Principal Software Architect

About D-Fend Solutions:
D-Fend Solutions is the leader in
RF cyber-based counter-drone takeover technology
. We enable full control, safety, and continuity during rogue drone incidents across complex and sensitive environments. Our mission is to overcome current and emerging drone threats, safeguarding critical infrastructure, public safety, military operations, and major events worldwide. With our innovative non-kinetic, non-jamming solutions like EnforceAir, we empower security professionals with unparalleled control and situational awareness.

We're proud to have been honored with the
Israel Presidential Award for Excellence in Export in the $50 Million Category
, a testament to our global impact and market leadership. Our diverse customer base includes
Western forces, major international airports, critical infrastructure providers, and numerous other high-profile organizations
that rely on our technology for superior protection. Joining D-Fend Solutions means becoming a part of a fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative culture, contributing to a vital mission that impacts global security.

The Opportunity
We're on the hunt for a highly experienced and visionary
Staff/Principal Software Architect
to spearhead the strategic transformation of our core on-premise applications into a robust, scalable, and secure SaaS platform. This is a pivotal role that will directly shape the future of our product offerings and significantly impact our growth within the critical counter-UAS domain. Reporting directly to the
VP of R&D
, you'll lead the architectural vision, leveraging your deep expertise in
software and system design, chiefly SaaS
, to drive this critical migration.

Key Responsibilities:
SaaS Migration Strategy & Leadership:

• Define, champion, and execute the architectural roadmap for migrating existing on-premise applications to a modern SaaS architecture
• Lead the architectural design and implementation of multi-tenant, highly available, scalable, and secure SaaS solutions
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of existing on-premise applications to identify architectural dependencies, data models, integration points, and areas for refactoring or re-platforming
• Develop detailed migration strategies, including phased approaches, data migration plans, and cutover strategies, minimizing downtime and business disruption

Architectural Design & Governance:

• Design and evolve the target SaaS architecture, leveraging cloud-native services (e.g., microservices, serverless, containers, managed databases, message queues) and best practices
• Establish architectural patterns, standards, and guidelines for SaaS development, ensuring consistency, scalability, and maintainability across all product lines
• Drive the adoption of CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and automated testing strategies essential for a successful SaaS model
• Ensure architectural designs align with security best practices, compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA as applicable), and data privacy regulations specific to defense and critical infrastructure

Technical Leadership & Mentorship:

• Provide expert technical guidance and mentorship to engineering teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Collaborate closely with product management, engineering leads, and other stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical architectures and solutions
• Act as a technical evangelist, staying abreast of emerging technologies, industry trends, and architectural patterns relevant to SaaS and cloud computing
• Lead technical discussions, architectural reviews, and decision-making processes, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives

Performance, Scalability & Reliability:

• Architect solutions optimized for performance, scalability, and reliability in a multi-tenant cloud environment
• Define and implement monitoring, logging, and alerting strategies to ensure the health and performance of the SaaS platform
• Address complex performance bottlenecks and system limitations, providing strategic architectural recommendations for resolution

Vendor & Technology Evaluation:

• Evaluate and recommend new technologies, tools, and third-party services that enhance the SaaS platform's capabilities, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness
• Work with cloud providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) to leverage their services effectively and optimize cloud resource utilization

Qualifications:
Education & Experience:

• Option 1: Master's degree (M.Sc.) or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related technical field
• Option 2: First degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related technical field, combined with more than 5 years of proven experience in development and architectural positions within Israeli intelligence forces. This experience must demonstrate a strong background in complex software and system design

General Experience (for both options):

• 10+ years of progressive experience in software development and architecture, with at least 5 years in a lead architectural role for complex enterprise-level applications
• Proven, hands-on experience successfully leading and executing at least two full lifecycle migrations of significant on-premise applications to a multi-tenant SaaS model. This is a non-negotiable requirement
• Demonstrable expertise in software and system design, with a particular focus on SaaS architectures
• Deep expertise in designing and implementing microservices architectures, RESTful APIs, and event-driven systems
• Extensive experience with one or more major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), including a strong understanding of their compute, storage, networking, database, and serverless offerings
• Strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Java, Python, C#, Go, ) and familiarity with others
• Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) and orchestration
• Solid understanding of various database technologies, including relational (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB)
• Experience with message queuing systems (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ, SQS, Azure Service Bus)
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, AWS CodePipeline), and infrastructure as code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation, ARM templates)
• Strong understanding of security principles and best practices in cloud and SaaS environments, particularly concerning robust and secure systems for critical applications
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum development methodologies

Desired Attributes:

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a strong ability to break down complex problems into manageable solutions
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong leadership qualities, including the ability to influence, inspire, and drive consensus among diverse teams
• Proactive, self-motivated, and able to work independently as well as collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• A passion for technology and a commitment to continuous learning and professional development
• Familiarity with the defense, security, or counter-UAS domain is a plus