Principal Software Architect

Building the people that build the world.

With 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. Were a global company of problem solvers collaborators and innovators and our businesses build solutions that impact the world.

As 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.

How you will make an Impact (Job Summary)
SPX 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.

This 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.

The 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.

This 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.

What you can expect in this role (Job Responsibilities)
While each day brings new opportunities at SPX your core responsibilities will be:
1. Architecture Vision & System Design
Define and evolve a clear end-to-end architecture across:
Firmware / device layer
Cloud platform
Mobile and desktop applications
Own:
Target system architecture and design principles
System boundaries and interaction models
Integration patterns across domains
Ensure architecture supports:
Scalability and maintainability
Product evolution across multiple device variants
Alignment with long-term business and product strategy

2. Technology Strategy & Standards
Define and maintain a coherent technology strategy across the software organisation.
Responsibilities include:
Establishing an aligned technology stack across domains (cloud mobile desktop firmware)
Ensuring choices reflect:
o Industry best practices
o Team capability and constraints
o Long-term sustainability
Work collaboratively with domain leads to:
Evaluate trade-offs
Agree practical adoption paths
Avoid unnecessary fragmentation

3. Architectural Governance & Decision Authority
Act as the accountable owner for architectural integrity across the organisation.
Responsibilities:
Review and sign off major design decisions
Define and enforce architectural standards and guardrails
Ensure consistency across teams without blocking delivery
Where conflicts arise:
Drive resolution with domain leads
Escalate where required
Pragmatic flexibility is expected:
Allow exceptions where justified by delivery needs
Ensure deviations are captured as technical debt or feed back into architectural evolution

4. Current State Assessment & Transformation Roadmap
Build a clear understanding of the current software landscape and define a path forward.
Deliver:
Documented view of current architecture and technology stack
Identified gaps risks and constraints
Target architecture aligned to business and product direction
Migration and/or retirement proposals for legacy systems
Ensure transition plans are:
Realistic and incremental
Aligned with delivery priorities
Understood by engineering and product teams

5. Cross-Domain Alignment & Delivery Support
Support effective delivery by ensuring system-level clarity across teams.
Work closely with:
SW Program Manager cross-team coordination and dependencies
Product Owners ensuring system-level intent is clear before development
Responsibilities:
Clarify system-level behaviour and constraints
Ensure cross-platform interactions are defined early
Reduce late-stage integration issues
This role does not own delivery execution but enables it through clarity and alignment.

6. Hands-On Prototyping & Technical Validation
Validate architectural ideas through practical experimentation.
Expectations:
Build lightweight proofs of concept where needed
Use modern tooling including AI-assisted development to accelerate validation
Test feasibility of new technologies and patterns before wider adoption
This role is expected to go beyond documentation and ensure ideas work in practice.

7. Communication & Influence
Communicate architectural concepts clearly across all levels of the organisation.
Engage with:
Executive stakeholders
Engineering leadership
Technical leads and engineers
Ensure:
Complex ideas are translated appropriately for the audience
Decisions are understood and adopted
Feedback is actively gathered and incorporated

Key Boundaries
To ensure effectiveness this role operates with clear boundaries:
The Principal Software Architect does NOT:
Own backlog creation or write user stories (Product Owner responsibility)
Own sprint execution or team-level delivery
Act as a project or program manager
Replace domain technical leadership
The Principal Software Architect DOES:
Own system-level architecture and design principles
Own architectural decision-making and governance
Enable delivery through clarity not control

Authority & Escalation
Accountable for architectural decisions and standards
Expected to challenge and guide domain teams constructively
Works collaboratively with domain leads to reach alignment
Escalation path:
Resolve directly with domain leads where possible
Escalate unresolved conflicts to Global Software Manager

Success Measures
Success in this role will be measured by:
Clear adopted target architecture across domains
Reduced integration issues and late-stage surprises
Consistent and aligned technology choices
Improved system coherence across firmware cloud and applications
Visible reduction in architectural ambiguity
Practical progress on legacy system simplification

What Good Looks Like
Architectural decisions are understood adopted and followed
Teams build in alignment rather than diverging
Trade-offs are explicit and well managed
The architect is visible engaged and proactive
The role accelerates delivery rather than slowing it down

What we are looking for (Experience Knowledge Skills Abilities Education)
We each bring something to the table and we are looking for someone who has:

Required Experience
15 years of experience in software engineering with significant time in architectural roles
Proven experience designing distributed systems across cloud and application layers
Strong experience with at least one major cloud platform (Azure AWS or GCP) ideally across multiple
Experience integrating hardware or embedded systems with cloud-based platforms
Strong understanding of modern software architecture patterns and best practices
Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams
Excellent communication skills across both technical and non-technical audiences

Preferred Experience Knowledge Skills and Abilities
Experience in hardware-software or IoT environments
Exposure to mobile and SDK-based architectures
Experience modernising or migrating legacy systems
Familiarity with AI-assisted development approaches
Track record of delivering pragmatic implementable architecture (not just conceptual design)

Travel & Working Environment
Hybrid role with strong on-site presence expected (typically 3 days per week in Bristol)
High level of engagement with engineering teams required

How we live our culture

Our 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.

What benefits do we offer

We know that the well-being of our employees is integral. Our benefits include:

• Competitive and performance-based compensation packages and bonus plans
• Educational assistance leadership development programs and recognition programs

Our commitment to embrace diversity to build a culture of inclusion at SPX

We 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.