Principal Software Architect

DescriptionEquinox Engineering Ltd. is a leading Calgary-based EPCM firm delivering innovative facility design and engineering solutions across natural gas, conventional oil, heavy oil, SAGD, and emerging energy sectors. As our technology capabilities evolve to support increasingly complex engineering and business needs, we are investing in strong architectural leadership to enable scalable, secure, and high-quality software solutions.
We are seeking a Principal Software Architect who brings deep technical expertise, hands-on leadership, and a collaborative mindset. In this role, you will define and lead software architecture, development standards, and delivery practices across the organization. You will guide initiatives from early concept through implementation, while actively contributing to design, development, and technical decision-making.
This is an opportunity to play a key technical leadership role, shaping how software is built, delivered, and sustained, while mentoring teams and strengthening long-term organizational capability.
Why Join Equinox?
• Opportunity to define and lead enterprise software architecture and engineering standards
• A people-focused culture that values technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Meaningful work supporting complex engineering and business systems
• Hands-on leadership role with influence across multiple teams and initiatives
• A flexible and supportive work environment designed for long-term career growth
What You'll Do
As a Principal Software Architect, you will be responsible for establishing high-quality, scalable, and maintainable software solutions while leading technical execution across initiatives.
Technical Leadership
• Define and maintain software architecture principles, standards, and best practices across the organization
• Lead the design of complex systems from concept through detailed implementation
• Establish development frameworks, coding standards, and technical conventions to enable consistent delivery
• Review and approve architectural designs, technical solutions, and key implementation decisions
• Remain hands-on in system design, code reviews, troubleshooting, and complex problem-solving
• Drive adoption of modern software engineering practices, tools, and methodologies
Team Leadership & Collaboration
• Collaborate closely with software developers, analysts, business stakeholders, and technology leadership to align technical solutions with business needs
• Mentor and guide developers and technical contributors, supporting growth and knowledge sharing
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Provide architectural guidance and oversight across multiple concurrent projects
Project Execution & Delivery
• Lead complex software initiatives from early-stage concept through delivery and stabilization
• Ensure solutions are delivered with high quality, predictability, and alignment to architectural standards
• Identify and mitigate technical risks throughout the delivery lifecycle
• Support planning, estimation, and prioritization efforts with a strong technical perspective
• Establish and enforce governance practices to ensure consistent delivery outcomes
Design Quality, Standards & Governance
• Ensure systems are scalable, secure, maintainable, and well-documented
• Promote best practices in software quality, testing, and performance optimization
• Establish and monitor adherence to development standards and architectural governance
• Continuously evaluate and improve development practices and tooling
About You
You are a highly experienced software architect who enjoys hands-on technical leadership and shaping how teams build and deliver software. You are equally comfortable defining strategy and executing at a detailed level.
You bring:
• Proven experience in senior technical leadership or architecture roles
• A strong track record of designing and delivering complex software systems
• The ability to lead through influence, mentorship, and technical expertise
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A pragmatic, detail-oriented approach with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
Technical Expertise
• Software architecture design (distributed systems, APIs, integrations, enterprise applications)
• Development standards, patterns, and best practices
• System scalability, performance, and reliability design
• Security principles and secure development practices
• End-to-end software delivery lifecycle (design, development, testing, deployment, support)
Software Proficiency
• Strong experience across modern programming languages, frameworks, and platforms
• Experience with cloud platforms, system integrations, and data architectures
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and modern development toolchains
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience establishing architecture standards within growing or evolving organizations
• Background supporting complex, multi-team software delivery environments
• Experience in engineering, EPCM, or industrial sectors considered an asset
Ready to Apply?If you're passionate about technical leadership, enjoy building high-performing teams, and want to shape how software is designed and delivered within a growing organization, we'd love to hear from you.