**Must be currently living in Utah; relocation is not an option.**
**Not open to C2C candidates**
This is a contract with a great organization. As a contractor for Smith Johnson, you are eligible for medical, dental, life, disability. Smith Johnson pays for 70% of your medical and dental and 100% of life and disability. The contract is also eligible for PTO/holiday accrued monthly. You are also eligible for a 3% retirement matching plan. Smith Johnson believes in taking care of our contractors.
Job Summary
Our client is seeking an experienced Software Architect to lead and drive their organization's technology transformation efforts, focusing on upgrading existing systems and transitioning to modern, scalable platforms. The ideal candidate will lead, plan, and execute an upgrade from Java 8 to Java 22, along with associated frameworks. This person will also lead, plan, and execute the migration from a monolithic architecture to a microservices-based architecture, ensuring the delivery of scalable, maintainable, and high-performance systems. The Software Architect will also drive cloud adoption, implement DevOps best practices, and participate in projects supporting agency initiatives.
As a Software Architect, you will work closely with IT managers, development teams, and key stakeholders to ensure that architectural strategies align with business goals and deliver scalable, efficient, and secure software systems. You will also provide ongoing technical guidance, mentor junior staff, and establish best practices for system design, coding standards, and security.
Key Responsibilities
Architectural Design & Leadership:
Drive the architectural design and implementation of scalable, high-performance software systems with a focus on modernizing legacy systems to modern platforms, ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing business processes
Lead, plan, and execute the upgrade from Java 8 to Java 22, ensuring that all associated frameworks are updated and tested for compatibility
Plan and lead the migration from a monolithic architecture to a microservices-based architecture, ensuring modularity, flexibility, and scalability across the system
Provide input to upper management on architectural standards, guidelines, and best practices
Cloud & DevOps Implementation:
Lead the design and implementation of cloud-based solutions on platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP, or ServiceNow
Implement DevOps principles and practices, including CI/CD pipelines, automation, and infrastructure-as-code using tools like Jenkins, Terraform, Ansible, and Git
Ensure seamless integration with cloud services, monitoring performance and optimizing as needed
Work with serverless computing technologies such as AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions to develop scalable solutions
Technical Mentorship & Support:
Provide ongoing technical mentorship to other team members in areas such as application development and system architecture
Serve as an internal consultant, providing technical assistance to teams involved in planning, implementation, and administration of technical environments
Troubleshoot and diagnose complex problems related to architecting technical platforms, systems, and environments
Collaboration & Communication:
Collaborate closely with product managers, IT analysts, and customers to understand business needs and translate them into technical solutions
Discuss requirements with end users and offer software recommendations to address business challenges, potential limitations, and integration points
Regularly communicate with stakeholders to provide updates on project status, risks, and technical decisions
Security & Compliance:
Design, implement, and enforce strong security practices for applications, ensuring they comply with State of Utah requirements and standards along with industry best practices and regulations
Develop disaster recovery plans and ensure the organization has robust measures to protect against data loss and security breaches
Conduct performance assessments, monitor system health, and implement optimizations to maintain system integrity and performance
Testing & Quality Assurance:
Select and apply appropriate testing methodologies to evaluate the success of software upgrades and modifications, particularly in the Java upgrade and monolithic-to-microservices migration
Ensure system data integrity by performing thorough validation and quality assurance checks
Documentation & Reporting:
Document all architectural decisions, system configurations, migration strategies, and processes for ongoing reference and maintenance
Maintain comprehensive technical documentation for system architectures, database systems, and migration strategies
Required Qualifications
5+ years of experience in software architecture and development, with a focus on large-scale IT projects and cloud migration
Proven experience in designing and implementing cloud solutions in platforms such as AWS, GCP, or ServiceNow
Experience with API and serverless architectures
Expertise in DevOps practices and automation tools such as Jenkins, Terraform, Ansible, Salt/Chef/Puppet, GitHub, and CI/CD pipelines
Strong knowledge of system security, version control, and cloud-hosted application optimization
Solid understanding of database technologies, including SQL and NoSQL
Experience leading a Java upgrade, particularly migrating from Java 8 to Java 22, and updating related frameworks
Experience planning and executing a migration from monolithic architecture to microservices
Strong experience with application development using Java, JavaScript, and frameworks such as Spring Boot, NodeJS, and React
Familiarity with Agile methodologies and tools such as Jira
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical teams
Preferred Qualifications
Public Cloud Certifications (AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Cloud Architect)
Hands-on experience with unit and functional testing frameworks
Ability to meet with vendors on new and existing products, to evaluate the usefulness and cost of products, and make recommendations
Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems
Ability to anticipate the impact that new or modified software will have on existing standards and systems
Personal Attributes
Problem-solving ability: Able to analyze complex technical issues and provide innovative solutions
Leadership and mentorship: Capable of guiding teams and mentoring junior staff members
Strategic thinking: Able to balance long-term vision with immediate project needs
Attention to detail: Strong analytical and organizational skills, with an impeccable focus on data integrity and system performance
Collaboration and communication: Able to effectively communicate with team members, stakeholders, and end users at all levels of the organization