Software Architect

What it officially is

Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.

O*NET, US Department of Labor · classified as “Software Developers”

What the work involves

  • Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
  • Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
  • Confer with data processing or project managers to obtain information on limitations or capabilities for data processing projects.
  • Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
  • Consult with customers or other departments on project status, proposals, or technical issues, such as software system design or maintenance.
  • Coordinate installation of software system.
  • Design, develop and modify software systems, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and consequences of design.
  • Determine system performance standards.
  • Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
  • Monitor functioning of equipment to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications.
  • Obtain and evaluate information on factors such as reporting formats required, costs, or security needs to determine hardware configuration.
  • Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.
  • Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, or humidity in area of system installation.

What employers actually ask for

Counted from listings on this board. Each line shows how many of that tier's listings for this role carried it — the denominator is the point.

Large employers

  • team player: proficient at collaboration and working with members of a team 3 of 10
  • trust: trusts the company’s core values; shows integrity, transparency, and reliability 3 of 10

Only one tier has enough listings for this role to count from. A share measured over fewer than three listings is not a measurement, so it is not shown.

What they call it

Large employers

  • Software Architect - Containers / Virtualisation Canonical
  • Senior/Staff/Principal Engineer Canonical Ltd.
  • Senior Staff Software Engineer - Blockchain Platform Coinbase
  • Solutions Architect, Scaled Operations AI Accelerator Team Meta
  • Distinguished, Enterprise Architect Salesforce
  • Senior Technical Architect Salesforce

Startups

  • Staff Software Engineer Curri

Tools the occupation uses

Business intelligence and data analysis software Alteryx software
Cloud-based management software Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation
Data base management system software Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Kinesis
Data base user interface and query software Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2, Amazon Web Services AWS software, ADO.NET, Amazon Redshift, Airtable
Desktop publishing software Adobe InDesign
Development environment software Ada, Adobe ActionScript, American National Standards Institute ANSI C, ABC Compiler, Algorithmic language ALGOL, A programming language APL

How well this role is advertised

209listings reviewed
49/100median HR-standards score
78/100median title accuracy

Open now

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Official definitions and responsibilities come from public occupational records — O*NET (US Department of Labor) and ESCO (European Commission). The employer half is counted from listings on this board and shown with its denominator. Nothing on this page is written by a language model: the measured half is arithmetic over real postings, and the official half is quoted.