Technical Architect Engineering Lead Accounting Platform Integrations

## About TalkingTotals.ai TalkingTotals.ai is an AI-first accounting platform that enables users to interact with financial data using natural language and voice — no accounting expertise required. Built for mobile-first users and SMBs globally, it provides a next-generation conversational interface for accounting systems such as Tally and QuickBooks. The company was founded by Raghav Kher, a former Microsoft executive and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience building six venture-backed companies across the United States and India. He played a key role in the acquisition of Hotmail, which helped jump-start Microsoft's email business. Raghav holds an MBA, along with master's degrees in mechanical engineering and computer science from leading universities in the United States. TalkingTotals.ai is a U.S.-based company, built from the ground up in Bengaluru, India ## About the Role We are building a next-generation accounting intelligence and automation platform that works on top of leading accounting products such as Tally Solutions, Intuit QuickBooks, and similar financial/accounting ecosystems. We are looking for an experienced Technical Architect and Engineering Lead who can independently architect, design, and drive the development of this platform while leading a team of engineers to successful execution. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a strong combination of: - Software architecture expertise - Product engineering leadership - System integration experience - Team management capability - Delivery ownership - Accountability for technical outcomes The ideal candidate should be capable of functioning as the technical owner of the product and driving engineering execution end-to-end. ## Key Responsibilities ### Technical Architecture and Design - Define end-to-end architecture for a scalable accounting automation platform - Design modular, extensible, and maintainable system architecture - Create technical blueprints for integrations with accounting systems including desktop and cloud products - Establish architectural standards, engineering guidelines, and design patterns - Evaluate and select appropriate technology stack, frameworks, and infrastructure ### Product Engineering Leadership - Translate business and product requirements into technical solutions - Break down product vision into engineering execution plans - Lead technical design discussions and solution reviews - Ensure high-quality implementation across all engineering deliverables - Drive technical decision-making across the product lifecycle ### Integration Platform Development - Architect integrations with accounting software ecosystems such as: Tally Solutions Intuit QuickBooks - ERP/accounting APIs - XML/API-based accounting interfaces - Data synchronization frameworks ### Team Leadership and Delivery Ownership - Lead and mentor a team of software engineers - Drive sprint planning and technical execution - Review code, design, and implementation quality - Identify and resolve technical blockers - Ensure timely and predictable delivery ### Accountability and Ownership - Own technical delivery milestones - Take accountability for platform scalability, reliability, and maintainability - Ensure engineering output aligns with business goals - Drive continuous improvement in engineering practices ## Required Qualifications ### Experience - 10+ years of software engineering experience - 4+ years in technical architecture / engineering leadership roles - Proven experience leading engineering teams - Experience building enterprise-grade software products - Experience owning end-to-end delivery ### Technical Expertise Strong hands-on expertise in: - Distributed systems design - API architecture - System integration - Database design and optimization - Cloud-native application architecture - Performance and scalability engineering - Security and reliability engineering Experience with one or more: - Python - Java / C# - Node.js - Microservices architecture - REST / SOAP / XML integrations - Event-driven systems ### Accounting Domain Experience (Highly Preferred) Experience in one or more of: - Accounting software platforms - Financial systems - ERP integrations - Bookkeeping / ledger systems - Tax / compliance software - Workflow automation for finance operations ### Leadership Competencies The ideal candidate must demonstrate: - Independent technical ownership - Strong architectural judgment - Execution discipline - Team leadership and mentoring ability - Cross-functional communication - Delivery accountability - Problem-solving under ambiguity - Decision-making ownership ## What Success Looks Like Within next 3 months, this person will: - Own technical architecture for the platform - Independently drive engineering execution - Build and lead a high-performing engineering team - Deliver stable integrations with accounting platforms - Establish engineering processes and quality standards - Be fully accountable for technical success of the product ## Ideal Candidate Profile We are looking for someone who can operate as: "A hands-on technical leader with architect-level depth, product ownership mindset, and engineering management capability — effectively functioning as the technical owner of the platform."