Enterprise Architect (.NET / Microsoft Stack / AWS)

Contract – 3 months (with possibility of extension)
Location: Remote, US or Canada (occasional travel to Texas, USA)

About Sphere

Sphere is a global consultancy that connects strategy, modern engineering, data and artificial intelligence to help companies accelerate growth and innovation. We co-innovate with the most respected companies in the world to solve complex problems, optimize business operations and create a competitive advantage. We’re rapidly expanding our consulting services, geographic footprint and industry expertise.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Enterprise Architect to lead a strategic migration initiative for a Texas-based client. This is a client-facing consulting role working directly with business and technology stakeholders. The current platform is a legacy .NET monolith built on the Microsoft technology stack and running on AWS. The goal is to design and guide the transition to a modern, scalable microservices architecture.

This is a hands-on architecture role with strong stakeholder interaction: you will work closely with engineering, product and business teams on the client side, define the target architecture, shape the migration roadmap and support implementation.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Assess the current .NET monolithic application and surrounding ecosystem (Microsoft stack, AWS infrastructure, integrations, data stores).

• Define the target microservices-based architecture, including service boundaries, integration patterns, data strategy and non-functional requirements (scalability, availability, resiliency, security, observability).

• Develop a pragmatic migration strategy and roadmap (phasing, risk mitigation, dependencies, cut-over approaches).

• Produce high-quality architectural artifacts: diagrams, standards, guidelines, design documents and reference implementations.

• Collaborate closely with client engineering teams to guide the implementation of microservices and supporting platform components.

• Provide architectural governance and review for key technical decisions (APIs, messaging, data migration, infrastructure choices, CI/CD, monitoring, etc.).

• Advise on best practices for running Microsoft workloads on AWS (or hybrid setups), including cost, performance and reliability considerations.

• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including leadership.

• Support knowledge transfer and help establish long-term architectural principles and patterns for the client’s organization.

Requirements:

• Based in the US or Canada, with ability to travel occasionally to Texas for on-site workshops and working sessions.

• Proven experience as an Enterprise Architect, Solution Architect, or similar senior architecture role.

• Strong background with the Microsoft technology stack, including .NET (C#) and related components.

• Solid experience designing and implementing distributed systems and microservices architectures.

• Hands-on experience with AWS (compute, networking, storage, security, CI/CD, monitoring services, etc.).

• Demonstrated experience leading migrations from monolithic systems to microservices or other modern architectures.

• Strong understanding of software architecture principles: domain-driven design, API design, event-driven architectures, data partitioning, scalability and resilience patterns.

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to run architecture workshops and align multiple stakeholders.

Preferred:

• Experience with Azure or hybrid Microsoft cloud environments.

• Experience in consulting or client-facing roles, especially in enterprise environments.

• Background in observability, reliability engineering, or performance optimization for large-scale systems.

Engagement Details:

• Contract length: initial 3-month engagement with a possibility of extension based on project needs and performance.

• Engagement type: contractor / consultant working through Sphere with our end client.

• Start date: as soon as possible.