Software Architect [gn] Data Intelligence

Remote from: Europe
Annual salary: Undisclosed
Salary information is not provided for this position. Check our Salary Directory to estimate the average compensation for similar roles.
Department: Software Engineering
Employment type: Full Time,
Job posted: 9 Jul 2026
Apply before: 9 Aug 2026
Experience level: Senior
Views / Applies: 269 / 18

About company

About Actian

Transform complex data landscapes into AI-ready assets.

Computer Software
1980

Actively Hiring

AI Summary

Actian is seeking a Software Architect (gn) Data Intelligence to design and enhance the cloud platform's architecture, ensuring stability, efficiency, and ease of use for developers. The role involves improving cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP), creating developer tools, controlling cloud costs, and maintaining security by design. Candidates should have experience as a Software Architect or Principal Engineer with cloud SaaS products and data-intensive systems. The position offers a competitive salary, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for growth in a dynamic, diverse team. This is a proactive, high-impact role for someone passionate about building robust, scalable systems.

Role DNA

Job Complexity

Easy Hard

Pace & Pressure

Relaxed Fast-paced

Autonomy Level

Guided Full Ownership

Communication Load

Independent Highly Collaborative

AI Insight The role demands deep technical expertise in cloud architecture, microservices, and fault-tolerant systems, requiring a proactive and self-directed individual capable of guiding developers and resolving complex issues, placing it at a high difficulty level.

Salary Analysis

AI Insight The job does not specify a salary range, but based on market data for Software Architect roles in the US, the median is approximately $165,000. Offered compensation is likely competitive, considering the seniority and technical requirements.

Core Skills Required

Software Architecture Cloud Computing AWS Azure GCP Kubernetes Microservices Data Intelligence System Design DevOps

Cover Letter Sample

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am excited to apply for the Software Architect (gn) Data Intelligence position at Actian. With over a decade of experience designing scalable cloud platforms and leading technical teams, I am confident in my ability to contribute to your mission of simplifying data management.

In my previous role as Principal Engineer at a cloud SaaS company, I architected a multi-tenant platform on AWS that reduced infrastructure costs by 30% while improving system reliability. I have extensive hands-on experience with Kubernetes, microservices, and event-driven architectures, and I prioritize developer productivity by creating clear APIs and automation tools.

I am particularly drawn to Actian's focus on innovation and teamwork. I thrive in environments where I can proactively identify improvements and collaborate cross-functionally. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how my background aligns with your needs.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Sample Interview Questions

Can you describe a time when you designed a fault-tolerant system? What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?

I once designed a multi-region deployment for a critical payment service. The key challenge was ensuring data consistency across regions. I implemented an event-driven architecture with idempotent retries and a distributed consensus protocol (e.g., Paxos) to handle failures. This reduced downtime by 99.9%.

How do you approach cost optimization in cloud infrastructure?

I start by analyzing usage patterns with tools like AWS Cost Explorer. I then implement auto-scaling policies, right-size instances, use spot instances for non-critical workloads, and set up budget alerts. I also encourage developers to adopt cost-aware practices, like using serverless when appropriate.

What strategies do you use to reduce complexity for developers?

I advocate for clear API contracts, internal developer platforms (IDPs) with standardized templates, and comprehensive documentation. I also hold regular design reviews to ensure consistency and avoid technical debt. The goal is to abstract underlying complexity so developers can focus on business logic.

How do you balance technical debt with new feature development?

I categorize technical debt by impact and effort. Critical items that affect stability or speed are prioritized in sprints, while minor debt is addressed during regular maintenance. I also allocate a percentage of capacity (e.g., 20%) to refactoring and communicate the long-term benefits to stakeholders.

Describe your experience with security-by-design. Can you give an example?

In a previous project, I implemented a zero-trust architecture by encrypting data at rest and in transit, using IAM roles with least privilege, and integrating with a centralized identity provider. I also ensured that security reviews were part of the CI/CD pipeline, catching vulnerabilities early.

The architecture team at Actian works side-by-side with the development team. We are looking for a Software Architect to design the structure of our cloud platform and make it efficient, easy to extend, maintain and operate.

We need a proactive professional who ensures the product meets three key conditions: it must be stable (it doesn’t crash when failures happen), efficient (it doesn’t skyrocket cloud costs), and easy to use for our own developers. Your goal is to eliminate technical complexity and set the rules of the game so developers can ship new features fast and without errors.

Core Responsibilities:

Cloud Platform Design: Design and improve the cloud structure (AWS, Azure, or GCP) of our data platform, ensuring it works well for many clients at the same time.

Stability & Fault Tolerance: Build a system ready for failures, capable of recovering automatically and keeping things running if there are issues in production.

Making Life Easy for Developers: Create clear APIs, templates, and common tools so internal developers can write code faster and with fewer mistakes.

Cloud Cost Control: Monitor and optimize the use of cloud servers and tools (like Kubernetes) to keep the product cost-effective to run.

Improving Legacy Code: Identify parts of the system that have become outdated and plan how to improve them step-by-step without stopping daily work.

Technical Guidance & Standards: Review team designs and define the company’s technical standards, helping to resolve questions without becoming a bottleneck.

Security by Design: Ensure the platform’s structure inherently protects customer data and complies with security rules from the very beginning.

System Monitoring: Decide how we measure platform performance so that if something fails, we know exactly what happened within a few minutes.

Testing New Technologies: Build quick prototypes and test new tools before deciding whether to adopt them company-wide.

Qualifications & Profile:

Technical Background: Proven experience as a Software Architect or Principal Engineer working with cloud SaaS products and systems handling large volumes of data.

Key Tools: Real-world experience with microservices, containers (Docker, Kubernetes), messaging systems

Proactive Mindset: You don’t wait to be told what to do; you look for where the system might fail or where we are overspending, and you propose solutions.

Developer-Focused: You care about your fellow developers working comfortably and without frustrations using the tools you design.

Communication: Excellent English skills (written and spoken) to explain complex technical problems simply to both developers and executives.

What We Offer:

The chance to be part of an innovative, fast-growing company making a significant impact in the data management space.

Collaboration with a passionate and diverse team.

Competitive salary and benefits package.

Flexible work arrangements (remote or hybrid).

Opportunities for professional growth and development.

Why Join Us? At Actian, we are passionate about innovation and teamwork. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment, loves creating an efficient and welcoming workspace, and enjoys working closely with a talented team.

Interested? We’d love to hear from you! Let’s discuss how you can contribute to our success while growing your career with us.

We value diversity at our company. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics in the location in which the candidate is applying.

Apply now >