How to hire a lead architect

How to hire a lead architect, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead architect hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead architect job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead architect
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a lead architect do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your lead architect job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a lead architect for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a lead architect to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a lead architect that fits the bill.

   This list presents lead architect salaries for various positions.

   Type of Lead Architect	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Architect		$37-66
   Developer	Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible... Show more	$36-62
   Software Engineer Lead	A Software Engineer Lead is focused on developing and testing software programs. They manage a team of software engineers that design enterprise software products and operating systems.	$44-80

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Digital Transformation
   • Architecture
   • Java
   • Cloud
   • Infrastructure
   • Api Testing
   • Emerging Technologies
   • Azure
   • API
   • C++
   • Cloud Security
   • Cloud Computing
   • End Testing
   • JavaScript

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide insight and manage all technology relate aspects with presentations and communications at Sr. management and CxO level.
   • Hook up the JSP plugins with spring bind and JSTL tags in the HTML pages.
   • Work with Jenkins CI server.
   • Develop Linux user space C/C++/Python (Gstreamer, plugins) for multimedia.
   • Initiate requirements gathering, designing, and rolling out the ERP solution.
   • Lead other developers to start using it and changing their framework to MVC.

   More lead architect duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead architect job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A lead architect salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a lead architect in Kansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level lead architect usually earns less than a senior-level lead architect. Additionally, a lead architect with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average lead architect salary

   $104,687yearly

   $50.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead architect salary

   $78,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average lead architect salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$128,190	$62
   2	District of Columbia	$116,312	$56
   3	New Jersey	$106,873	$51
   4	Washington	$106,181	$51
   5	Maryland	$103,108	$50
   6	Connecticut	$102,666	$49
   7	Massachusetts	$99,849	$48
   8	New York	$98,752	$47
   9	Pennsylvania	$98,591	$47
   10	Texas	$97,741	$47
   11	Virginia	$97,710	$47
   12	Georgia	$97,037	$47
   13	Indiana	$96,509	$46
   14	North Carolina	$96,335	$46
   15	Illinois	$95,976	$46
   16	Colorado	$93,920	$45
   17	Arizona	$93,780	$45
   18	Ohio	$93,141	$45
   19	Iowa	$91,827	$44
   20	Michigan	$91,783	$44

   Average lead architect salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$167,595	$80.57	475
   2	Apple	$166,117	$79.86	383
   3	Boston Consulting Group	$160,040	$76.94	34
   4	StumbleUpon	$157,096	$75.53
   5	Microsoft	$156,325	$75.16	941
   6	NVIDIA	$153,777	$73.93	316
   7	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$152,313	$73.23	6
   8	Dropbox	$151,389	$72.78	11
   9	Rivian	$150,592	$72.40
   10	LinkedIn	$149,949	$72.09	18
   11	First Republic Bank	$149,120	$71.69
   12	Ernst & Young	$147,718	$71.02	1,499
   13	Amazon	$147,084	$70.71	584
   14	Starbucks	$144,168	$69.31	8
   15	Nike	$141,840	$68.19	24
   16	Citi	$140,884	$67.73	20
   17	Kaiser Permanente	$139,999	$67.31	6
   18	J.P. Morgan	$139,945	$67.28
   19	Walgreens	$139,396	$67.02	7
   20	Citrix	$136,765	$65.75

4. Writing a lead architect job description

   A job description for a lead architect role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lead architect job description:

   Lead architect job description example

   Black Knight is the premier provider of integrated technology, services, data and analytics that lenders and servicers look to first to help successfully manage the entire loan life cycle. Our deep understanding of regulatory and compliance issues complements the knowledge, technology and solutions we offer to help our clients achieve their business goals. Black Knight offers leading software systems; data and analytics offerings; and information solutions that facilitate and automate many of the business processes across the mortgage life cycle.
   JOB FAMILY DESCRIPTION
   Responsible for designing and developing .NET applications for the enterprise with focus on the middle-tier and front end. Responsible for troubleshooting, maintenance for live or existing applications. Will lead and mentor team.
   
   LOCATION: This job is fully remote eligible within the United States. If located in Jacksonville, FL some onsite may be required.
   
   GENERAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
   Provides .NET design recommendations based on long-term IT organization strategy.Develops front end of applications using Angular and Javascript.Leads team in development and assists in managing workload for prioritization.Mentors developers in proper development and SDLC techniques.Develops application and custom integration solutions; solutions include enhancements and interfaces, functions and features.Uses a variety of platforms to provide automated systems applications to customers.Provides solid knowledge and skill regarding the integration of applications across the business segment.Determines specifications, then plans, designs and develops moderately complex software solutions, utilizing appropriate software engineering processes - either individually or in concert with project team.Will assist in resolving support problems.Recommends C# programming, development standards, procedures, and programming architectures for code reuse.Has solid knowledge of state-of-the art programming languages (C#) and object-oriented approaches in designing, coding, testing and debugging .NET programs.Understands and consistently applies the attributes and processes of current application development methodologies.Assists in SharePoint development as needed.Researches and maintains knowledge in emerging technologies and possible application to the business.Performs other related duties as assigned.
   
   EDUCATIONAL GUIDELINES
   Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or the equivalent combination of education, training, or work experience.
   
   GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
   Experience working with development technologies such as .NET, MVC, Azure DevOps, JavaScript/HTML/CSS, Git, Visual Studio CodeExperience with modern front end frameworks such as Angular highly desired Experience leading teams or assisting management a plus Skilled in SharePoint development a plus ) Knowledge of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies, such as Agile a plus Willingly and successfully fulfills the role of teacher, mentor and coach Proficiency in solutions design and requirements definition disciplines leveraging model driven design based tools and techniques including conceptual solution component models, business process models, use cases, etc.Understanding of SQL databases and proficient in writing stored procedures desired Outstanding verbal and written communication skills to technical and non-technical audiences of various levels in the organization (e.g., executive, management, individual contributors) Excellent analytical, decision-making, problem-solving, team, and time management skills Ability to persuade and influence others on the best approach to take Ability to estimate work effort for project sub-plans or small projects and ensure the project is successfully completed Positive outlook, strong work ethic, and responsive to internal and external customers and contacts May require a thorough understanding of design patterns and their application
   
   Applications Architect IV
   Expert professional role. Works independently on many information technology projects frequently as a project leader and subject matter expert. Works on large, complex architecture issues or projects that require increased skill in multiple IT functional areas. Requires extensive knowledge of architecture issues, techniques and implications across all existing computer platforms. May manage or serve as a project leader for information technology projects or the applications architecture components of projects. Must have extensive knowledge of applications architecture. May coach more junior staff. Typically requires twelve (12) or more years of experience in information technology with at least eight (8) years of experience working in applications architecture.
   
   Black Knight is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, and protected veteran or military family status. Our employees' diversity is our strength, and when we embrace our differences, it makes us better and brighter. Black Knight's commitment to inclusion is at the core of who we are, and motivates us in how we do business each and every day.
   
   Location:
   Jacksonville, FL
   
   Time Type:
   Full time

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lead architect for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead architect job on Zippia to find and recruit lead architect candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting lead architects requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   If your interviews with lead architect applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead architect

   Once you have selected a candidate for the lead architect position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lead architect. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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