Platform Architect

instructure · US-REMOTE

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Role at a Glance

Fully remote, US-based principal-level position. Salary: $200,000–$230,000/yr plus an employee ownership stake. You will own the architectural direction for Instructure's PaaS products, write and review production code across a polyglot stack, and provide technical leadership to multiple engineering teams. Minimum requirements: 10+ years of software development experience, at least 3 years in a lead or principal capacity, and demonstrated expertise in distributed systems on major cloud platforms.

What This Role Is Actually About

This is a hands-on technical leadership position, not an advisory one. As Platform Architect, you'll define the architectural direction for Instructure's developer portal and Platform as a Service products — decisions that flow downstream to the learning experiences of millions of students and educators. Beyond strategy, the role carries genuine coding weight: you're expected to write, review, and ship production-quality code across multiple languages and stacks, not simply approve pull requests at arm's length. Strong communication skills matter just as much as technical depth, since you'll regularly translate complex architecture decisions for non-engineering stakeholders.

About Instructure

Instructure builds software intended to make learning more accessible and personal growth more achievable throughout a person's life and career. Their products serve institutions and individuals across education and professional development, with a global footprint that reaches learners at massive scale. As an organization, they describe their culture as grounded in inclusivity, genuine connection, and employee ownership — with flexibility embedded into how teams collaborate, spanning fully remote, hybrid, and in-office arrangements by team and role. They also run an annual late-December company-wide recharge period and provide an ownership stake to every full-time employee.

What You Will Own

  • Define and drive end-to-end architectural design for PaaS product features, services, and platform components — keeping every decision anchored to company-wide technical strategy and long-term vision
  • Write production-quality, well-tested code across multiple languages and platforms, contributing directly as a hands-on individual contributor rather than delegating all implementation
  • Provide technical leadership and active mentorship to multiple engineering teams, setting the standard for code quality, system design, and engineering best practices
  • Partner with Engineering managers, SRE teams, and other stakeholders to convert business and product requirements into clear technical specifications and actionable delivery plans
  • Research and evaluate emerging technologies, frameworks, and tooling — making informed recommendations that improve developer experience, system reliability, or product capability
  • Lead substantive code reviews and deliver constructive feedback that raises the quality of work across the teams you support
  • Own root-cause analysis on complex production issues and implement systemic improvements that prevent recurrence
  • Serve as the internal subject-matter authority in your technical domains, sharing expertise broadly across the engineering organization
  • Identify and drive continuous improvements to engineering tooling, processes, and infrastructure

Must-Have Qualifications

  • 10+ years of progressive software development experience with a track record of increasing scope and ownership
  • At least 3 years in a lead or principal engineering role with clear architectural ownership — not just seniority of tenure
  • Deep expertise in designing, building, and operating complex, highly available distributed systems at scale
  • Hands-on proficiency in multiple programming languages from the stack: Ruby, Python, Java, JavaScript, and/or Go
  • Extensive experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and with container orchestration via Docker and Kubernetes
  • Solid command of database design across both relational and NoSQL paradigms
  • Demonstrated ability to take technical initiatives from initial concept through deployment and into steady-state operation and maintenance
  • Clear, confident communication of technical concepts to both engineering and non-engineering audiences
  • A genuine track record of mentoring engineers and building collaborative, high-functioning team cultures
  • Practical familiarity with Agile development methodologies and DevOps practices
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field — or equivalent practical experience in lieu of a formal degree

Nice to Have

  • Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a closely related technical field (Bachelor's is accepted with equivalent experience)
  • Multi-cloud fluency spanning AWS, Azure, and GCP rather than depth in a single provider
  • Experience collaborating with or embedded within SRE teams, with hands-on familiarity of reliability engineering principles
  • Background in EdTech, developer platform, or developer-experience-focused product environments

Skills Breakdown: Required vs. Nice to Have

The hard gates at this level are multi-cloud fluency (at minimum one of AWS, GCP, or Azure — ideally more), hands-on Kubernetes and Docker, and the ability to write and review code in at least three of the listed languages (Ruby, Python, Java, JavaScript, Go). Architectural judgment on distributed systems is the most difficult qualifier to demonstrate. Relational and NoSQL database design knowledge, along with Agile and DevOps practices, are baseline requirements. Multi-cloud breadth across all three providers and SRE-adjacent experience are genuine differentiators but will not block a strong candidate who is deep in other areas.

Salary and Compensation

Instructure has disclosed a base salary band of $200,000–$230,000 USD per year for this role. In addition to base pay, every full-time employee participates in the company's ownership program — meaning total compensation includes an equity or ownership component beyond the salary range listed. The job posting does not detail bonus structure, vesting schedules, or additional cash incentives. Candidates should ask for a full compensation breakdown during the offer stage to understand the complete picture.

Benefits Overview

  • Employee ownership program — all full-time staff receive a stake in company outcomes beyond base salary
  • Flexible work arrangements: remote, hybrid, and in-office options vary by team and location
  • Generous paid time off including local and regional holidays
  • Annual late-December 'Dim the Lights' recharge period — teams are encouraged to step back and reset based on departmental needs
  • Comprehensive wellness programs and dedicated mental health support
  • Professional development resources including tuition reimbursement and learning tools
  • Equipment and technology provided to support effective remote work
  • Motivosity peer-recognition program
  • Inclusive team culture built around support, belonging, and meaningful connection

Location and Work Arrangement

This role is fully remote and open to US-based candidates. No relocation is required. Instructure operates a distributed workforce and treats remote collaboration as a first-class work model. Visa sponsorship eligibility is not addressed in the job posting — candidates who require work authorization support should confirm availability directly with Instructure's recruiting team before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Platform Architect position fully remote?

Yes. Instructure has listed this role as remote-eligible with a US-based work location. The job posting does not specify any in-office attendance requirement.

What is the salary for this role at Instructure?

The employer-disclosed compensation band is $200,000–$230,000 USD per year. All full-time employees also participate in an ownership program that adds an equity or ownership component on top of base salary. The posting does not detail bonus or vesting terms — clarify the full package during the offer stage.

Is a Master's degree required, or will a Bachelor's degree qualify?

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is listed as the minimum educational requirement. A Master's degree is preferred but not mandatory. Instructure also explicitly accepts equivalent hands-on practical experience in place of a formal degree.

Which programming languages does this role require?

The job description lists Ruby, Python, Java, JavaScript, and Go as the relevant language stack. Proficiency across multiple of these is expected — this is a polyglot role. You are not required to have deep mastery of every language on the list, but you should be able to write and review production-quality code in at least several of them.

Does Instructure offer visa sponsorship for this position?

The job posting does not specify whether visa sponsorship is available for this role. Candidates who require work authorization support are encouraged to contact Instructure's recruiting team directly to confirm eligibility before applying.

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