Lead Architect

LEAD ARCHITECT (HYBRID LISBON)Location: Lisbon, Portugal (Campo Grande)
Only candidates already based in Portugal will be considered.
Work Model: Hybrid – 2 days per week on site
Language Requirements: English – B2 or higher (Mandatory)
Seniority: Senior (10+ years)
Sector: Healthcare
Rate: €*** RV
About The OpportunityWe are looking for an experienced Lead Architect to shape the technical vision and architecture strategy of complex enterprise systems undergoing digital transformation.
This role combines hands‐on architecture with strategic leadership, focusing on modernizing legacy applications, defining scalable architectures, mentoring senior engineers, and driving engineering excellence across multiple teams.
You will work closely with engineering leaders, product teams, and business stakeholders to design resilient, secure, and future‐ready solutions while fostering a collaborative engineering culture.
If you enjoy influencing technology strategy, leading large modernization programs and coaching high‐performing engineering teams, this opportunity is for you.
Key Responsibilities
Define and drive the long‐term architecture strategy across enterprise platforms.
Lead modernization initiatives, transforming legacy monolithic systems into scalable microservices.
Design domain‐driven architectures aligned with business capabilities and value streams.
Define API‐first and event‐driven architecture standards.
Lead architecture governance while promoting engineering autonomy and collaboration.
Produce and maintain architecture documentation, including C4 Models, ADRs, Reference Architectures, and current‐state assessments.
Design secure, scalable, and maintainable cloud‐native solutions.
Promote Security and Compliance as Code practices.
Mentor senior engineers and architecture teams, fostering technical growth and self‐sufficiency.
Drive organizational transformation using Team Topologies principles.
Collaborate with cross‐functional teams to improve software delivery and engineering practices.
Required Technical SkillsSoftware Architecture
Principal or Lead‐level Software Architecture experience
Enterprise Architecture
Domain‐Driven Design (DDD)
API‐First Architecture
Event‐Driven Architecture
Microservices Architecture
Monolithic Architecture
Legacy Modernization
Strangler Fig Pattern
Integration Architecture
Development Technologies
Java
Spring Boot
Quarkus
PHP
Angular
TypeScript
Data Technologies
Relational Databases
NoSQL Databases
Architecture Documentation
C4 Model
Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
Reference Architectures
Current‐State Architecture Mapping
Engineering Practices
Security as Code
Compliance as Code
Team Topologies
Enabling Teams
Facilitating Mode
Cognitive Load Management
Technical Governance
Architecture Transformation
Leadership
Technical Leadership
Change Leadership
Coaching Senior Engineers
Cross‐Team Collaboration
Stakeholder Management
Nice to Have
Experience in Healthcare, Health Insurance, or regulated SaaS environments.
Knowledge of FHIR and HL7 interoperability standards.
Experience with multi‐market cloud standardization initiatives.
Internal Developer Platforms (IDP).
Backstage and Service Catalog implementations.
Experience using DORA Metrics and Flow Metrics to measure architecture and engineering outcomes.
What We're Looking For
Visionary architecture mindset with strong business awareness.
Proven ability to modernize complex enterprise ecosystems.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Strong mentoring and coaching capabilities.
Experience leading technical transformation without direct authority.
Strategic thinker capable of balancing business goals with technical excellence.
Passion for engineering culture, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Ideal Candidate ProfileThe ideal candidate is a seasoned Lead Architect with extensive experience designing enterprise‐scale software architectures and leading modernization programs.
They combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership skills, help organizations transition from legacy systems to modern cloud‐native architectures, and are comfortable across multiple technologies, defining architecture standards, mentoring engineering teams, and influencing strategic technical decisions.
Experience in regulated environments such as healthcare or health insurance is highly valued.
Before Applying, Ask Yourself
Do you have proven experience as a Lead or Principal Software Architect?
Have you designed and implemented architectures based on DDD, API‐First, and Event‐Driven principles?
Have you led migrations from monolithic applications to microservices?