Principal AI Solutions Architect

Company Overview

Blue Orange Digital is a cloud-based data transformation and predictive analytics development firm with offices in NYC and Washington, DC. From startups to Fortune 500s, we help companies make sense of their business challenges by applying modern data analytics techniques, visualizations, and AI/ML. Founded by engineers, we love passionate technologists and data analysts. Our startup DNA means everyone on the team makes a direct contribution to the growth of the company.

With 250+ production deployments, a 95% strategy-to-build conversion rate, and delivery speeds 3–4x faster than traditional consulting, Blue Orange operates at the cutting edge of generative AI, agentic systems, and machine learning. We are scaling our practice by vertical — and we need senior technical leaders who can anchor an industry domain with hands-on credibility and client trust.

Position Overview

We are looking for a Principal AI Solutions Architect to serve as our most senior technical IC within a designated industry vertical — such as financial services, healthcare, private equity, retail, or media. This is a hands-on, client-facing role for someone who architects AI solutions, leads complex technical engagements, and becomes the person clients call when the problem is hard.

The ideal candidate has a career arc similar to our current senior technical leaders: a progression from hands-on data engineering and cloud architecture through AI/ML solution design, evolving into a strategic, client-facing technologist who can go deep with engineering teams and wide with executive stakeholders. You speak the language of both the technology and the industry you serve — and you bring the credibility that comes from having built and shipped production AI systems, not just advised on them.

Your Growth Path

This role is explicitly designed as an IC-to-practice-lead trajectory. On day one, your job is to be the best solutions architect in your vertical — winning client trust, delivering exceptional technical work, and building domain expertise that differentiates Blue Orange in the market. Over time, as you accumulate wins and develop relationships, you will have the opportunity to grow into full practice leadership: owning a P&L, building and managing a team, and setting the strategic direction for your vertical. We will invest in your development with executive coaching, leadership exposure, and increasing scope — but the foundation is technical excellence and client impact first.

Your AI-Augmented Workflow

As a Principal at Blue Orange, you will operate with an augmented workflow powered by your own automation suite of AI tools and virtual agents. From client research and architecture documentation to competitive analysis and proposal development, your digital labor force handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on what matters most: solving hard technical problems, building client trust, and designing systems that deliver real business impact. You will continuously refine and expand this bot ecosystem as part of your daily practice — modeling the tech-forward culture we bring to our clients.

What You’ll Do

Technical Solution Leadership

• Architect end-to-end AI solutions for clients in your vertical — from discovery and requirements through system design, technology selection, and delivery oversight. You own the technical vision for your engagements and ensure solutions are production-grade, scalable, and aligned to business outcomes.

• Provide hands-on architectural guidance across AI/ML pipelines, agentic systems, LLM deployments, cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, Databricks, Snowflake), and modern data platforms — drawing on real experience building and shipping these systems in production.

• Lead technical deep-dives, design reviews, and architecture sessions with client engineering teams. You set the technical bar for quality, and delivery teams look to you for guidance on complex problems.

• Evaluate emerging AI frameworks, foundation models, agentic architectures, and tooling — separating what’s production-ready from what’s hype, and bringing the best forward for your clients and your vertical.

Client-Facing Expertise

• Serve as the trusted technical advisor to senior stakeholders within your vertical — leading AI strategy workshops, technology assessments, and roadmap sessions that translate cutting-edge AI capabilities into concrete business value.

• Conduct AI readiness assessments, technology due diligence, and build business cases that connect AI investments to measurable ROI — speaking the language of both the technology and the industry.

• Build and maintain deep, trust-based relationships with client technical leaders and executives. You are the person they call when they need honest, expert guidance on their AI strategy.

• Present at industry conferences, author thought leadership content, and represent Blue Orange in technical forums — building the firm’s reputation as the definitive AI partner for your vertical.

Vertical Domain Development

• Develop deep domain expertise in your vertical — understanding the business models, regulatory landscape, data ecosystems, and competitive dynamics that shape how AI creates value in your industry.

• Build a library of reference architectures, solution accelerators, and reusable patterns tailored to your vertical — enabling faster delivery, stronger proposals, and differentiated positioning.

• Identify the highest-value AI use cases for your industry and codify them into repeatable engagement frameworks that can scale across multiple clients.

• Leverage your orchestrated bot network and automation stack for client research, competitive intelligence, industry benchmarking, and proposal development — operating at a speed and depth that traditional architects cannot match.

Pre-Sales & Growth Support

• Partner with Account Executives, PE Channel Partners, and the sales team to support pre-sales activities within your vertical — scoping engagements, validating technical feasibility, and presenting to prospective clients with both technical authority and industry context.

• Identify expansion opportunities within existing client accounts, leveraging your domain expertise and client relationships to spot where AI can solve adjacent problems.

• Provide market feedback to leadership on client needs, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities in your vertical — shaping how Blue Orange invests and positions itself.

Who You Are

• 10–15+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, cloud architecture, AI/ML, and technology consulting — with a clear trajectory from hands-on technical roles to strategic, client-facing solution architecture.

• Deep, current technical credibility in AI/ML, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), modern data infrastructure (Databricks, Snowflake, dbt), and emerging areas like agentic AI, LLMs, and generative AI. You can whiteboard an architecture, review code, and present to a board — all in the same week.

• Genuine expertise in a specific industry vertical (e.g., financial services, healthcare, private equity, retail, media, energy). You understand the business models, regulatory landscape, data ecosystems, and decision-making patterns of your domain — not just the technology.

• Proven track record of leading complex AI and data transformation engagements for enterprise clients, PE portfolio companies, or Fortune 500 organizations.

• Exceptional client-facing skills — comfortable leading technical workshops with engineering teams and strategy sessions with C-suite stakeholders. You build trust through depth, not just polish.

• Strong communicator who translates complex technical concepts into business impact language. You can explain why an agentic architecture matters to a CFO as clearly as you can explain it to a data engineer.

• Self-directed and entrepreneurial — you thrive in environments where you have to figure things out, not wait to be told. You take ownership of your domain and treat it like your own business.

• Ambition to grow into practice leadership over time — you are excited by the prospect of eventually owning a P&L, building a team, and setting strategic direction, but you know the path starts with technical excellence and client trust.

• Comfort operating within an AI-augmented workflow — you actively leverage your bot fleet, virtual agents, and automation tools to amplify your output and model the tech-forward culture Blue Orange is known for.

• Multilingual capability and international experience is a strong plus.

• Based in New York City or willing to relocate; hybrid work model with regular in-office presence.

Nice to Have

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Data Science, AI/ML, or a related technical field.

• Hands-on experience building and deploying production AI/ML systems at scale — not just advisory or architecture-only roles.

• Published thought leadership, conference speaking, or recognized expertise in AI and your industry vertical.

• Experience founding, co-founding, or scaling a data/AI practice, consulting vertical, or technical business unit.

• Familiarity with the private equity ecosystem — portfolio company dynamics, value creation planning, due diligence processes.

• Prior experience at a boutique or mid-size consulting firm where you wore multiple hats and operated with startup-level autonomy.

Why Blue Orange

• IC+ With a Real Growth Path: This isn’t a dead-end senior IC role. It’s designed to evolve into vertical practice leadership — with P&L, team, and strategic ownership — as you build the track record and client relationships to earn it.

• AI-First, Not AI-Curious: We build and ship production AI systems every day. You will architect solutions at the absolute cutting edge of technology, not write slide decks about it.

• Hands-On Culture: Blue Orange values depth. We don’t hire architects who only draw boxes on whiteboards. Our best people can go from strategy to code review to client dinner in the same day.

• Tech-Forward Workflow: Your augmented workflow and bot fleet aren’t a perk — they’re how we work. You will operate with AI tools that let you move faster and go deeper than anyone at a traditional firm.

• Elite Team: With a <1% talent acceptance rate, you will work alongside some of the best AI engineers, data scientists, and strategists in the industry.

• Founder-Led, Not Corporate: Report to the CTO and CEO. Your voice matters. Your ideas ship. Your impact is visible.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $180,000

• Bonus Structure: Utilization‑based performance bonus tied to billable hours

  • Minimum utilization : 50%

  • Bonus eligibility begins at 70% utilization

  • Bonus scales upward as utilization increases

  • Target utilization: 80%+

• Healthcare : Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance

• Retirement : 401(k) matching

• Time Off : Unlimited PTO, paid parental and bereavement leave

• Work Setup : New York office-based (hybrid) with flexibility for remote work and client travel

• Development : Executive coaching, conference speaking, thought leadership platform, increasing leadership scope

• Events : All conference, travel, accommodation, and per diem costs covered

Background checks may be required for certain positions/projects.

Blue Orange Digital is an equal-opportunity employer.