How to Hire a Software Architect: Key Skills and Qualities to Look For

Software architecture is key to project success, with studies showing that poor architecture contributes to a significant portion of project failures. According to ResearchGate, over 60% of software failures are linked to inadequate architectural planning. Effective architecture ensures scalability, flexibility, and performance while reducing risks, streamlining communication, and enabling future growth.

In this article, I’ll explain what defines a great software architect, how to hire a software architect, and why investing in the right specialist is so important. Whether your company is a large enterprise or SMB, the correct architect could make all the difference.

What Is a Software Architect?

A software architect is a key professional who designs and structures software systems, ensuring they meet both business and technical requirements. 

They create high-level design choices and set technical standards for coding, tools, and platforms. By collaborating with stakeholders, they ensure that projects align with organizational goals and user needs. The software architect definition also guides development teams, makes critical decisions throughout the software lifecycle, and ensures the system’s scalability, performance, and security.

Now, let’s look at the various types of software architects and the specific responsibilities they hold.

Types of Software Architects And Their Responsibilities

Software architects specialize in several aspects of the software development process, each providing their own set of skills to handle specific technical requirements and business objectives. Selecting the appropriate software architect ensures that the system is developed to fulfill project objectives and user expectations. Let’s take a deeper look at each type.

Application Architect

An application architect ensures that each component of a mobile or web application aligns with the intended functionality and user experience. They are crucial for ensuring performance and usability in application-focused projects.

Key responsibilities:

• Design and implement the core architecture for mobile or web applications.
• Ensure seamless integration of key features and components.
• Optimize performance and usability for a better user experience.
• Work closely with development teams to align technical decisions with business goals.
• Identify and resolve potential bottlenecks in application performance.

Solution Architect

Solution architects design integrated software systems that address complex business challenges. They create systems that ensure various components work harmoniously across multiple technologies and frameworks.

Key responsibilities:

• Design and integrate multiple software components into a cohesive system.
• Ensure compatibility and smooth communication between various subsystems (e.g., ERP, CRM).
• Provide guidance on technology choices and how they fit within the overall role of software architecture.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Manage technical risks and optimize solutions for scalability and performance.

Enterprise Architect

Enterprise architects focus on aligning IT systems with the organization’s strategic objectives. They develop frameworks that standardize technology across departments, ensuring consistency, scalability, and compliance.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and enforce IT architecture standards that support business goals.
• Oversee the integration of technology systems across departments to ensure interoperability.
• Plan and implement a scalable architecture that supports long-term business growth.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Optimize IT systems for flexibility and adaptability to future needs.

Data Architect

Data architects design and manage data systems, ensuring that data is securely stored, retrieved, and processed efficiently. They play a crucial role in data-driven decision-making by developing systems that handle large volumes of data while ensuring compliance with security standards.

Key responsibilities:

• Design data systems and models to ensure efficient storage, retrieval, and processing of data.
• Develop and enforce data governance policies, including data security and privacy.
• Ensure that data systems meet regulatory compliance requirements.
• Optimize data workflows for performance and efficiency.
• Collaborate with data analysts and engineers to create systems that support data-driven insights.

Cloud Architect

Cloud architects design and manage cloud infrastructure, ensuring that businesses can scale and secure applications in the cloud. They leverage cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure to maximize the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of cloud solutions.

Key responsibilities:

• Design and implement scalable, secure cloud architectures for applications.
• Manage cloud infrastructure and ensure that it meets performance and security requirements.
• Optimize cloud resources to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure seamless cloud integration.
• Stay up-to-date with cloud technology trends and recommend best practices for cloud architecture.

Software Architect Skill Requirements

A proficient software architect combines both technical and soft skills, enabling them to design and guide complex software projects effectively. Here’s a breakdown of software architect job responsibilities.

Software Architect Technical Skills

• Architectural knowledge: A solid understanding of architectural patterns, such as microservices, client-server, and cloud-native structures, is crucial. Architects use these patterns to design scalable, reliable systems that meet project requirements.
• Coding skills: While software architects may not code daily, familiarity with coding is essential for reviewing and guiding the development team. This ensures that code aligns with the design architecture, enhancing overall project efficiency.
• Cloud and DevOps expertise: Cloud and DevOps expertise enables architects to create flexible, scalable architectures. Familiarity with platforms like AWS, Azure, and DevOps tools such as Jenkins and Docker is vital for building resilient, cloud-based systems.
• Database and data modeling knowledge: An architect must understand data modeling and database design, as they are fundamental to creating systems that securely manage and process data.

Soft Skills

• Communication: The role of software architects is to bridge technical and non-technical teams, requiring excellent communication skills to convey complex ideas in accessible terms for stakeholders and team members.
• Problem-solving: Adaptable and resourceful thinking empowers architects to address architectural challenges with creativity and agility.
• Leadership: Often leading the development team, architects provide guidance, mentorship, and support to keep the project aligned with the architectural vision.
• Adaptability: With technology constantly evolving, adaptability is crucial for architects to integrate new technologies and approaches that enhance project outcomes.

How to Hire a Software Architect

Hiring a skilled software architect can be crucial for your project’s success, and there are several routes to explore. Whether you choose to handle the hiring process internally or partner with a service provider like DashDevs, each method comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. Below, we outline two common approaches: hiring in-house and outsourcing to a provider.

Hiring In-House

When hiring software architects directly for your team, job boards and recruitment agencies are traditional yet effective methods for finding candidates. Below is a breakdown of how these channels can help—and what challenges you may face.

#1 Job boards

Specialized job boards have become a go-to for hiring IT professionals, including software architects. By creating a strong company profile with details about your culture and values, you can attract top talent to your team.

Advantages:

• Reach a wide, global audience.
• Access niche boards specifically for tech roles.
• Build a strong employer brand online through forums and job listings.
• Simplify the hiring process through standardized boards.

Disadvantages:

• Large volumes of resumes can overwhelm HR teams.
• It’s difficult to gauge the candidate’s actual expertise just from a resume.
• There’s no guarantee that the perfect candidate will apply.

#2 Recruiting firms

If you’re looking for a more streamlined approach, working with a recruitment firm might be your best bet. These firms specialize in matching top talent with companies, and they handle much of the heavy lifting in terms of candidate screening, interviews, and onboarding.

Advantages:

• Shortens the time to fill open positions.
• Provides access to a wider pool of qualified candidates.
• Recruitment firms often have specialized knowledge in the tech industry.

Disadvantages:

• High costs associated with recruitment services.
• Limited control over cultural fit and employer branding.
• This may result in less direct involvement in the recruitment process.

Outsourcing Your Software Architect Needs to a Service Provider

For many businesses, especially those in fintech, outsourcing software architecture to a trusted provider like DashDevs offers flexibility, cost savings, and access to specialized expertise. Here is some other options on how to hire a software architect.

#1 Outsourcing to a Service Provider

Outsourcing is the process of partnering with a third-party service provider to design, build, and maintain your software systems. Providers like DashDevs offer dedicated teams of experts who manage the entire software development lifecycle, allowing you to focus on your core business while benefiting from expert advice and execution.

Advantages:

• Cost-effective: Pay only for the services you need, without the overhead of hiring full-time employees.
• Access to top talent: Choose from a broad pool of highly skilled professionals.
• Comprehensive Support: Beyond development, service providers offer legal, financial, and post-launch support.
• Scalability: Easily scale your team up or down as the project evolves, adapting to changing needs.
• Speed: Save time by leveraging established processes and experienced teams, ensuring faster project delivery.

Disadvantages:

• Less direct control: You may have limited oversight over the day-to-day operations of the team.
• Cultural fit: There may be challenges aligning the outsourced team with your company’s culture.
• Communication barriers: Working with remote teams might lead to issues with time zone differences and communication gaps.

#2 Freelancers

Freelancers can offer a low-cost alternative to full-time hires. They are often more flexible, allowing businesses to scale their teams based on project needs.

Advantages:

• Lower costs: Freelancers don’t require the same benefits as full-time employees.
• Global talent pool: Access highly qualified architects from anywhere in the world.
• Flexibility: Ideal for short-term or niche projects.

Disadvantages:

• Time zone issues: Coordinating work across time zones can complicate project management.
• Less commitment: Freelancers may not be as invested in your project long-term as full-time employees.
• Quality concerns: Some freelancers may overstate their expertise, leading to potential challenges in quality control.

In summary, hiring in-house or outsourcing your software architect needs each have unique benefits. For businesses looking for cost-effective, scalable solutions, working with a provider like DashDevs offers significant advantages, including access to top-tier fintech expertise, reduced overhead, and faster project timelines.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Software Architect?

Let’s take a look at how much a software process consultant earns per hour worldwide. We combed through many regional job boards and used additional data from Glassdoor and Payscale to arrive at these hourly rates.

The rates are the following:

• United States: $65–$90 per hour,
• United Kingdom: $50–$70 per hour,
• Germany: $42–$60 per hour,
• Ukraine: $50–$65 per hour.

As can be seen, a Ukrainian architect specialist costs, on average, 1.5 times less than an American or German software engineer consultant, although having the same degree of knowledge and competence. Moreover, according to SkillValue, Ukraine ranks 5 among the world’s top countries with the best programmers and an average score index of 93.17%. As a result, an increasing number of companies are opting to hire software architects remotely.

Read more about hiring developers in Ukraine in our article.

Why Hire a Software Architect at Dashdevs?

At DashDevs, we bring over 20 years of experience in the fintech industry, specializing in building innovative and secure financial software solutions. Having completed over 20 digital banking projects with clients across the globe, we have earned a reputation for delivering reliable, scalable, and user-centric systems. In fact, most of our client relationships extend beyond six years, demonstrating our commitment to long-term success and customer satisfaction.

Why DashDevs stands out for your software architecture needs:

• Proven expertise in financial software: With extensive experience in digital banking, DashDevs has successfully delivered 20+ fintech projects, ensuring high-quality solutions for various financial institutions and fintech startups.
• Established track record: Over the years, we have consistently met project milestones and exceeded client expectations, leading to over 95% client satisfaction and long-term partnerships.
• Robust pre-screening process: Our hiring process begins with a detailed review of each applicant’s credentials, followed by video interviews that assess both technical skills and communication abilities. We select only the best professionals to ensure your team’s success.
• High English proficiency: All of our experts are fluent in English, ensuring smooth communication and efficient collaboration, especially for international projects.
• Comprehensive technical evaluation: We leverage the expertise of our senior fintech architects to evaluate each candidate’s technical capabilities through practical assignments, ensuring they meet the high standards required for complex fintech projects.
• Client-centric hiring: In the final stage of the hiring process, we present you with a shortlist of highly qualified software architects and developers, leaving the final selection up to you. This ensures that you hire professionals who align perfectly with your project goals.

We can help you save time by giving you an honest, objective assessment of what will and will not work, in addition to offering technology direction, expert execution, timely delivery, and ongoing support. You are welcome to get in touch with us if you’re interested in collaborating on the release of a ground-breaking product.

Our Expertise in Solution Architecture

Our team of software architects ensures that each system we design is scalable, robust, and aligned with your business needs. Below are two case studies showcasing our ability to create end-to-end solutions that exceed expectations.

Case 1: All-in-One Mobility and Express Delivery Application

Our client wanted to consolidate their separate taxi and food/grocery delivery apps into a unified platform, which would provide a seamless customer experience and simplify the backend management.

We designed a modular architecture that allowed us to combine the two existing services into one cohesive application. By carefully integrating essential functionalities—such as booking, payment systems, and delivery management—into a unified solution, we provided our client with a flexible, scalable platform ready for future expansion.

Key achievements:

• 9 months to fully redesign: DashDevs took on the entire rebranding process, creating a new design system and modernizing the app’s visual identity.
• Modular architecture: The system was developed with a modular architecture, allowing for easy scaling and the addition of new features as the business grows.
• Complete team: We provided a comprehensive team, including business analysts, project managers, software architects, and developers specializing in Android, iOS, JavaScript, and Node.js.
• End-to-end development: From the initial concept through to production, DashDevs played a key role in each stage, ensuring that the app met the highest standards of performance and usability.

This project exemplifies how our solution architecture approach enables businesses to scale and optimize their services while streamlining the development process.

Case 2: AI-Powered Bot for Call Translations and Transcriptions

Vidby sought to create an AI-powered solution capable of real-time translation and transcription for calls held on platforms like Google Meet and Zoom. This system needed to integrate seamlessly with existing communication tools while offering previously unavailable features.

We developed an innovative solution with AI integration that allowed Vidby’s bot to join video calls, transcribe conversations, and translate them in real time into over 70 languages. The multi-level AI integrations ensured the bot could function as a regular meeting participant, muting and unmuting itself while providing live translations.

Key achievements:

• 3 months to MVP launch: Despite the complexity of the project, DashDevs delivered the MVP in just 3 months, focusing on maximizing efficiency.
• Real-time multi-platform integration: The system was designed to support real-time transcription and translation on multiple platforms, with AI tools running in the background.
• Ongoing partnership: DashDevs continues to collaborate with Vidby, refining the platform and adding new features to stay ahead in a competitive market.
• Outstanding product: The solution stands out globally as a unique, AI-powered tool for real-time translation in 70+ languages, a breakthrough in communication technology.

By leveraging our expertise in solution architecture, we helped Vidby create a groundbreaking product that opens new opportunities in global communication.

Summing up

How to hire a software architect involves evaluating both technical and soft skills to ensure the candidate not only has the expertise to build a strong system architecture but also understands the business objectives. At DashDevs, our team of experienced software architects is ready to bring your vision to life.

Contact us today to discuss your project needs and discover the benefits of working with our top-tier software architecture experts.