Application Architect – Job Description (React | Node.js | Java | Azure)

Role Summary

The Application Architect leads endtoend solution design and engineering across web, services, and integration layers. The role defines application architecture standards, guides fullstack teams (React, Node.js, Java), and ensures secure, scalable, and costefficient delivery on Microsoft Azure. The architect partners with product, security, data, and cloud teams to translate business goals into welldesigned, welldocumented systems.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & DesignDefine application architecture blueprints, reference patterns, and nonfunctional requirements (performance, security, availability, observability).
Decompose business capabilities into domaindriven designs, service contracts, and API specifications; ensure clean modular boundaries and reusable components.
Lead highlevel and lowlevel design (HLD/LLD), sequence diagrams, deployment views, and data flow models; own design reviews and architecture decision records (ADRs).
FullStack Technical LeadershipGuide teams on React (SPA/SSR, state management, component composition, accessibility) and Node.js (REST/GraphQL APIs, messaging, eventing).
Provide direction on Java backend services (Spring Boot, microservices, security, caching, concurrency).
Enforce coding standards, testing strategy (unit/integration/contract), and CI/CD practices.
Azure Cloud EnablementDesign cloudnative deployments on Azure (App Service/AKS, Functions, API Management, Event Hub/Service Bus, Storage, Key Vault, Front Door/App Gateway).
Define scalability, resiliency, and cost patterns (autoscale, zonal deployments, caching/CDN, bluegreen/canary release).
Integrate Azure security controls (Managed Identity, RBAC, Private Endpoints, network segmentation) in app designs.
Integration ArchitectureSelect and apply integration patterns (synchronous APIs, async messaging, eventdriven, pub/sub, saga/compensation, BFF pattern).
Govern API design (versioning, idempotency, pagination, error contracts), API gateway policies, and service discovery.
Ensure interoperability with identity (OIDC/OAuth2), data platforms, and thirdparty services.
Documentation & CommunicationProduce clear, consumable design docs, interface specs, runbooks, and architectural diagrams.
Communicate tradeoffs and decisions to engineers and stakeholders; drive crossteam alignment.
Quality, Security & DeliveryEmbed securebydesign practices (input validation, secrets, token scopes, OWASP) and performance budgets.
Define observability standards (structured logging, metrics, tracing) and SLOs/SLIs.
Support backlog refinement, estimation, and phased delivery plans; mentor engineers.

Required Qualifications

Handson fullstack expertise:

React (TypeScript, hooks, routing, state mgmt; testing with Jest/RTL).
Node.js (Express/Nest, REST/GraphQL, async patterns, NPM/Yarn, PM2/Docker).
Java (Java 11+/17+, Spring Boot, JPA, security, microservices).

Strong architecture fundamentals: layered and hexagonal architecture, DDD, SOLID, design patterns, clean code, caching, resiliency patterns (circuit breaker, bulkhead, retry).
Azure cloud experience (must have): AKS/App Service/Functions, API Management, Service Bus/Event Hub, Storage, Key Vault, Azure SQL/Cosmos DB, monitoring (App Insights/Log Analytics), networking basics.
Integration patterns (must have): APIled connectivity, eventdriven design, message choreography/orchestration, schema evolution, contract testing (PACT/Swagger).
Communication (must be strong): can lead design workshops, defend tradeoffs, and influence engineering direction.
Documentation (must be good): produces clear HLD/LLD, API specs (OpenAPI), and ADRs; keeps diagrams current.
Design clarity (must be clear with design concepts): converts requirements into modular designs with clear boundaries, ownership, and measurable nonfunctionals.