Integration Architect

Gradera • Greenwood Village, CO

1d • $145,000 - $170,000 • Remote

About The Position

Gradera is seeking an experienced Integration Architect to lead API, service, and event-driven integration patterns across large-scale, mission‑critical environments. This role focuses on designing resilient microservice interfaces, governing API contracts, enabling secure and observable integrations, and architecting event-driven capabilities across systems including Movement Planner, ESD (Engineering Systems Data), Crew Management, and other operational platforms.
You will design REST and gRPC APIs, architect service mesh routing, define event and data integration patterns, and drive governance across OpenShift, Kong Gateway, Kafka, and microservice ecosystems. This role requires strong architecture leadership, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to collaborate across engineering, product, and domain stakeholders.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in API architecture (REST, gRPC), microservices, and distributed systems.
• Strong experience with Kong Gateway and API lifecycle management.
• Strong understanding of transition security. OAuth 2.0, OIDC, MTLS, gateway policies, edge protection, zero-trust, etc.
• Hands-on experience with Kafka and event-driven architecture.
• Experience with OpenShift Service Mesh (Istio), OpenShift Routes, and cloud‑native networking.
• Strong understanding of data integration patterns, transformation flows, and schema evolution.
• Ability to design for high availability, scalability, and low latency.
• Excellent communication skills and comfort presenting architecture decisions to senior stakeholders.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to operate effectively in evolving, fast‑paced environments.

Nice To Haves

• 8+ years in integration architecture, platform engineering, or enterprise architecture.
• Experience integrating large-scale operational systems such as Movement Planner, ESD, or Crew Management platforms.
• Knowledge of service mesh traffic management, API security patterns, and zero‑trust architectures.
• Experience with CI/CD automation, GitOps, and infrastructure‑as‑code (Terraform/OpenTofu).
• Background in cloud-native architectures on OpenShift, Kubernetes, or similar environments.
• Experience designing integration patterns for simulation, planning, or operational data systems.
• Experience with schema registries, event versioning, or contract testing.
• Ability to coach teams on integration best practices and API governance.

Responsibilities

• Define and govern API design standards across REST and gRPC services.
• Architect integration patterns for Movement Planner, ESD, Crew Management APIs, and other mission‑critical systems.
• Establish API versioning strategies, contract governance, and backward compatibility guidelines.
• Lead the design and configuration of Kong Gateway for API routing, rate limiting, authentication, and observability.
• Architect and maintain OpenShift Service Mesh (Istio) for secure service‑to‑service communication, mTLS, policy, and traffic shaping.
• Define ingress/egress patterns using OpenShift Routes with security and reliability in mind.
• Design event-driven architecture patterns using Kafka, including topics, schemas, partitions, consumer groups, and event contracts.
• Develop event processing and streaming strategies to support real‑time operational workflows.
• Establish data integration patterns for cross‑system data exchange, replication, and operational state handling.
• Define integration-aware microservice patterns, including domain boundaries, service responsibilities, and dependency modeling.
• Partner with backend teams to ensure microservices conform to architectural standards and integration requirements.
• Guide service decomposition, API evolution, and integration refactoring efforts.
• Define integration governance frameworks, including SLAs, SLOs, schema standards, and interface approval processes.
• Champion secure integration practices, including authentication, authorization, mTLS, token management, secrets, and identity propagation.
• Ensure compliance with operational, regulatory, and security requirements across integration layers.
• Collaborate with engineering, platform, data, and product teams to align integration strategy to business and technical needs.
• Facilitate technical discussions, solution reviews, and integration workshops.
• Provide architectural direction to developers, SREs, and DevSecOps teams across implementation cycles.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Coverage — 100% Company-Paid
• We take care of your health so you can focus on what matters.
• Gradera covers 100% of your medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums. No hidden fees. No fine print. Just full coverage.
• Paid Time Off
• We believe in rest and recharge—paid holidays and PTO are part of the package.
• Remote-First Flexibility
• Work from wherever you feel most productive. As a remote-first company, we champion flexibility, autonomy, and a healthy work-life balance. Your desk is wherever you want it to be.
• 401(k) Retirement Savings
• Your future matters. We offer access to a 401(k) retirement plan to help you build long-term financial security—starting now.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed