainability of the technological ecosystem, balancing historical systems with new solutions.
Make decisive choices regarding architecture, integration, security, data, AI, cloud, scalability, and acquisition strategies (make vs buy).
Lead architectural governance by animating and optimizing mechanisms like architecture reviews, decision registers (ADRs), and exception management.
Define, adapt, and support teams in adopting architecture standards and patterns that naturally integrate and add value.
Act as a reference expert, mentor, and influential leader for all technical teams, proactively guiding them through complex challenges.
Translate architectural concepts to create synergy between R&D, platform teams, DevOps, and management, bridging technology vision with business objectives.
Develop and animate an internal community of practice to promote technical excellence, knowledge sharing, and evolving work methods.
Define and integrate essential excellence standards for solutions, with a strong emphasis on security, reliability, performance, and cloud cost optimization (FinOps).
Design resilient distributed architectures that incorporate observability by design, ensuring systems are measurable, maintainable, and easy to operate at scale.