Job Description
Job Description
Job Title: Software Architect / Manager
Location: North Sutton, NH, (Onsite, with flexibility for some remote work)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary: $120,000 - $165,000 Salary
Company Introduction
This role is with a manufacturer headquartered in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. The company designs and manufactures light measurement systems, integrating spheres, reflectance materials, optical calibration solutions, and specialty light sources used across aerospace and defense, automotive, LED and lighting, medical device, image sensors, telecom, and industrial photonic markets worldwide.
The company is in an active growth and transformation phase. The Vice President of Operations will be central to building that operational rigor, leading change without disruption, and blending the global footprint into a single coordinated manufacturing operation.
Role Overview
The Software Architect / Manager is a hands-on full stack technical leader reporting to the VP Engineering, with management responsibility for a four-person software team in the US and software contractors globally. This role plays a central part in the modernization of the company's core software platforms. You will reimagine and rebuild key applications with a focus on modern user experience, improved system performance, maintainability, and long-term lifecycle sustainability, including evaluating legacy systems, defining updated architecture approaches, and delivering next-generation solutions that serve as the foundation for future product development.
The work is practical and close to the hardware. Daily tasks include developing and maintaining applications that control and interact with advanced photonics, industrial, and measurement systems, understanding user and system requirements, and delivering intuitive, reliable software using JavaScript, TypeScript, and modern frameworks, mostly targeting desktop deployment. A key component is building on the company's native hardware abstraction library as the foundation for integrating and controlling instrumentation, then designing user-facing applications that manage measurement, calibration, and data acquisition, with advanced business logic and project-specific data and file management.
The ideal candidate is forward-thinking in adopting modern development tools and architectures, including AI co-development where appropriate, while remaining open to collaboration and constructive discussion on usability, performance, and system design with project and organizational stakeholders. The role carries significant visibility with internal and external stakeholders, and requires managing multiple projects and tasks while acting as a technical contributor, balancing engineering best practices with business objectives and timelines. Because the software integrates directly with company hardware, the role is on-site with flexibility for some remote work.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead and supervise the US software team and global software contractors, including planning, prioritization, and delivery
- Define the architecture approach for modernizing the company's core software platforms, including evaluation of legacy systems
- Reimagine and rebuild key applications with a focus on modern user experience, performance, maintainability, and long-term lifecycle sustainability
- Develop and maintain applications that control and interact with the company's photonics, industrial, and measurement hardware
- Build on the native hardware abstraction library to integrate and control instrumentation
- Design and implement user-facing applications for measurement, calibration, and data acquisition, including advanced business logic and data and file management
- Deliver intuitive, reliable software using JavaScript, TypeScript, and modern frameworks, primarily for desktop deployment
- Gather and translate user and system requirements into practical, high-performance software solutions
- Adopt modern development tools and architectures, including AI co-development where appropriate
- Collaborate with project and organizational stakeholders on usability, performance, and system design
- Manage multiple projects and tasks concurrently while remaining a hands-on technical contributor
- Balance engineering best practices with business objectives and timelines
Required Background
- B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
- Full stack development experience using JavaScript and TypeScript, with a focus on desktop application development using Electron or similar frameworks
- Experience designing and building user applications that interface with hardware systems
- Familiarity with integrating and working against native libraries or APIs, such as DLLs
- Development of intuitive user interfaces for controlling instrumentation, monitoring system state, and visualizing data
- Experience with asynchronous data handling, device communication, and real-time data processing
- Strong understanding of software architecture, system integration, and performance optimization
- Demonstrated ability to proactively propose and implement practical solutions to technical challenges
- Proven ability to collaborate across engineering, product, and hardware teams
- Ability to make informed technical decisions and assess risk based on available information
- Excellent communication skills, including presenting technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
- Lives within commuting distance of central New Hampshire or has documented willingness to relocate; the role is on-site with flexibility for some remote work
- Experience with Electron, Node.js, or similar desktop application frameworks (Preferred)
- Familiarity with hardware communication protocols such as USB, RS-232, and TCP/IP (Preferred)
- Knowledge of data visualization techniques and tools for scientific or engineering applications (Preferred)
- Experience with C/C++ or .NET interop for working with native libraries (Preferred)
- Understanding of instrument control systems, calibration workflows, or scientific software environments (Preferred)
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and software lifecycle management (Preferred)
- Prior experience managing software engineers or contractors (Preferred)
Compensation & Perks
- Base Salary: $120,000 - $165,000 based on experience
- Full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life and disability, and retirement plan
- High-visibility role with real impact on company's core product platforms
- Career development, networking, and advancement opportunities across the parent group of companies worldwide