About the position
ENVIRONMENT:
Our client is migrating from Azure DevOps to GitHub Enterprise as part of a larger platform modernisation. They are not looking for someone to maintain the status quo. They are looking for a Platform Architect who can look at a VB.NET monolith that's been running for years and see the modern, event-driven, cloud-native platform it needs to become. If you've done this before and you're ready to do it again with full backing from leadership, they want to hear from you.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Define and own the target architecture for their entire platform, from database to UI
- Lead their strangler fig migration strategy, identifying which parts of the monolith to tackle first and how to do it safely
- Establish clean architecture patterns, domain boundaries, and coding standards that the team will follow for years
- Make the hard calls on build vs buy, which frameworks to adopt, and when to take on technical debt (and when to pay it down)
- Create Architecture Decision Records so future engineers understand why they made the choices they made
- Design event-driven patterns that decouple their systems and enable real-time data flows
- Work hands-on when needed. This isn't a PowerPoint role. You'll be in the code, reviewing PRs, and unblocking the team
- Present technical roadmaps to senior leadership and translate complex decisions into business terms
- Mentor a team of engineers who are hungry to learn modern practices
REQUIREMENTS:
What You Bring
- You've migrated at least one legacy monolith to a modern architecture. Not in theory. In production. You have the scars and the stories
- 10+ years of software development, with at least 5 years making architectural decisions
- Deep .NET expertise (C#, ASP.NET Core). Their legacy is VB.NET/WebForms, their future is C#/Blazor
- You understand clean architecture, DDD, CQRS, and event sourcing, and you know when each pattern actually makes sense
- Strong Azure experience (App Services, Functions, Service Bus, SQL, Event Hubs)
- You can explain complex technical concepts to non-technical executives without dumbing it down or losing them
- You're opinionated but not dogmatic. You'll fight for the right approach, but you'll also listen
Education
- Degree or Diploma in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Postgraduate qualifications in architecture, cloud computing, or business (advantageous)
- Relevant certifications in cloud architecture and enterprise architecture (Azure preferred) are strongly advantageous.
- Equivalent practical experience designing and delivering large-scale, modern platform architectures will also be considered.
Nice to Have
- Insurance or financial services experience
- Experience with Blazor
- TOGAF or similar enterprise architecture background
- You've built platform engineering teams from scratch before
Desired Skills:
About The Employer:
A leading digital-first insurance provider revolutionizing the South African insurance landscape through innovation, transparency, and customer-centric technology. The company offers a comprehensive range of personal and pet insurance products, all managed through seamless online platforms designed to give customers control, flexibility, and instant access to their policies. With a strong focus on innovation, service excellence, and community impact, they continue to redefine how people experience insurance — making it simpler, faster, and more human.
