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Application Architect / Tech Lead (m/w/d)

DACHS IT

WorldwideremotePosted 1 month ago
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Skill Required

Application-ArchitectureTechnical-LeadCloud-Infrastructure-EngineeringManaged-ServicesSaaS-EngineeringSenior-Application-ArchitectSenior-Application-Development-LeadApplications-ArchitectIT-Applications-ArchitectApplication-ArchitectSenior-Enterprise-Application-ArchitectEngineeringPostgreSQLKubernetesPrometheusGitHub ActionsObservabilitysecurityMySQLdesignDevOpsArgoCDGitCI/CDCloudHelmITILIAMDNSCICDFulltime

Key highlights

  • Role: Application Architect / Tech Lead
  • Experience: Senior Individual Contributor / Multi-year Kubernetes SaaS experience
  • Compensation: Fair fixed salary plus annual profit sharing
  • Key Benefit: Remote-First model
  • Notable Requirement: Business level German and English (C1/C2)
  • Notable Requirement: Technical leadership without disciplinary responsibility

Role overview

DACHS IT is seeking an Application Architect / Tech Lead to take responsibility for the technical direction of their Managed Service. The role focuses on designing a multi-tenant SaaS operation for products like openDesk, ensuring the architecture remains sustainable across multiple products, and setting engineering standards for the team. As a Senior Individual Contributor with technical leadership responsibility, you will lead through architecture, reviews, ADRs, and mentoring rather than disciplinary management. You will oversee the application layer on top of the platform provided by the Platform Team, including operators, databases, and ISO-27001 compliance.

Responsibilities

  • Responsibility for the technical direction of the Managed Service
  • Design the target and deployment architecture for the multi-tenant openDesk SaaS operation across multiple clusters
  • Set engineering standards and document decisions as ADRs
  • Conduct design and code reviews
  • Shape the Helmfile-based openDesk deployment (35+ Helm charts, Helm-Diff, Environments/Values) and its delivery via GitLab CI
  • Deploy supporting services via GitOps wherever possible
  • Responsibility for the database concept based on operated operators (CNPG for PostgreSQL, MariaDB-Operator) including backup/restore and PITR
  • Responsibility for application secret management via ExternalSecrets against OpenBao
  • Define the application-side monitoring and alerting concept (openDesk-specific metrics, SLI/SLO for the service) based on the platform team's kube-prometheus-stack, Thanos, and Loki
  • Own the technical side of ISO-27001 conformity based on BSI IT-Grundschutz, including security context of openDesk, technical controls, and evidence
  • Shape IT service management processes according to ITIL (Incident, Problem, Change, Release), anchoring them technically and integrating CI/CD into change management
  • Define clear interfaces to the Platform Team and make build-vs-buy decisions for the service
  • Mentor DevOps, rollout, and support engineers
  • Participate in the on-call rotation
  • Model an open feedback culture within a 360-degree feedback organization

Requirements

  • Several years of experience in the architecture and operation of complex, Kubernetes-based application landscapes as SaaS/Managed Service
  • Deep knowledge of the openDesk stack or comparable collaboration components (IAM/Keycloak/Nubus, Groupware, Nextcloud, Videoconferencing, Wiki/PM tools)
  • Confident use of Helm and Helmfile (Multi-Chart-Deployments, Helm-Diff, Values/Environments) as well as CI-driven rollout (e.g., GitLab CI) and GitOps (Flux)
  • Experience with database operation in Kubernetes via operators, ideally CNPG/CloudNativePG (PostgreSQL) and/or MariaDB-Operator, including backup/restore and PITR
  • Experience with secret management (ExternalSecrets, Vault/OpenBao) and application-side monitoring/alerting (Prometheus ecosystem, Thanos, Loki)
  • Experience in IT service management according to ITIL: process design (Incident, Problem, Change, Release) and integration of CI/CD into ITSM processes
  • Technical responsibility for information security according to ISO 27001 based on BSI IT-Grundschutz
  • Sound Linux knowledge
  • Willingness to participate in on-call duties
  • German and English at business level (C1/C2) in speaking and writing
  • Technical leadership strength without disciplinary responsibility: providing orientation, convincing, and mentoring
  • Very good analytical and conceptual skills with the ability to justify trade-offs plausibly
  • Strong communication skills with engineers, service owners, and the platform team
  • Hands-on mentality: ability to conceive and intervene personally in case of emergency
  • Willingness to model and seek 360-degree feedback

Nice to have

  • Concrete production experience with openDesk and its deployment repository (Helmfile structure, release/patch process)
  • Experience with multi-tenant SaaS operation (tenant isolation via namespaces, scaling, multi-customer migrations)
  • Knowledge of openDesk supporting services (Redis/Memcached, Object Storage, Mail/Postfix infrastructure, ClamAV/ICAP, Coturn)
  • Experience with multi-cluster operation and tenant separation
  • Certifications (e.g., CKA/CKS, ITIL, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer/Auditor, BSI IT-Grundschutz practitioner)
  • Experience in moderation, conflict resolution, and de-escalation
  • Experience in training and knowledge transfer (trainings, workshops)

Benefits

  • Remote-First model: choose where you are most productive (home office, shared office, or a mix)
  • Flexible working hours with personal responsibility
  • Projects tailored to profile and development (e.g., platform construction, cloud migration, automation, operations, or technical training)
  • Planned regular training and certifications with cost coverage and time off
  • Internal knowledge exchange and professional/methodical development opportunities
  • Modern hardware, appropriate software, and necessary equipment
  • Fair fixed salary
  • Annual share in company profits
  • Option for a company car depending on the role
  • Transparent feedback culture based on regular, honest conversations
  • 30 days of vacation per year (do not expire)
  • Additional security, such as group accident insurance
  • Regular team activities, get-togethers, workshops, and excursions

Additional details

  • The Application unit operates Managed Service products on a company-operated platform
  • openDesk is the first product, with more to follow
  • Platform Team provides: Cluster, network, and shared components (cert-manager, external-dns, external-secrets, Flux, kube-prometheus-stack, Thanos, Loki, and OpenBao)
  • Application process: Screening -> Getting-to-know interview (30-45 min video call) -> Technical interview (60 min task solving) -> Personal interview with CEO Alexander -> Offer
  • Originally posted on Himalayas
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