Lead Architect
Sydney, NSW, Melbourne, VIC
Permanent, Full-time

Lead Architect

Position Summary:

The Lead Architect is accountable for establishing and leading Janison’s architecture capability, translating product strategy into technical roadmaps, and providing the architectural foundation required for efficient and effective delivery of the product roadmap. This role will establish architectural standards, document current and target state architectures, and provide hands-on architectural support across the organisation.  It is a practical, embedded delivery role, working closely with product, engineering and commercial teams.

We welcome applications from candidates based in Sydney and Melbourne.

 

Duties & Responsibilities

Current State Documentation & Analysis

  • Document comprehensive system inventory, integrations, and dependencies
  • Produce detailed current-state architecture views across all domains
  • Quantify technical debt and architectural risk by system
  • Create dependency and complexity heat maps
  • Identify and prioritize architectural constraints and risks proactively

Hands-on Support & Delivery

  • Provide hands-on architectural support to in-flight initiatives and delivery teams
  • Participate in design reviews and provide technical guidance during implementation
  • Ensure effective cross-organisation implementation and ownership of transformation initiatives (Productivity, AI, QA, Observability)
  • Support Product and Engineering teams in translating requirements into technical designs
  • Conduct architecture assessments and root cause analysis for complex technical issues

Team Development & Community Building

  • Launch and lead an Architecture Community of Practice across Tech Leads
  • Mentor and develop architectural capability across the technology organisation
  • Build alignment between Product, Engineering, and Technology leadership
  • Foster a culture of architectural thinking and evidence-based decision making

Platform & Technology Roadmaps

  • Develop technology platform roadmaps for priority platforms
  • Make evidence-based recommendations on modernisation, simplification, and platform investment
  • Identify opportunities for reuse, consolidation, and standardisation
  • Design for scalability, resilience, cost optimization, and security

Strategic Transformation

  • Develop and implement comprehensive QA strategies and methodologies specifically for high-stakes testing environments, maturing the function into a modern, scalable capability

AI & Emerging Technology Enablement

  • Define Janison’s approach to adopting AI across products (and engineering workflows)
  • Establish scalable and secure patterns for integrating AI capabilities into platforms
  • Guide build vs buy decisions for AI-enabled solutions and tooling
  • Ensure appropriate governance, security, and ethical considerations in AI usage

 

Experience, Skills & Qualifications:

  • Minimum 10+ years of experience in software development and architecture
  • Minimum 5+ years of experience in enterprise or lead architecture roles
  • Proven track record of establishing architecture capability in organisations lacking formal architectural practices
  • Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and infrastructure architecture
  • Strong knowledge of application architecture, data architecture, and integration patterns
  • Experience with modern development practices, DevOps, and CI/CD
  • Understanding of security architecture and compliance requirements
  • Familiarity with architecture frameworks and tools
  • Demonstrated experience in documenting and transforming complex technical landscapes
  • Experience working with distributed systems, cloud platforms, and modern software architectures
  • Track record of successful delivery of large-scale architectural transformations
  • Deep understanding of software architecture patterns and design principles
  • Demonstrated ability to embed AI into architecture
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or related field
  • Relevant architecture certifications (TOGAF, AWS/Azure/GCP Certified Architect) highly desirable

 

APPLY NOW

 

About Janison

Janison exists to transform the way people learn. Our team of educators, technologists and change agents empower teachers, students, accreditation bodies and governments to achieve meaningful educational outcomes by measuring knowledge and progress.

Founded 25 years ago, we are an Australian-owned edtech pioneer delivering more than 6.5 million assessments annually in 117 countries. Our technology supports our commitment to equity and accessibility for all.

Why Janison?

As a finalist in the 2023 Wrk+ Great Place to Work Awards, we are delighted to offer you a fun and inclusive workplace environment, plus:

  • Access to our Employee Share Ownership Program. We will match your shares of up to $2,000 per year
  • A 5th week of annual leave (conditions apply) and a day off on your birthday
  • Parental leave benefit including paid leave, continued Super contributions and more
  • A day off each year to volunteer with a community-based organisation dear to your heart
  • Annual pay review and bonus program
  • A focus on virtual engagement and inclusivity to support our distributed workforce across the globe
  • A focus on development and upskilling opportunities (if that’s what you’re after)

For a glimpse into Janison’s culture and to see our regular employee updates, follow our channel on LinkedIn. We’d love for you to be part of our community!

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