Integration architects are your designated future-looking, big-picture teammates. Not only do integration architects worry about fulfilling your project's needs, but a good integration architect is concerned with creating a successful integration architecture and solution that will function now and five to ten years from now.
Before digging too deep, let's first discuss integration architecture. Integration architecture is a software development blueprint or design used to depict solutions for integrating multiple source and target systems. Integration architecture should tie into the reference architecture and include integration patterns, software, security, monitoring and logging, error handling, and much more.
Evaluating integration software and performing gap analysis assessments to address project needs
Assessing the tradeoffs between software and infrastructure offerings
Working with the development team to produce architectural diagrams and design documentation
Tweaking original architecture to accommodate changes in design during the project's implementation
Ensuring non-functional requirements are met, like performance and security
Integration architects may also need to work with data architects to determine the data flows as desired and based on your company's data architecture and corporate and governmental policies. This may require submitting data flow diagrams and documentation to your data team.
Pro Tip: Be willing to jump in. The best architects are eager to jump in and help the development team with implementation as needed. |
A question may arise: "Should you have a software engineering background before pursuing the software integration engineer and architect career paths?" If this is the case, most integration architects come from a software engineering background, either as an engineer themselves or as software engineering team members. Having an experience in engineering is ideal. Software integration using software engineering to implement your company or client's integration requirements. For instance, during the AI craze, many MuleSoft developers and architects built OpenAI MuleSoft connectors with the Java SDK. Designing such connectors requires MuleSoft developers to understand engineering concepts to create. You can build a connector with the XML SDK or the Java SDK.
Another example where an engineering background may be useful is when designing and building complex data transformations. To perform this task, there are various programming languages; however, as the integration architect, you will need to weigh out the tradeoffs and help the team decide on the best language. For instance, some may use Python, Java, or DataWeave for complex transformations.
Becoming a solutions architect may be an alternative path to becoming an architect. A solutions architect is responsible for providing insight into the entire solution. I have seen this role in a pre-sales department of a products company or a position in an IT consultant company. A solution architect role that provides an integration solution would also be an integration architect.
However, integration architects have been able to jump into the integration space with non-technical degrees in Business and Communication. This was due to the growing need for tech workers in recent decades and the popularity of Bootcamps, which aim to skip the well-roundedness of traditional Universities and provide students with the essentials to get them competitive jobs now.
But resumes and recommendations can only go so far. Now it's time to rock your interview. Prove your recruiter and recommenders are right. You are the right person for the job. The best way to rock an interview is to prepare. We have prepared a post for those looking for integration architect and engineer roles using MuleSoft products.
The annual salary for an integration architect can also vary depending on the industry. For example, integration architects in financial services earn higher wages than other industries.
Although the software industry is rapidly growing, the more experience you have as an integration architect, the higher salary you can demand. Therefore, integration architects with more experienced integration architects typically earn higher wages. However, there is one caveat I must mention. You must keep your skills up to date. For instance, artificial intelligence and machine learning are currently disrupting the tech. Employers are looking for engineers and architects that have machine learning experience while specializing in other areas.
You may have heard, "Location is everything." This phrase is valid when choosing a job as an integration architect. Integration architects in high-cost areas, such as San Francisco or New York City, earn higher salaries than those in lower-cost regions. Sometimes companies in the United States will provide a base salary regardless of location and then apply your cost of living adjustments (COLA) to your total compensation.