{"id":1184071,"url":"https://alion.io/job/spx-corporation-principal-software-architect","title":"Principal Software Architect","company":{"id":1796950,"name":"SPX Technologies","domain":"spx.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/spx-com","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"SuccessFactors","truth_index":null},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"inferred","locations":["Bristol, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":86000,"max_usd":174000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":49},"experience_years_min":15,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AWS","optional":false},{"name":"Azure","optional":false},{"name":"GCP","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-15T07:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-15","last_verified_at":"2026-10-20T06:27:35Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":35,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":35},"description":"Building the people that build the world.\nWith platforms in HVAC and Detection and Measurement, SPX Technologies builds innovative solutions that enable a safer, more efficient, sustainable world. Through our RiSE talent development framework, we Reach, Identify, Strengthen, and Engage our employees to support them in their continued development. We’re a global company of problem solvers, collaborators, and innovators, and our businesses build solutions that impact the world.\nAs part of Detection and Measurement, Radiodetection is a global leader in the design and development of equipment and software used by utility companies to install, protect, and maintain underground infrastructure networks. Through precision and magnetic locators and ground penetrating radar, we help prevent damage to infrastructure utilities and protect lives.\nHow you will make an Impact (Job Summary)\nSPX is a diverse team of unique individuals who all make an impact. As an experienced and pragmatic Principal Software Architect you will define and drive the technical vision for our evolving software ecosystem.\nThis role is responsible for shaping how our hardware and firmware platforms integrate with cloud, mobile, and desktop applications, ensuring we continue to evolve toward a coherent, scalable, and maintainable architecture across the organisation.\nThe Principal Software Architect will serve as the focal point for architectural direction, system design principles, and technology strategy. Working closely with domain leads, the Software Program Manager, and the Global Software Manager, the successful candidate will ensure architectural intent translates into practical, deliverable outcomes.\nThis position combines strategic leadership with hands-on technical validation. The ideal candidate will be capable of both defining long-term architectural direction and validating ideas through lightweight prototyping and experimentation where required.\nWhat you can expect in this role (Job Responsibilities)\nWhile each day brings new opportunities at SPX, your core responsibilities will be:\n1. Architecture Vision & System Design\nDefine and evolve a clear end-to-end architecture across:\nFirmware / device layer\nCloud platform\nMobile and desktop applications\nOwn:\nTarget system architecture and design principles\nSystem boundaries and interaction models\nIntegration patterns across domains\nEnsure architecture supports:\nScalability and maintainability\nProduct evolution across multiple device variants\nAlignment with long-term business and product strategy\n2. Technology Strategy & Standards\nDefine and maintain a coherent technology strategy across the software organisation.\nResponsibilities include:\nEstablishing an aligned technology stack across domains (cloud, mobile, desktop, firmware)\nEnsuring choices reflect:\no Industry best practices\no Team capability and constraints\no Long-term sustainability\nWork collaboratively with domain leads to:\nEvaluate trade-offs\nAgree practical adoption paths\nAvoid unnecessary fragmentation\n3. Architectural Governance & Decision Authority\nAct as the accountable owner for architectural integrity across the organisation.\nResponsibilities:\nReview and sign off major design decisions\nDefine and enforce architectural standards and guardrails\nEnsure consistency across teams without blocking delivery\nWhere conflicts arise:\nDrive resolution with domain leads\nEscalate where required\nPragmatic flexibility is expected:\nAllow exceptions where justified by delivery needs\nEnsure deviations are captured as technical debt or feed back into architectural evolution\n4. Current State Assessment & Transformation Roadmap\nBuild a clear understanding of the current software landscape and define a path forward.\nDeliver:\nDocumented view of current architecture and technology stack\nIdentified gaps, risks, and constraints\nTarget architecture aligned to business and product direction\nMigration and/or retirement proposals for legacy systems\nEnsure transition plans are:\nRealistic and incremental\nAligned with delivery priorities\nUnderstood by engineering and product teams\n5. Cross-Domain Alignment & Delivery Support\nSupport effective delivery by ensuring system-level clarity across teams.\nWork closely with:\nSW Program Manager → cross-team coordination and dependencies\nProduct Owners → ensuring system-level intent is clear before development\nResponsibilities:\nClarify system-level behaviour and constraints\nEnsure cross-platform interactions are defined early\nReduce late-stage integration issues\nThis role does not own delivery execution but enables it through clarity and alignment.\n6. Hands-On Prototyping & Technical Validation\nValidate architectural ideas through practical experimentation.\nExpectations:\nBuild lightweight proofs of concept where needed\nUse modern tooling, including AI-assisted development, to accelerate validation\nTest feasibility of new technologies and patterns before wider adoption\nThis role is expected to go beyond documentation and ensure ideas work in practice.\n7. Communication & Influence\nCommunicate architectural concepts clearly across all levels of the organisation.\nEngage with:\nExecutive stakeholders\nEngineering leadership\nTechnical leads and engineers\nEnsure:\nComplex ideas are translated appropriately for the audience\nDecisions are understood and adopted\nFeedback is actively gathered and incorporated\nKey Boundaries\nTo ensure effectiveness, this role operates with clear boundaries:\nThe Principal Software Architect does NOT:\nOwn backlog creation or write user stories (Product Owner responsibility)\nOwn sprint execution or team-level delivery\nAct as a project or program manager\nReplace domain technical leadership\nThe Principal Software Architect DOES:\nOwn system-level architecture and design principles\nOwn architectural decision-making and governance\nEnable delivery through clarity, not control\nAuthority & Escalation\nAccountable for architectural decisions and standards\nExpected to challenge and guide domain teams constructively\nWorks collaboratively with domain leads to reach alignment\nEscalation path:\nResolve directly with domain leads where possible\nEscalate unresolved conflicts to Global Software Manager\nSuccess Measures\nSuccess in this role will be measured by:\nClear, adopted target architecture across domains\nReduced integration issues and late-stage surprises\nConsistent and aligned technology choices\nImproved system coherence across firmware, cloud, and applications\nVisible reduction in architectural ambiguity\nPractical progress on legacy system simplification\nWhat Good Looks Like\nArchitectural decisions are understood, adopted, and followed\nTeams build in alignment rather than diverging\nTrade-offs are explicit and well managed\nThe architect is visible, engaged, and proactive\nThe role accelerates delivery rather than slowing it down\nWhat we are looking for (Experience, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education)\nWe each bring something to the table, and we are looking for someone who has:\nRequired Experience\n15+ years of experience in software engineering, with significant time in architectural roles\nProven experience designing distributed systems across cloud and application layers\nStrong experience with at least one major cloud platform (Azure, AWS, or GCP), ideally across multiple\nExperience integrating hardware or embedded systems with cloud-based platforms\nStrong understanding of modern software architecture patterns and best practices\nDemonstrated ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams\nExcellent communication skills across both technical and non-technical audiences\nPreferred Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities\nExperience in hardware-software or IoT environments\nExposure to mobile and SDK-based architectures\nExperience modernising or migrating legacy systems\nFamiliarity with AI-assisted development approaches\nTrack record of delivering pragmatic, implementable architecture (not just conceptual design)\nTravel & Working Environment\nHybrid role with strong on-site presence expected (typically 3 days per week in Bristol)\nHigh level of engagement with engineering teams required\nHow we live our culture\nOur culture is at the center of what we do and, more importantly, who we are. Our core values set a standard for how we manage ourselves, and our Leadership Model sets the standard for how we engage with each other. Whether you are an individual contributor or you lead a large team, each of us leads at SPX.\nWhat benefits do we offer?\nWe know that the well-being of our employees is integral. Our benefits include:\nCompetitive and performance-based compensation packages and bonus plans\nEducational assistance, leadership development programs, and recognition programs\nOur commitment to embrace diversity to build a culture of inclusion at SPX\nWe value different backgrounds, experiences, and voices at SPX, and we are committed to challenging ourselves, openly communicating, and striving to improve every day. We believe in creating an inclusive work environment where everyone has a voice and is encouraged to realise their fullest potential.","description_format":"text","description_chars":9118,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":15,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-24T14:28:47Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":38,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.697,"p_room":0.55,"age_days":34,"expected_fill_days":28,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:tail","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-20T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/spx-corporation-principal-software-architect","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/spx-corporation-principal-software-architect.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-20T09:40:26Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":10583,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-21T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1796950},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1796950"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fspx-corporation-principal-software-architect"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fspx-corporation-principal-software-architect"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fspx-corporation-principal-software-architect"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/spx-corporation-principal-software-architect\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fspx-corporation-principal-software-architect"}]}