Professional services · Solution architects
Hire Solution Architects from Canada, Latin America, and the US
Hire a solution architect who designs your next migration, integration, or platform build. We find the right person, or build your entire team, in Canada, Latin America, or the US, on a contract, permanent, or fractional basis.
Solution architects, screened by solution architects
DevEngine is a Vancouver-based IT recruitment and staffing firm. We recruit solution architects from Canada, Latin America, and the US for contract, permanent, or fractional roles. Most of these searches are for architects who lead a cloud migration, reconnect systems that grew apart, or design a new platform before the build starts. A senior solution architect screens every candidate before you see one. You manage the day-to-day work. We handle contracts, HR, and admin.
The role
A solution architect decides how a system fits together
A solution architect designs how a specific system or initiative will work: the components it needs, how it connects to existing systems and data, and how it meets requirements for security, scale, and cost. The architect turns a business goal into a design engineers can build, then stays involved through delivery so the system that ships matches the design.
Typical outputs include architecture diagrams, solution blueprints, documentation of components and integrations, proofs of concept that test feasibility, and plans for scalability and security.
The title is often used alongside two others, and organizations define all three differently. In general:
Solution architect
- Focus
- The design of a specific system or initiative
- Core question
- How do we design this solution to meet the business goal and work with our existing systems?
- Typical outputs
- Solution blueprints, integration designs, proofs of concept
- Works most with
- Business stakeholders, engineering, security, and operations
- Often brought in when
- A migration, integration, or major build needs a design
Enterprise architect
- Focus
- Technology strategy and standards across the organization
- Core question
- Which technologies and standards should the organization use?
- Typical outputs
- Technology roadmaps, reference architectures, standards
- Works most with
- Executive and IT leadership, solution architects
- Often brought in when
- Technology decisions need alignment across business units
Software architect
- Focus
- The internal structure of an application
- Core question
- How should this application be structured and built?
- Typical outputs
- Component designs, code-level patterns, design reviews
- Works most with
- The development team
- Often brought in when
- A new application needs a design, or an existing one has become hard to scale and change
For specialized architecture work, see Hire Data Architects, Hire SAP Cloud Architects, or Hire Cloud Engineers.
When to hire
When you need a solution architect
The need usually shows up as one of these situations:
A migration or modernization is on the roadmap.
Moving to the cloud or breaking up a legacy system means decisions that are expensive to reverse once the build starts.
Systems grew faster than the design.
Integrations were added one at a time, and a change in one system now breaks another.
Teams make technical decisions in isolation.
Each team picks its own tools and patterns, and nobody owns how the pieces fit together.
A major build needs a design before the budget is committed.
Leadership wants the approach, risks, and a proof of concept reviewed before engineering starts.
Need a different role?
If the work is setting technology strategy across the whole organization, hire an enterprise architect. If it's structuring a single application's code, hire a software architect or technical lead. We recruit for both roles.
Our screen
What our senior solution architects look for
Certifications show that an architect knows a platform. They don't show whether that architect can turn a business objective into a design that holds up under real load, real security and compliance requirements, and a real budget. Our senior architects test for that: how a candidate weighs build against buy, cloud cost against performance, and speed of delivery against long-term maintainability, and whether they can defend those choices to both the engineering team and the executives funding the work.
Trade-offs, not tool lists
We ask them to walk through a design decision and the alternatives they rejected. A strong architect explains why, not only what.
Designs that held up in production
We ask what changed after go-live and what they would design differently. Real systems never ship exactly as drawn.
Explaining architecture to the business
We ask them to explain a trade-off as they would to a non-technical stakeholder. Architects who can't do this struggle to get decisions made.
Fluency with your constraints
An architect who has worked with your cloud platform, legacy systems, or regulatory requirements reasons differently from one who hasn't. We weight that context, not only certifications.
Some roles need a deep technical specialist. Others need an architect who can work with your leadership team. We screen for what your role needs and only send you candidates who match it.
Where we source
Hire from Canada, Latin America, or both
One search can cover all three talent pools. Brief the role once, and compare candidates from each market side by side before you decide.
Canada
- Where candidates are based
- Across Canada
- Working hours
- Canadian time zones, Pacific to Atlantic
- Cost
- Canadian market rates. See the Canada salary guide below.
- Fits when
- The role needs regular time on site, or must be based in Canada for security clearance, residency, or contract reasons
Latin America
- Where candidates are based
- Across Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica
- Working hours
- Within 2 hours of US Eastern time, year-round. Up to 4 hours ahead of Pacific time.
- Cost
- Typically 35–40% below comparable North American cost. See the Latin America salary guide below.
- Fits when
- You want a wider candidate pool or more seniority for the budget, or the architect will guide a nearshore team
United States
- Where candidates are based
- Across the United States
- Working hours
- US time zones, Pacific to Eastern
- Cost
- US market rates.
- Fits when
- The role needs knowledge of the US market, regular in-person time at a US site, or a US base
Not sure which market fits? Tell us about the role, and we'll scope it in both and show you candidates and cost side by side.
Technology salaries in Canada and Latin America
Benchmark salaries by role and seniority before you set a budget.
Engagement models
Contract, permanent, or fractional
Contract
- Who employs the solution architect
- DevEngine
- Time commitment
- Full-time, for a defined period
- Fits when
- A migration, platform rebuild, or major integration with a defined end
- Placement protection
- Two-week guarantee
Permanent
- Who employs the solution architect
- You
- Time commitment
- Full-time, ongoing
- Fits when
- Architecture ownership is a standing need
- Placement protection
- 180-day prorated guarantee from the start date: full refund in the first 30 days, then partial refunds on a sliding scale
Fractional
- Who employs the solution architect
- DevEngine
- Time commitment
- Part-time, hourly or monthly
- Fits when
- Senior architecture judgment for a review, a design decision, or technical due diligence, without a full-time seat
- Placement protection
- Tailored to the scope of work
Each model works a little differently depending on whether you hire in Canada, Latin America, or the US. Compare the options by market to find the engagement that fits your team.
Explore services by marketHow it works
How a solution architect search runs
You brief us on the business problem, the technology holding you back, and what you need to achieve.
We source for your role in Canada, Latin America, or both, not from a bench.
A senior solution architect screens each candidate. Someone who does the same work, not a recruiter matching keywords.
You choose who to interview and who to hire.
You direct the work. On contract and fractional engagements, DevEngine holds the contract and handles payroll and compliance. On a permanent hire, the solution architect joins your payroll.
If the placement isn't working, we replace the candidate: within two weeks on contract, or under the 180-day prorated guarantee on a permanent hire.
FAQ
Solution architect hiring questions
How much does it cost to hire a solution architect?
Cost depends on four things: seniority, cloud and domain specialization, the market you hire from, and the engagement model. Hiring in Latin America typically costs 35–40% less than comparable North American hires. For salary benchmarks across technology roles, download the Canada Salary Guide or the Latin America Salary Guide. DevEngine quotes against your actual brief on the first call.
When do companies bring in a solution architect, and when an enterprise architect?
The roles overlap, and organizations define them differently. In general, a solution architect focuses on a specific system or initiative: how it should be designed, how it connects to what already exists, and how it meets security, scale, and cost requirements. Companies often bring one in for a migration, a major integration, or a new build. An enterprise architect focuses on the organization as a whole: technology strategy, shared standards, and how systems across business units fit together. Larger organizations often have both, and on smaller teams one person may cover both. DevEngine can talk through how the role is scoped before a search starts.
Which certifications do solution architects hold?
Common certifications include AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, and TOGAF for enterprise architecture frameworks. Certifications show platform knowledge, but not design judgment. That's what the senior architect screen tests.
Can I hire a fractional solution architect?
Yes. A fractional solution architect works part-time, on an hourly or monthly cadence, inside your team and tools. Companies often use one for an architecture review, a design decision before a build, or technical due diligence. DevEngine places fractional solution architects from Canada, Latin America, and the US.
Should I hire a solution architect from Canada, Latin America, or the US?
Companies often choose Canada or the US when the role needs regular time on site, or must be based in that country for security clearance, residency, or contract reasons. Latin America offers a wider pool and more seniority for the budget, with working hours within 2 hours of US Eastern. DevEngine can run the search across all three markets so you can compare candidates.
Can a solution architect work with a DevEngine Engineering POD?
Yes. A solution architect can sit inside an Engineering POD or alongside one. You choose the POD's composition and direct the work. The architect sets the design and technical standards, and the engineers build against them on your sprint cadence, in your tools.
What's your interest?
Choose the path that aligns with how you want to build and scale your team.
Tell us what you're building. We'll find the architect.
We'll tell you which market and model fit, and how long the search should take.
Not ready to talk yet? Compare technology salaries in the Canada Salary Guide or the Latin America Salary Guide.
