Software component architectures allow assembly of applications from individual software modules based on clearly defined programming interfaces, thus improving the reuse of existing solutions and simplifying application development. Furthermore, the plug-in programming paradigm additionally enables runtime reconfigurability, making it possible to adapt to changing application needs, such as different application phases, and system properties, like resource availability, by loading/unloading appropriate software modules. Similar to parallel programs, parallel plug-ins are an abstraction for a set of cooperating individual plug-ins within a parallel application utilizing a software component architecture. Parallel programming paradigms apply to parallel plug-ins in the same way they apply to parallel programs. The research presented in this paper targets the clear definition of parallel plug-ins and the development of a parallel plug-in programming paradigm.