Software Architect Principal

Patterson Dental Supply•St Paul, MN

About The Position

The Software Architect Principal designs and leads commercial software architectures and solutions for complex product initiatives. The role applies deep technical expertise across the software stack to define, build, and evolve scalable, secure, and integrated systems aligned with product architecture standards. It leads large-scale software initiatives, resolves design issues, and guides teams as technologies and operating models evolve. The architect defines end-to-end solutions and architectural standards, assesses technology and integrations, and provides direction on complex development work. The role collaborates with engineering, product, infrastructure, security, and business stakeholders, communicates architecture decisions to technical and non-technical audiences, evaluates emerging technologies, and mentors engineers and architects without direct supervisory responsibility. For Dental US, the role also modernizes legacy systems while maintaining business continuity, data accuracy, and customer experience; establishes development standards, governance controls, and automated quality assurance; and improves delivery tools and processes through data-driven insights. The position primarily operates in a professional office environment or from a remote setting, with 10% travel.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent education and/or experience.
Seven years of progressive technical experience, including software engineering and/or IT architecture, design, and implementation.
Broad technical knowledge of software architecture principles, design patterns, and application development.
Experience defining architectural standards and influencing technology strategy across multiple teams or domains.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
Strong proficiency across front-end, back-end, database, and integration technologies, including full-stack development concepts.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills to resolve highly complex technical issues.
Strong judgment and decision-making skills based on deep technical experience.
Experience designing, building, and deploying scalable, secure, and resilient systems, and ability to visualize and create high-level models.
Ability to apply strategic and systems thinking to balance technical, business, and architectural considerations.
Ability to lead through influence and provide technical guidance and coaching to peers.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing and implementing customer-facing software platforms.

Responsibilities

Architect and design end-to-end software solutions across front-end, back-end, database, integration, and infrastructure layers, ensuring scalability, performance, security, and maintainability.
Translate business and stakeholder requirements into high-level system designs, technical specifications, and architectural models.
Develop and evolve architectural standards and guidelines, including frameworks, coding standards, reusable components, and technology patterns.
Assess and validate technology solutions and integrations for compatibility across applications, platforms, data, and interdependent technologies.
Guide complex software development initiatives, resolve highly complex technical issues, and influence design decisions with broad product impact.
Collaborate with engineering, product, infrastructure, security, and business stakeholders to align architecture decisions with strategic objectives and delivery timelines.
Communicate software architecture and design decisions to technical and non-technical audiences, clarifying solution intent, constraints, and trade-offs.
Evaluate emerging technologies and practices and recommend improvements to system capabilities, reliability, and long-term sustainability.
Mentor, coach, and provide architectural oversight to engineers and architects without direct supervisory responsibility.
Comply with company and department policies and standards, and perform other duties as assigned.
Evaluate and modernize legacy systems in a controlled, low-risk manner while maintaining business continuity, data accuracy, and a smooth customer experience.
Establish and maintain development standards, governance controls, and automated quality assurance processes, with appropriate oversight, approval, and auditability of significant technology decisions and outcomes.
Optimize standardized delivery tools and processes to improve delivery speed, quality, reliability, and efficiency, and use data-driven insights for continuous improvement.