Client Software Architect

Must be located near or within the area of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions is seeking a hands-on Software Engineer to lead end-to-end solution delivery, combining platform development, client engagement, and partner integrations for major retail platform. This role unifies architecture leadership (design, trade-offs, governance), platform building (infrastructure, core capabilities), client solution delivery (discovery, implementation, support), and AI-enabled acceleration to ensure high-quality, scalable, and future-ready solutions. You will own the complete architecture lifecycle — from discovery and design to delivery and operational readiness — guiding both the Discovery Track (rapid prototyping, feasibility validation, client alignment) and the Delivery Track (production implementation, measurable outcomes) while building the underlying platform capabilities that enable future solutions. The ideal candidate blends deep architecture expertise, software development, client engagement skills, integration experience, and practical use of AI-assisted development tools to accelerate delivery while maintaining architectural integrity and operational excellence. Key Focus Areas Platform Infrastructure & Core Capabilities • Design and implement scalable platform infrastructure to support emerging use cases and product evolution. • Build and evolve core platform capabilities — APIs, microservices, data pipelines, and shared services. • Define architecture patterns and frameworks that enable rapid feature development and platform extensibility. • Lead technical design for new product capabilities as business requirements evolve. Client Engagement & Solution Delivery • Own end-to-end solution delivery for client projects, converting business needs into validated architectures and working implementations. • Lead client-facing architecture activities: facilitate workshops, present technical solutions, drive approvals, and act as subject-matter expert. • Translate discovery outcomes into structured delivery backlogs that preserve design intent and architecture standards. • Ensure traceability from business requirements to implemented solutions with full operational accountability. Product & Partner Integration Architecture • Own integration architecture design across partner ecosystems — payments, loyalty, inventory, and cloud services. • Define and enforce integration patterns, API contracts, and data models ensuring interoperability and scalability. • Establish and maintain partner integration architectures, including authentication, error handling, and versioning strategies. • Govern solution design and trade-offs with a focus on performance, security, and operational resilience. Dual-Track Delivery Leadership • Lead Discovery and Delivery Tracks within Dual-Track Agile — from exploratory prototypes to validated production implementations. • Drive Discovery Track activities: rapid prototyping, feasibility validation, and stakeholder alignment before full implementation. • Translate discovery outcomes into delivery backlogs while maintaining architecture quality and non-functional requirements. • Ensure seamless transition from discovery to delivery with clear design intent and technical specifications. Hands-On Technical Contribution • Build production-quality implementations of critical platform components, client solutions, and new infrastructure. • Lead by example through active coding, prototyping, and technical problem-solving. • Implement and demo reference code or critical components for both platform capabilities and client solutions. • Participate in code reviews and hands-on delivery of complex features. • Work primarily with cloud-native stacks (Java/Spring Boot, TypeScript, React/Vue, Docker/Kubernetes). Governance, Mentorship & Continuous Improvement • Define and uphold architecture standards, reusable patterns, and non-functional requirements (security, scalability, observability). • Mentor engineers and junior architects on design practices, infrastructure patterns, and AI-assisted development. • Conduct code reviews and enforce architecture governance, promoting best practices across teams. • Contribute to platform strategy — identifying reusable assets, shared APIs, and infrastructure opportunities. Key Responsibilities Architecture & Design • Lead end-to-end solution architecture across discovery, design, delivery, and operational readiness for both platform and client solutions. • Design and build new platform infrastructure to support emerging product requirements and use cases. • Produce and maintain key architectural artifacts: ADRs, interface contracts, data flow diagrams, infrastructure specs, sequencing diagrams, migration/rollback plans, and traceability matrices. • Define and enforce architecture standards, integration patterns, and non-functional requirements across all solutions. Platform Development • Write production code for critical platform features and infrastructure components. • Build core platform capabilities that enable rapid feature development and solution delivery. • Establish reusable patterns, shared services, and API-first designs for platform extensibility. • Serve as active technical lead in client engagements. • Lead Discovery Track activities. • Drive approvals and alignment across business and technical stakeholders. Integration & Partnerships • Establish and maintain partner integration architectures across third-party ecosystems. • Govern architecture consistency across partner integrations and internal product lines. • Define authentication strategies (OAuth, SAML, API keys), error handling, and API versioning. Quality & Governance • Ensure architecture quality gates and participate in design reviews and release sign-offs. • Identify and mitigate architecture risks — compatibility, data integrity, scalability, and partner dependencies. • Own risk analysis and mitigation for architecture decisions, including backward compatibility and compliance constraints. Continuous Improvement • Contribute to continuous improvement through reusable patterns, automation, and cross-team alignment. • Mentor and upskill engineers and architects on AI-assisted development, Dual-Track workflows, and platform best practices. • Contribute to platform and portfolio strategy, identifying gaps requiring investment and reusable assets. Qualifications Must-Have • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. • 8 years of professional software development experience, including recent hands-on coding and prototyping in modern technology stacks. • 5+ years designing cloud-native, microservices, or event-driven architectures (Azure or equivalent cloud platforms). • Strong experience building platform infrastructure and scalable backend systems. • Proven experience owning end-to-end solution delivery, including design, implementation, and post-release operational accountability for medium-to-large projects. • Experience with partner integrations — payments, SaaS APIs, loyalty, inventory, or authentication providers. • Hands-on experience building prototypes or reference implementations to validate architecture and solution feasibility. • Expertise in API-first design (REST/OpenAPI). • Experience with relational/non-relational databases (SQL/NoSQL). • Solid grasp of containerization, CI/CD, and Kubernetes-based delivery pipelines. • Practical experience with generative AI and AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor). • Excellent stakeholder communication skills, able to facilitate workshops, present technical solutions, and collaborate across business and engineering teams. • Proven leadership in mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews, and enforcing architecture governance. Preferred • Strong retail platform domain knowledge (POS systems, store operations, payment