Principal Software Architect

About the role

We are looking for a Principal Software Architect to define and lead the technical direction of complex, global industrial automation applications. This is a highly senior, hands‑on architecture role focused less on day‑to‑day coding and more on system design, technical leadership, mentoring, and setting engineering standards.

In this role, you will act as the technical authority for the software engineering team, partnering closely with business stakeholders and internal customers to translate complex and often ambiguous requirements into scalable, secure, and robust software solutions.

This position plays a key role in shaping Assurant’s automation ecosystem used across multiple global sites.

What you’ll do

• Define and drive the technical architecture and technology strategy for industrial automation applications.
• Lead architectural design decisions, ensuring solutions are scalable, resilient, secure, and future‑ready.
• Act as a technical mentor and advisor to software engineers through code reviews, design guidance, and standards enforcement.
• Translate unclear or high‑level business requirements into clear, well‑documented technical designs.
• Partner with internal customers to assess feasibility, scope work, and establish realistic timelines.
• Establish, document, and continuously improve engineering standards, best practices, and governance frameworks.
• Guide system integration across cloud platforms, APIs, automation hardware, and enterprise applications.
• Support deployment, monitoring, performance tuning, and long‑term optimization of applications.
• Collaborate with other architects to contribute to the application portfolio roadmap.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and recommend new tools, methodologies, and platforms.

What success looks like

• You are a trusted technical reference for both engineers and management.
• Engineering teams benefit from clearer architecture, better standards, and stronger guidance.
• Business stakeholders receive realistic, well‑communicated solutions to complex problems.
• Applications are more scalable, maintainable, and aligned with long‑term strategy.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in software development, with senior‑level architecture responsibility.
• Proven experience designing and implementing complex, scalable software systems, ideally in industrial or automation environments.
• Strong experience with Python (required); experience with C++, C#, or similar languages is a plus.
• Solid expertise in:
  • Software architecture and design patterns
  • Microservices and Domain‑Driven Design (DDD)
  • API design (REST, GraphQL) and enterprise integration patterns
  • Cloud‑based solutions (Azure experience strongly preferred)
• Experience with DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong documentation skills and the ability to clearly communicate technical concepts.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide engineers with patience and professionalism.

Preferred experience

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience integrating with industrial systems such as PLCs, SCADA, HMIs, or industrial communication protocols (Modbus, OPC‑UA, EtherCAT).
• Experience with machine vision systems, ML model integration, or real‑time data processing.
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 initiatives (IoT, digital twins, advanced analytics).
• Prior experience in global, multi‑site environments.

Why join Assurant?

• Influence the technical future of automation systems used globally.
• Work on complex, meaningful engineering challenges with real‑world impact.
• Lead architectural decisions and help shape engineering best practices.
• Collaborate with talented engineers and business partners across regions.
• Be part of a culture that values technical excellence, mentorship, and continuous improvement.