The System Architect at ryd owns the integration platform architecture. You design the technical foundation that allows ryd to connect with dozens of diverse partners and ecosystems — consistently, securely, and at speed. You work at the intersection of all teams and all business sectors. You are the person who ensures that every integration approach is unified under a single, extensible architecture, configurable on demand.
You report to the CTO and collaborate with Solution Architects, the Lead AI Practitioner, engineering team leaders, and product management.
Core Responsibilities
1. Design the Unified Integration Platform
Define the catalog of standard integration approaches — APIs (REST, GraphQL, gRPC), Webhooks, WebView/iframe embedding, SDK-based integration, OAuth-based authentication flows, file-based batch integration.
Ensure each approach is extensible and configurable — partners can adjust parameters (auth methods, data fields, event triggers) without requiring code changes to the core platform.
Design the partner onboarding architecture — from registration to sandbox to production, with clear gates, automated testing, and self-service capabilities.
Architect the data flow patterns — how partner data flows through ryd's Kafka event bus, BigQuery analytics, and internal services, ensuring consistency, idempotency, and observability at every step.
2. Coordinate Across All Teams
Work with backend teams to ensure the integration platform leverages ryd's NestJS microservices, Kafka event streaming, and database technologies effectively.
Work with frontend teams to design embeddable UI components, WebView flows, and partner-facing dashboards.
Work with QA to define integration testing strategies — sandbox environments, automated partner flow testing, contract testing.
Work with DevOps to ensure the platform scales on Kubernetes and GCP, with proper monitoring, alerting, and cost management.
Work with product and business to understand partner segments, prioritize integration approaches, and align platform evolution with business goals.
Work with the Lead AI Practitioner to ensure the platform is AI-optimized — AI-readable documentation, AI-testable flows, AI-assisted partner support.
3. Understand All Business Sectors
Fleet management — how fleet companies manage vehicles, drivers, fuel cards, expenses, and reporting.
Payment processing — PCI-DSS compliance, payment gateways, settlement, reconciliation.
Mobility services — fuel, EV charging, car washing, parking, tolling.
Fintech integrations — how banking and financial platforms embed third-party services into their apps.
E-commerce integrations — how e-commerce platforms offer add-on services to merchants.
ERP / Accounting integrations — how companies like SAP, Datev, or Lexware consume transaction data.
OEM integrations — how car manufacturers embed payment capabilities into vehicle infotainment systems.
Expense management — how services like Pleo, Moss, or Circula process and categorize fleet expenses.
4. Build the Partner Experience
Design and build a partner playground (similar to https://partners-demo-frontend.web.app/partners/demo/webview-launcher) where potential partners can explore integration approaches interactively.
Own the ryd portal integration guide — ensure documentation is clear, current, and AI-searchable.
Design self-service management — partners can configure their integration, view analytics, manage API keys, and troubleshoot issues without contacting ryd support.
Design AI-powered assistance for partners — chatbots that answer integration questions, AI that suggests configuration changes, AI that analyzes integration issues.
5. Embed AI into the Architecture
Apply AI architecture patterns (RAG, agents, pipelines, orchestration) to the integration platform.
Build AI-assisted partner onboarding flows — AI analyzes a partner's system description and recommends the best integration approach.
Implement AI-driven troubleshooting — detect integration anomalies, suggest fixes, automate common resolution paths.
Ensure the platform knowledge base is structured for AI consumption (following the Lead AI Practitioner's standards).
Use AI tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot) in your own workflow — demonstrate what AI-accelerated architecture looks like.
6. Govern and Evolve the Platform
Maintain architecture decision records (ADRs) for all major platform decisions.
Define and enforce non-functional requirements — performance, security, scalability, reliability, observability.
Review Solution Architects' integration designs — ensure they align with the platform's unified approach.
Collect feedback from Solution Architects and partners — continuously improve the integration approaches.
Manage technical debt — every integration that doesn't fit the platform is future debt. You prevent that.