Hiring .NET Lead Architect in Louisville

Photon is a global technology services firm that specializes in building custom cloud-native and enterprise software solutions for clients in regulated industries, including healthcare, financial services, and supply chain logistics, with 12 offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. We are expanding our Louisville, KY delivery team to support a long-term cloud modernization project for a major regional healthcare network, and are seeking an experienced .NET Lead Architect to own end-to-end technical design, development, and delivery of scalable, secure Azure-native API solutions for this client engagement. This is an on-site role in Louisville, with no remote option, requiring regular collaboration with client stakeholders, cross-functional development teams, and our internal cloud engineering practice leads. Unlike generic lead roles, you will have full ownership of architectural decision-making, from initial proof-of-concept to post-launch optimization, with direct input on project roadmaps and client technical strategy.

Key responsibilities for this role include:
1. Lead the design, development, and deployment of Azure-native RESTful APIs using .NET Core 3.1 and .NET 5+ frameworks, ensuring all solutions meet 99.95% uptime SLA requirements and can scale to support 10,000+ concurrent users during peak healthcare operational hours.
2. Own the configuration and optimization of Azure API Management (APIM) gateways, including throttling policies, rate limiting, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and developer portal customization, reducing API security vulnerabilities by 30% within the first 6 months of deployment.
3. Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps, automating build, test, and deployment workflows to cut release cycle times from 2 weeks to 3 days, while enforcing mandatory unit test coverage of 85%+ using xUnit for all new feature development.
4. Design and manage Azure SQL database architectures, including indexing strategies, query optimization, and automated backup/recovery processes, ensuring zero data loss and less than 100ms query response times for critical patient data access workflows.
5. Implement event-driven architecture components using Azure Event Hub and Azure Service Bus Topics to enable real-time data synchronization between the client's legacy on-prem systems and new cloud-native applications, eliminating 15+ hours of weekly manual data reconciliation work for client operations teams.
6. Lead a team of 4-6 mid-level .NET developers, conducting daily standups, code reviews, and technical mentorship sessions to upskill junior team members, with a target of 2 internal promotions within the first year of the project.
7. Collaborate with client cybersecurity teams to conduct regular penetration testing and compliance audits for all API endpoints, ensuring full alignment with HIPAA and HITRUST regulatory requirements for healthcare data handling.
8. Troubleshoot and resolve critical production incidents within 1 hour of detection, working alongside Azure support engineers to implement root cause fixes and prevent recurrence, reducing mean time to resolution (MTTR) for production issues by 40% within the first 6 months.
9. Document all architectural decisions, API specifications, and deployment runbooks in Confluence, creating a reusable knowledge base that reduces onboarding time for new team members by 25%.
10. Evaluate and integrate new Azure services and .NET ecosystem tools to improve solution performance and reduce operational costs, with a target of 10% annual reduction in cloud infrastructure spend for the client engagement.

Our work environment prioritizes technical autonomy and collaboration: you will be based full-time in our Louisville office located in the downtown tech corridor, with access to a collaborative open workspace, dedicated quiet rooms for focused coding, and regular team lunches and professional development events. We have a flat hierarchy with no micromanagement, giving you full ownership of your work plans and the ability to propose innovative solutions directly to client stakeholders. Flexible core hours (9am-3pm ET required) accommodate personal commitments, and we host quarterly team offsites and an annual company retreat for all delivery team members.

Required candidate qualifications:
- Minimum 7 years of professional experience in .NET development, with at least 3 years focused on Azure cloud solution architecture and 2+ years leading technical teams of 4 or more members.
- Proven experience designing and deploying production-grade Azure API Management (APIM) solutions, with deep knowledge of APIM policies, security protocols, and developer portal customization.
- Expert-level proficiency in .NET Core 3.1, .NET 5+, and RESTful Web API design patterns, with a strong understanding of asynchronous programming, dependency injection, and clean architecture principles.
- Hands-on experience building and maintaining Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines, including YAML pipeline configuration, artifact management, and environment-specific deployment strategies.
- Proficiency in writing unit tests using xUnit, with a track record of enforcing high test coverage standards for development teams.
- Experience working with Azure SQL, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Event Hub, and Azure Service Bus in production enterprise environments.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical client stakeholders and translate business requirements into actionable technical specifications.
- Experience working in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government) is highly preferred, as is holding an Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.

This role offers a highly competitive total rewards package: the base salary ranges from $145,000 to $175,000 per year, adjusted based on your years of relevant experience and architectural expertise, plus an annual performance bonus of up to 15% of base pay tied to project delivery milestones and client satisfaction scores. We cover 100% of medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums for you and your dependents, with no monthly out-of-pocket costs for coverage. Additional benefits include a 401(k) plan with 6% employer match, 20 days of paid time off per year plus 10 paid company holidays and 5 paid sick days, a $3,000 annual professional development stipend for certifications and conference attendance, and full reimbursement for relevant Azure and .NET certification exam fees.

Career growth opportunities with Photon are clearly defined: top performers are eligible for promotion to Senior Lead Architect, Principal Architect, or Cloud Practice Lead roles within 18-24 months, with corresponding salary increases of 15-25% per promotion. You will also have the opportunity to work on cross-industry projects for clients in finance, logistics, and manufacturing, expanding your skill set across different cloud and .NET use cases. Our internal mobility program also allows you to transition to client-facing solution consulting roles or internal product development teams after 2 years with the company, if you wish to pivot your career trajectory.

The hiring process for this role consists of 3 steps: first, a 30-minute initial screening call with our talent acquisition team to discuss your background and role expectations. Second, a 90-minute technical interview with our lead cloud architect and the client's technical lead, including a live coding exercise focused on Azure API design and .NET 5+ Web API development. Third, a 30-minute final interview with the client's delivery director to discuss team culture fit and project goals. We aim to complete all interview steps within 10 business days of receiving your application, with a target start date of 4 weeks from offer acceptance. To apply, please submit your resume and a 1-paragraph summary of your most relevant .NET and Azure project experience to [email protected] with the subject line ".NET Lead Architect - Louisville Application - [Your Full Name]". We will review all applications on a rolling basis and will contact qualified candidates within 3 business days of submission.