Lead Software Architect – Backend & Platform (Freelance, Part-time)

We are building a real-time social activity platform preparing for public launch in early 2026, with rapid growth expected across Southeast Asia and Europe. We are looking for a Senior Lead Software Architect to own the global backend architecture, ensure production readiness, and act as the technical guardian of the platform. This is not a full-stack role, not a mobile role, and not an MVP position. This role focuses on backend architecture, security, and production resilience. Mission The Lead Software Architect is responsible for designing, validating, and safeguarding the backend architecture of a live, user-facing platform. During the initial production phase, this role will require a higher time commitment to: - finalize architecture decisions, secure the platform before launch, prepare the system for penetration testing, and support the engineering team during the critical go-live period. After stabilization, the engagement is expected to transition to a lighter, advisory cadence. ✅ Core Responsibilities (Essential) - Backend Architecture & Security - Define and maintain a clear, simple, and auditable backend architecture - Design security fundamentals: authentication & authorization permission boundaries rate limiting & abuse prevention strict input validation - Ensure the system is pentest-ready and compliance-aware (GDPR- PDPA) - Production & Resilience - Architect the system for: failure containment limited blast radius safe rollbacks predictable scaling - Define logging, monitoring, and alerting standards - Guide the team during incidents or abnormal behavior Technical Governance - Validate major technical decisions - Review architecture changes and refactoring proposals - Prevent over-engineering and unnecessary complexity - Ensure long-term maintainability and team ownership Scale Readiness - Prepare the platform for growth: 2k → 10k → 100k+ MAU - Ensure scalability choices remain pragmatic and reversible - Balance time-to-market with architectural soundness ➕ Nice to Have (Non-essential) - Previous CTO or Principal Engineer experience - Experience with distributed teams across multiple regions - Familiarity with cloud-native environments (AWS, GCP, Kubernetes) - Experience with real-time systems (messaging, streaming, event-driven architectures) - Frontend or mobile experience (contextual only) ❌ What This Role Is NOT Not a full-stack developer role Not a mobile engineering role Not a delivery-only role Not a low-code / no-code position Not a framework-driven “solution architect” This role is about risk, responsibility, and resilience. Profile We Are Looking For - Backend-first mindset - Security-aware and production-oriented - Calm under pressure - Pragmatic, minimalistic, and opinionated when needed - Comfortable saying “no” to risky or premature solutions - Strong written and verbal communication in English Engagement Details Contract: Freelance Time commitment: - Higher involvement during initial production & launch phase - Reduced, advisory cadence after stabilization - Duration: Long-term (12+ months) - Location: Remote (Europe-friendly time zones preferred) Apply tot his job