Principal AI Architect- AI Modernization

Job Description: Principal Enterprise Architect- AI
Position Type : 3-6 month Contract to Hire
Compensation : $100-150/hr- Conversion $220-285K-DOE
Location : On-Site, Salt Lake City
Overview
We’re hiring a Principal Enterprise Architect to help guide enterprise modernization across cloud, integration, platforms, data, and (where appropriate) AI. This role closely partners with engineering, product, security, and data teams to define target-state architecture, establish standards/patterns, and support delivery teams as they implement scalable, secure solutions.

What You’ll Do

Define and Evolve Target Architecture

• Contribute to the evolution toward amodern, cloud-based, event-driventechnology ecosystem.
• Translate strategy intotarget-state architectures, transition roadmaps, reference architectures, and standards.
• Help modernize legacy platforms and integration approaches (not just extend existing patterns).
• Identify opportunities to reduce technical debt, improve interoperability, and increase reuse.

Enable Modern Architecture Delivery

• Provide hands-on architecture leadership acrossAPIs, microservices, messaging, and enterprise integration patterns.
• Establish pragmatic patterns forservice boundaries, domain ownership, events, data exchange, and integration.
• Guide teams through key tradeoffs (synchronous vs asynchronous, build vs buy, platform vs custom).
• Promote architectures designed forresilience, observability, security, scalability, and maintainability.
• Review solution designs and help delivery teams unblock complex technical decisions.

Support AI-Enabled Capabilities (as part of the broader ecosystem)

• Partner with product, engineering, and data teams to integrate AI capabilities into existing platforms and workflows.
• Help establish practical patterns forLLMs, RAG, agentic workflows, orchestration, and model/tool integrationwhere they create clear value.
• Collaborate with security and data stakeholders onguardrails, access patterns, observability, and governancefor responsible AI usage.
• Help teams distinguish when AI is appropriate vs when traditional software/automation/analytics is the better fit.

Influence, Align, and Communicate

• Build strong working relationships across technology and business stakeholders.
• Communicate architecture choices in terms of outcomes, tradeoffs, and risks.
• Contribute to lightweight governance that improves decision quality without slowing delivery.

What You’ll Bring

• Experience delivering AI-enabled features into production or strong architectural exposure to AI patterns (LLMs, RAG, orchestration).
• Understanding of data foundations needed for AI (quality, governance, lineage, access controls).
• 10+ yearsprogressive technology experience in complex environments.
• 3–5+ yearsin architecture leadership (enterprise, platform, or solution architecture).
• Strong experience withcloud architecture(AWS, Azure, and/or GCP).
• Deep practical knowledge ofdistributed systems, includingmicroservices, APIs, messaging, and event-driven patterns.
• Experience modernizing legacy systems and integrations in a pragmatic, iterative way.
• Familiarity with security and compliance concepts for enterprise platforms (identity, access, encryption, auditability, etc.).
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical teams and senior stakeholders.

What Success Looks Like

• You help teams make better architecture decisions without creating bottlenecks.
• You create clarity and reusable patterns that speed up delivery.
• You modernize thoughtfully—balancing target-state vision with real constraints (legacy, cost, risk, delivery timelines).
• You’re a trusted partner to engineering, product, data, and security leaders.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Gravity IT Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.