_{18th March, 2026}

For more than three decades, Strategic Data Systems (SDS) has been a software consultancy firm specializing in strategy, technology, and business transformation for Fortune 100 companies, mid-sized firms, and startups. At SDS, we empower our development teams to address our clients' critical business challenges by leveraging cutting edge technologies. If you seek a workplace where your contributions are truly appreciated, then SDS is the company for you. Join us today to work alongside fellow development specialists and become a crucial part of our dynamic and cohesive community.
 
Job Title: Software Architect III
Location: Cincinnati, OH (Downtown, onsite 5x wk)
Years of Experience: 3-10

CONTRACT - TO - HIRE, Must be able to convert to FTE w/o sponsorship
 
TOP SKILLS:

 
 
What You'll Do
 
The Principle Solution Architect is a seasoned individual who can work independently and with very little management guidance. This individual is recognized as an expert in this field and has the knowledge and experience to be a recognized leader in this craft. Will evaluate, design and implement technology solutions to build and progress technology strategies with a line of business. In the majority of situations, the incumbent will be the application owner responsible for third party, purchased software aligned with a LOB. Will have responsibility to work with vendor to understand upcoming changes, how the software fits into the technology roadmap and design plans to ensure business continuity and effectiveness. Understands the bank's systems, how they are configured, how we need to reconfigure to meet the changes. If aligned to an agile squad may work closely with the product owner to ensure user stories are defined appropriately to develop effective technology solutions.  Will have the flexibility to work on very complex initiatives and provide guidance and advice to less seasoned engineers.
All employees are responsible and accountable for risk by openly exchanging ideas and opinions, elevating concerns, and following policies and procedures as defined. Accountable for always doing the right thing for customers and colleagues, and ensuring that actions and behaviors drive a positive customer experience. Operating within the Bank's risk appetite, you will achieve results while consistently identifying, assessing, managing, monitoring, and reporting risks of all types.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Help to define the long-term vision for one or more products and domains and help to lead the technical execution towards that vision.
• Work with the line of business and IT squads to design solutions to incorporate software changes and effectively work with all partners to ensure effective implementation
• Consult with Product Owners to understand the business technology roadmap and make recommendations on continued utilization or elimination of inhouse and current third party software solutions.
• Be the main liaison with software vendor(s) for systems utilized by a particular line of business
• Stay abreast of upcoming changes and enhancements in vendor's software and how those changes will impact the business.
• Implement and maintain new features and capabilities while continuously improving the quality of our technical products and services
• Follow industry and organizational best practices and standards, and participate in company communities of practice to continuously refine and communicate them. Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.
• Achieve operational excellence by automating processes and creating maintainable, supportable, and testable solutions
• Keep up with technology trends and innovations in your field(s) of practice
• Provide operational support and troubleshooting for your team's products and services
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and training for new or less experienced team members
• Help to define the long-term vision for one or more products and domains and help to lead the technical execution towards that vision.
• Design and document the overall architecture of technology solutions, ensuring alignment with business objectives and requirements.
• Ensure that technology solutions meet necessary performance, scalability, and security standards.
• Seek opportunities for re-use and collaboration across teams to improve processes and capabilities that exceed the scope of a single team.
• Operate as a trusted advisor, establishing yourself as a company-wide go-to resource for specific technologies, topics, or domains.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None.
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technology field or equivalent combination of education and work experience
• 5+ years of engineering or other IT work experience relevant to the position
• Experience working with third party commercial off the shelf and internally built applications
• Deep understanding of reactive architecture principles and familiarity with micro-service oriented architecture
• Understanding of decentralized and asynchronous data flows and related tools, modern warehousing best practices, and the data security as a fundamental aspect of data movement
• Experience with container hosted application footprints in hybrid cloud/on-premise environments
• Outstanding problem-solving and communication skills
• Willingness to work in a highly-collaborative environment spanning multiple departments and squads
• Deep understanding of IT security best practices
• Experience in banking or financial services industry
• Experience analyzing legacy platforms, documenting current state tech stack and process flows, and translating optimized business processes into modern technical architectures
• Experience designing, implementing, and supporting complex technical solutions
• Able to provide technical coaching and guidance to junior software and platform engineers
• 3 to 5 years experience in Java 17 or higher
• 3 to 5 years experience in Spring 6.x & Spring Boot 3.x
• 3 to 5 years with RESTful API development and back end for front ends
• 1 to 3 years experience in micro-service oriented back-end architecture & development
• 1 to 2 years experience working in agile/scrum teams
• 1 to 3 years experience with Test Driven Development with Junit
• Prior experience with Git, GitHub, Jenkins and JFrog
• Experience with core banking platforms (deposit systems, debit card processing, ATM, check processing or client billing) is a plus

 
What You'll Get
 
SDS, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
 

• Competitive base salary
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Optional life and disability insurance provided
• 401(k) with a company match and optional profit sharing
• Paid vacation time
• Paid Bench time
• Training allowance offering
• You'll be eligible to earn referral bonuses!

 

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