Job Description

Company Description
QAD is building a world-class SaaS company, and we are growing. We are looking for talented individuals who want to join us on our mission to help solve relevant real-world problems in manufacturing and the supply chain.
This hybrid position requires candidates to be based in Pune, with 3-4 days of in-office collaboration per week.

QAD is looking for a Chief Architect, ERP to join our team in Pune, India. You will be responsible for designing and evolving our ERP technology landscape, ensuring it aligns with our strategic business goals and industry best practices. You will collaborate closely with business leaders and technology teams, providing insights and expertise to drive innovation, address complex challenges, and ensure the scalability, security, and compliance of our ERP solutions. This is a key leadership role where you will report directly to the GM, Manufacturing ERP.
What will you do

• Define and own the architectural blueprint for QAD's next-gen ERP platform.
• Re-platform the legacy Progress monolith into a multi-tenant, microservices, AI-native architecture.
• Design core platform services: identity/tenant management, workflow/rules engine, integration hub, event bus, data fabric, observability, and edge runtime.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, and CloudOps to balance cost efficiency, vertical specialization, and compliance needs.
• Establish upgrade-safe extension patterns (metadata-driven workflows, APIs, extension services).
• Drive platform adoption across domains (Quality, Supplier, Inventory, Finance).
• Champion secure-by-design, cloud-native patterns (zero trust, KMS encryption, tenancy isolation).
• Define standards for CI/CD, observability, testing automation, and DevSecOps.
• Partner with the SVP of Engineering and Transformation Office to accelerate adoption across teams.
• Champion internal developer platforms and paved paths to boost developer velocity and autonomy.
• Establish architectural principles and frameworks that balance modernization with maintainability.
• Oversee a federated architecture governance model, driving convergence without bottlenecks.
• Mentor and grow the architecture community across business units.
• Embed scalable practices for infrastructure security, identity, performance, compliance, and uptime.
• Implement SLO/SLI-based reliability engineering and operational standards.
• Build a high-trust working relationship with SVP Engineering, Chief Architect, and Platform PMs.

What experience do you bring:

• Proven track record in re-platforming monoliths to cloud-native, multi-tenant SaaS.
• Deep experience with microservices, event-driven design, and API-first ecosystems.
• Strong grounding in data architecture: OLTP per service, streaming, data lakehouse, AI/ML pipelines.
• Hands-on with edge-to-cloud architectures (offline-first, shop-floor/IoT integrations a plus).
• Familiarity with metadata-driven platforms (ServiceNow, Salesforce, Workday, etc.) and their trade-offs. Demonstrated ability to balance mid-market economics with enterprise compliance (21 CFR 11, ITAR, GxP, GDPR).
• Experience leading cross-functional platform transformation initiatives.

What success looks like

• Within 8-12 months, deliver a scalable platform foundation (tenant services, event bus, workflow, integration hub).
• First domains (Quality, Supplier, Inventory) running on a new platform in multi-tenant mode.
• Demonstrated edge runtime for shop-floor resilience.
• AI-native capabilities embedded in workflows (e.g., quality risk predictions, copilots).
• Standardized CI/CD pipelines and observability practices embedded across all teams.
• Architectural governance model functioning with active cross-BU participation.
• Developer velocity, release frequency, and quality metrics significantly improved.
• Positive feedback from early adopter customers on performance, configurability, and upgrade ease.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in software architecture, 5+ years in cloud-native SaaS at scale.
• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science/Engineering (or equivalent).
• Expertise with AWS (or equivalent), Kubernetes, modern CI/CD, observability, and security practices.
• Bonus: experience with ERP, MES, or manufacturing systems.
• forward-thinking architect with a passion for shaping technology.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with both business and technology stakeholders.
• Expertise in driving innovation and addressing complex challenges.
• Deep understanding of scalability, security, and compliance within ERP solutions.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Additional Information

• Your health and well being are important to us at QAD. We provide programs that help you strike a healthy work-life balance.
• Opportunity to join a growing business, launching into its next phase of expansion and transformation.
• Collaborative culture of smart and hard-working people who support one another to get the job done.
• An atmosphere of growth and opportunity, where idea-sharing is always prioritized over level or hierarchy.
• Compensation packages based on experience and desired skill set

About QAD:
QAD Inc. is a leading provider of adaptive, cloud-based enterprise software and services for global manufacturing companies. Global manufacturers face ever-increasing disruption caused by technology-driven innovation and changing consumer preferences. In order to survive and thrive, manufacturers must be able to innovate and change business models at unprecedented rates of speed. QAD calls these companies Adaptive Manufacturing Enterprises. QAD solutions help customers in the automotive, life sciences, packaging, consumer products, food and beverage, high tech and industrial manufacturing industries rapidly adapt to change and innovate for competitive advantage.
QAD is committed to ensuring that every employee feels they work in an environment that values their contributions, respects their unique perspectives and provides opportunities for growth regardless of background. QAD's DEI program is driving higher levels of diversity, equity and inclusion so that employees can bring their whole self to work.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Skills Required