Software Architect

Kitestring is a 20+-million-dollar company with 100+ associates and growing. We are a 25 year old start up in Northwest Arkansas. We provide technical expertise to various clients delivering innovations that improve how customers shop and the enterprise operates. At Kitestring Technical Services, our mission is to share our collective knowledge to positively impact our employees, clients, and communities. Our vision is to be the most trusted partner in technology consulting. We believe people enable technology and vice-versa which is why we are in the business of both. We persistently challenge the barriers to diversity, inclusion, and empathetic cooperation. 

Our Core Values are Transparency, People Driven, Empowered, Quality focused and socially responsible. Our values direct our company in how we do business and enhance the lives of our employees. Do our values speak to you? 

Benefits 

• Kitestring offers excellent benefits to its employees including: 

• Flexible PTO 

• Maternal/Paternal Leave Policy  

• Healthcare Benefits for Spouse, Domestic Partner, and Dependents 

• Matching 401k 2-1 up to 4% 

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Software Architect to join our consulting team, with a primary focus on designing and leading enterprise-scale Point of Sale (POS) solutions for our retail clients. This role will play a critical part in shaping the technical direction of POS platforms, ensuring scalable and maintainable architectures, and guiding cross-functional teams in implementation.

You will act as a key client-facing advisor, providing architectural guidance, mentoring developers, and ensuring alignment with business objectives across omni-channel retail environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design and development of POS systems, including integration with mPOS, eCommerce, payment gateways, loyalty, and inventory systems.
• Engage directly with clients to gather technical requirements, understand business goals, and provide architecture recommendations.
• Design scalable, secure, and resilient solutions using modern architectural principles (e.g., microservices, domain-driven design, event-driven architectures).
• Create architectural artifacts: diagrams, design documents, interface specifications, and technology roadmaps.
• Evaluate new technologies and frameworks and advise on build vs. buy decisions.
• Collaborate closely with software engineers, QA, DevOps, product owners, and client stakeholders throughout the SDLC.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to delivery teams during implementation and ensure architectural governance and code quality.
• Lead performance tuning, security reviews, and technical debt management for POS platforms.
• Contribute to internal best practices, reusable patterns, and architectural standards.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of software development experience with at least 3 years in an architectural role.
• Proven experience designing and deploying POS systems in enterprise retail environments.
• Strong understanding of retail business processes including checkout, returns, pricing, promotions, and customer engagement.
• Hands-on expertise with modern POS platforms (e.g., Oracle MICROS, NCR, Toshiba, GK Software, or custom-built solutions).
• Proficient in architectural design patterns and modern tech stacks including:
  • Backend: Java, .NET, Node.js
  • Frontend: React, TypeScript, Angular
  • Integration: REST, GraphQL, SOAP, Kafka, MQ
  • Cloud: AWS, Azure, or GCP
  • Containers: Docker, Kubernetes
• Strong documentation and communication skills with ability to clearly present architecture to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Comfortable working in Agile/Scrum environments and partnering with cross-functional, distributed teams.
• Experience with mobile POS (mPOS), self-checkout (SCO), and omnichannel integrations.
• Knowledge of PCI DSS, GDPR, and other compliance standards relevant to POS systems.
• Familiarity with DevOps tooling, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code.
• Retail technology consulting experience is a strong plus.