Lead Architect
First seen by Alion on Nov 11, 2026.
Aerchain
Job Title: Lead Architect
Experience: 12 - 15 years
Location: Bangalore - Work From Office (WFO)
About Aerchain:
We are rewriting the rules of procurement with an AI-first platform that powers $20B+ in enterprise spend.
From $4M ARR today to $25M ARR and beyond, our mission is to build enterprise-grade, AI-first procurement software for global enterprises across manufacturing, FMCG, and services.
About the Role:
You own the architecture of an AI-first source-to-pay platform running $20B+ in enterprise spend.
In our model, product managers build with AI and architects define the guardrails they build inside.
You set the structural direction for the platform, own architectural stability and the security posture, and commit the architecture roadmap alongside product delivery.
You lead the architecture function, including the senior architects and the QA, AI and platform architects, and you are accountable for the outcomes each of them owns.
You report to the CTO.
What you will drive:
Architectural Stability:
- Own architectural stability across source-to-pay: architecture-related incidents stay isolated and do not recur.
- Judge whether the architecture holds under load and under change, and act ahead of the point where it stops holding.
- Carry accountability for structural failures in the platform regardless of who wrote the code.
Architecture Roadmap & Delivery:
- Agree the architecture roadmap up front with the CTO and product leadership, then deliver it.
- Decide what gets built, deferred and killed structurally, with reasoning tied to where the product is going.
- Sequence architectural work so it lands alongside product delivery.
Leading The Architecture Function:
- Lead the senior architects and the QA, AI and platform architects as a single function with one standard.
- Own the outcomes each architect is accountable for: stability, quality, agent governance, platform reliability.
- Set direction and priorities for each discipline, review the work, and step in where an outcome is at risk.
- Coach the team by solving the hardest architectural problems alongside them.
- Hire and retain the architecture function against the approved headcount plan.
Guardrails For An AI-First Build Model:
- Define the guardrails product managers build inside: patterns, boundaries, and what is safe to generate.
- Keep guardrails proportionate so they catch real problems while delivery stays fast.
- Decide exceptions quickly where a module genuinely requires one.
Security & Compliance:
- Own the platform security posture, with controls evidenced continuously.
- Carry the platform through external audit with no material findings.
You will thrive here if:
- 12 - 15 years in engineering and architecture, with clear progression to owning the architecture of a product at scale.
- You have led architects and carried a platform through a step change in scale or complexity.
- You hold a structural line under delivery pressure, and recognise when the line should move.
- You are comfortable in a model where product managers build with AI and architects set the guardrails.
- You use AI as a core part of how you work, and raise the bar for those around you.
- You stay with an architectural decision until it is proven in production.
- Bonus: exposure to enterprise SaaS, complex B2B environments, or procurement tech.
What is in it for you:
- Full ownership of the architecture of a platform powering $20B+ in enterprise spend.
- A function to lead and shape, with authority over direction and standards.
- A direct line to the CTO, with no bureaucracy between your judgment and the decisions that matter.
- A build model to shape: AI-first product managers building inside guardrails you define.
- A culture where problem solving, ownership, and action are rewarded, and the opposite is called out.
Ready to build Aerchain's future?:
If reimagining business engines with AI and solving problems at scale excites you, let's talk.
Apply now and help us build the most agile enterprise SaaS story in the world.
Skills
Technical Architect, IT Product Development