A .NET Architect is a senior-level technical professional who designs, oversees, and guides the architecture of applications and systems built on the Microsoft .NET platform. They act as a bridge between business requirements, development teams, and infrastructure, ensuring that solutions are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with organizational goals.

Here’s a detailed breakdown:

🔹 Key Responsibilities of a .NET Architect

1. Architecture Design
   • Define application architecture using .NET (Framework, Core, 6/7/8+).
   • Choose the right design patterns (MVC, Microservices, CQRS, DDD, Event-Driven, etc.).
   • Define system integration strategies (APIs, message queues, services).
2. Technology Selection
   • Decide on frameworks, libraries, and tools (Entity Framework, Blazor, SignalR, gRPC, etc.).
   • Cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/GCP) and DevOps pipelines.
3. Scalability & Performance
   • Design systems to handle high loads.
   • Optimize APIs, caching, database queries, and distributed systems.
4. Security
   • Implement authentication & authorization (OAuth, JWT, IdentityServer).
   • Ensure compliance with standards (OWASP, GDPR, HIPAA).
5. Collaboration & Mentoring
   • Work with business analysts to understand requirements.
   • Guide developers with coding standards, best practices, and code reviews.
   • Mentor junior developers and leads.
6. Project & Delivery Oversight
   • Align architecture with business strategy.
   • Ensure delivery timelines with agile/scrum methodologies.
   • Handle technical risks and suggest mitigation.

🔹 Skills Required

• Core Technical
  • .NET Core / .NET 6/7/8+
  • C#, ASP.NET Core (Web API, MVC, Blazor)
  • Entity Framework Core / Dapper
  • SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
  • Microservices, REST/gRPC APIs
  • Azure (Functions, Service Bus, App Service, Kubernetes/AKS)
  • CI/CD, DevOps (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins)
  • Docker, Kubernetes, Containers
  • Frontend knowledge (Angular, React, Vue – optional but useful)
• Architectural Knowledge
  • Design Patterns (Singleton, Factory, Strategy, etc.)
  • Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
  • Event-Driven Architecture
  • Clean Architecture / Onion Architecture
  • Cloud-native design principles
• Soft Skills
  • Communication with stakeholders.
  • Leadership & mentoring.
  • Problem-solving & decision-making.

🔹 Typical Career Path

• Software Engineer → Senior Developer → Team Lead → .NET Architect → Enterprise Architect / CTO