Position: Associate Software Architect
Location: Troy, MI
The Associate Software Architect is a hands-on senior engineer and developing technical architect who supports the design, delivery, and modernization of PVS enterprise business applications. Working closely with the Lead Developer/Architect, this person serves as a capable technical counterpart: implementing production code, resolving complex application issues, translating business needs into practical designs, and gradually taking ownership of defined solution areas. The environment includes existing VB.NET/.NET Framework and Microsoft SQL Server applications, with a strategic move toward C#, modern .NET, and Blazor. Architecture decisions must respect on-premises infrastructure, existing integrations, and day-to-day delivery obligations.
Essential Job Functions
- Design, develop, test, and support application enhancements, integrations, and defect corrections; remain an active contributor to production code.
- Work alongside the Lead Developer/Architect to turn business requirements into feasible technical designs, implementation tasks, estimates, and dependencies.
- Maintain and enhance existing VB.NET/.NET Framework and ASP.NET applications while building new capabilities in C# and modern .NET as modernization advances.
- Contribute to enterprise application modernization through practical incremental migration, reusable application patterns, and careful coexistence of legacy and new components.
- Develop and review Microsoft SQL Server queries, data access logic, stored-procedure changes, and integration data flows in coordination with database owners.
- Design and troubleshoot APIs, file transfers, batch/scheduled interfaces, authentication/SSO integration, and upstream/downstream application interactions.
- Produce concise solution diagrams, interface specifications, technical decisions, implementation notes, and supportable handoff documentation.
- Participate in code and design reviews; improve consistency in error handling, validation, logging, security, maintainability, and performance.
- Work with QA and business analysts to clarify acceptance criteria, provide testable deliverables, correct defects, and meet defined release gates.
- Troubleshoot complex application and production issues involving IIS, SQL Server, integrations, or application logic; coordinate with infrastructure and support teams.
- Design solutions for PVS on-premises Windows/IIS and SQL Server operations, with attention to security, reliability, deployment, support, and rollback.
- Assume increasing responsibility for bounded architecture and delivery decisions under the Lead Developer/Architect; mentor peers through technical collaboration without direct personnel management.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Six or more years of progressive hands-on enterprise software development experience, including involvement in application design and technical problem solving.
- Strong experience with Microsoft .NET, ASP.NET, and Microsoft SQL Server; ability to work effectively with existing VB.NET/.NET Framework applications.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience developing and maintaining production C#/.NET applications; ability to support and enhance existing VB.NET/.NET Framework applications.
- Experience designing, implementing, and troubleshooting SQL-backed web applications, APIs, interfaces, and cross-system data flows.
- Practical application of object-oriented design, secure development, code review, testing, diagnostics, and maintainable implementation patterns.
- Ability to communicate design trade-offs, estimate work, document decisions, and collaborate closely with developers, QA, BAs, and infrastructure teams.
- Willingness to remain hands-on while developing broader architecture responsibilities within an established technical leadership structure.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with modern .NET, Blazor Server, incremental legacy modernization, and application migration using coexistence or strangler patterns.
- Familiarity with IIS, Windows Server, SQL Server performance, enterprise authentication/authorization, and on-premises application deployments.
- Experience with Azure DevOps Server, work-item tracking, source control, and disciplined development-to-test-to-production promotion.
- Exposure to operationally critical integrations, scheduled processes, and multi-client line-of-business systems.
Core Competencies
- Hands-on engineering skill and sound technical design judgment
- Ownership, dependability, and thoughtful escalation of risks
- Ability to complement and extend the Lead Developer/Architect
- Practical modernization within real-world legacy constraints
- Clear documentation, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration