Job Description

Do you have a passion for children and education? Would you like to positively impact families in need of help? We want to speak with you!

Step Up For Students empowers families to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children.

Step Up For Students empowers families to pursue the most appropriate learning options for their children. We unite communities to provide scholarships that open doors to a stronger future. With this support, students can choose the right learning environment and access resources to reach their full potential.

Our culture is rooted in two core values:
• Everyone is an asset
• Every event is an improvement opportunity

These values guide how we work together and continuously improve. We expect every team member to bring these principles to life in their daily work.

The Solution Architect is a strategic technology leader responsible for designing and delivering scalable integration solutions that connect business processes, applications, platforms, and environments across the enterprise. This role provides deep domain expertise and technical leadership, collaborating with enterprise architects and cross-functional teams to develop conceptual and logical architectures, technical roadmaps, system documentation, and risk assessments.

The Solution Architect drives innovation by championing modern integration patterns, including APIs, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), and microservices, enabling the rapid delivery of business capabilities and digital transformation initiatives. This role partners closely with application development teams to promote integration best practices, optimize system interoperability, and ensure the successful adoption of enterprise integration standards.

Additionally, the Solution Architect serves as a mentor and technical advisor to engineering teams, fostering excellence in software development, architectural design, and emerging technologies while ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, maintainable, and aligned with organizational objectives.

Location: Remote (United States)

Key Responsibilities:
• Provides domain specific technical expertise and leadership to develop integration solutions spanning business processes, platforms and environments.
• Generates conceptual/logical architectures, system documents and risk assessments by collaborating with other Architects in the Enterprise – Cloud, Data, Software.
• Drive innovation through API, SOA and Microservices.
• Helps shape and define the API objectives for a sizeable tech environment, ensuring API best practice, API service governance and delivering integration self-service enablement assets.
• Supports application teams (made up of employee and third-party contractors) in utilizing the integration layer and SOA best practices effectively to facilitate speed to delivery of business capabilities.
• Develops, improves, validates, and uses tools to improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of architectural efforts, within both the area of expertise and scope of influence.
• Understand and apply knowledge of products, technologies, and business to build solutions to solve problems at scale.
• Partner with 3rd party vendors to integrate capabilities as required by the solution under development.
• Perform POC and SWOT analysis of technology and architecture practices.
• Build credibility through relationships with team members and cross functional partners.
• Effectively articulate complex technical issues to the team, stakeholders and business owners.
• Mentor engineering team members in software development and architectural principles, patterns, processes and practices.
• When needed, facilitate Joint Application Design (JAD) sessions with cross functional team of Engineers, Analysts, Product Owner, other business and technical stakeholders.
• Ability to absorb new information very quickly and provide architectural guidance.
• Ability to provide hands-on and active development activities when necessary.

Qualifications:
• Demonstrated success and a proven track record in professional/life experience in specific job functions, projects, or industries. Military service can substitute for professional experience and/or formal education requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or related technical field or 10 years equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in software or infrastructure development domain with emphasis on utilizing design patterns and architectural principles to ensure the timely delivery of quality solutions.
• 2+ years of experience taking a lead role in the successful delivery of complex software and automation systems.
• Any experience integrating open-source technologies in high volume production environments with Azure and/or AWS/GCP.
• Proven knowledge of service-oriented architecture/Cloud.
• Experience developing/designing a scalable microservices architecture and full-stack development.

You’ll Stand Out If You Have:
• TOGAF, ITIL, or equivalent certifications.

Key Competencies:
• Demonstrated capability to build, mentor and maintain an inclusive team-based environment.
• Proven delivery of innovative results in previous roles and strong knowledge of industry trends and industry competition.
• Demonstrated written, oral and presentation/public speaking communication skills; demonstrated interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate/work effectively with diverse groups of people.
• Excellent communication skills in verbal, written, and presentation settings with a range of audiences both business and technical, individual contributor and leadership.
• Consultative mindset to bridge gap between technology feasibility with business needs.

Interview Process:
• Veriff Identity Verification
• Recruiter Video Interview
• Chief of Staff to CIO Video Interview
• Final Video Interview with CIO

Why you’ll love working here:
• Award-Winning Culture:
We’ve been named one of the Best Companies to Work For four years in a row by Florida Trend and Workforce Research Group and honored as one of the Healthiest Companies by Florida’s First Coast Worksite Wellness Council. Fast Company recognized us as one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators—proof that we foster an environment where big ideas and bold thinking are encouraged.
• Comprehensive Benefits:
Enjoy medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus HSA, FSA, and Lifestyle Spending Accounts. We also offer a competitive 401(k) with company match to help you plan for the future.
• Flexibility & Work-Life Harmony:
Remote work options and unique time-off programs—including 14 paid holidays, Care and Parental Leave, and our Flexible Leave policy.
• Growth & Development:
From mentorship programs to management training and professional development opportunities, we invest in your career journey every step of the way.
• Supportive Professional Environment:
Our dedicated coaching team is here to help you succeed, and employee-led committees give you a voice in shaping our workplace. Collaboration isn’t just encouraged, it’s how we work.

Working Conditions and Equipment Use:
• Work is performed indoors in a typical office environment - not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.
• Valid driver’s license and proof of insurance may be required, depending on role responsibilities.
• Must be able to lift up to fifteen (15) pounds.
• Frequent use of office machines to include telephone, computer, and printer.

Step Up For Students is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity & inclusion in the workplace.