What is the job of a Software Architect?

A software architect is responsible within the IT team for developing software programs and ensuring compatibility within and between software systems. They work closely with stakeholders and developers, are responsible for the conceptual development of software applications, and make fundamental decisions about the interaction of their various components.

Conceptional Design

Their responsibilities begin with the conceptual design and extend through the implementation of the systems to the testing phase. In development projects, the software architect maintains a bird's eye view and overview of the various components of the software solution. Moreover, the architect is responsible for adapting the software to the existing infrastructure.

Strategy and Standards

The development of technical standards, including coding standards, tools or platforms, is also one of the tasks of a software architect. There are a number of tools on the market that enable the software architect to manage and develop a program or application smoothly and without interruptions. In addition, tasks include administrative and non-functional aspects, as well as technical considerations such as technology strategy, compatibility, interoperability, support, deployment, upgrade policies, and end-user environments. In programming, architects are typically responsible for the correct implementation of the defined architecture and the appropriate use of program libraries and frameworks. They also define the programming styles to be applied and determine or have a significant voice in the selection of the development tools to be used, such as IDE, build management tool, version control tool.