AI & Data Solutions Architect

Metis Strategy; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical insurance, and V

Parental leave and family benefits

Retirement contributions

Stipend for continued learning

Paid time off

Job summary

Metis Strategy, a management and strategy consulting firm, seeks a Data & AI Associate for the San Francisco Bay Area. You will support data-driven and AI-enabled strategies for large enterprises, collaborating with client stakeholders to identify use cases, prioritize investments, and enable enterprise adoption of data and AI solutions.

You will help assess data and AI maturity, develop business cases, and contribute to governance, operating models, and change management.

Qualifications

• 4 to 6 years of experience in data engineering, analytics, software development, or related roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or a related field.
• Foundational understanding of data architecture, data modeling, and data integration.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP) and modern data ecosystems is a plus.
• Basic experience with data tools (SQL, Python, Tableau, Excel, or similar).
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.
• Effective communication and collaboration with team members.

Responsibilities

• Gather business requirements, data needs, and technical constraints for data/AI solutions.
• Design and implement data/AI architectures and conceptual/logical data models.
• Apply governance policies to ensure data quality, security, and compliance.
• Evaluate and integrate data/AI tools and platforms under guidance from senior architects.
• Design data flows and pipelines across systems and cloud environments.
• Collaborate with data engineers to implement solutions aligned with architectural guidelines.
• Develop prototypes and PoCs to validate approaches before full-scale implementation.
• Write IaC scripts (Terraform, AWS CloudFormation) for cloud configuration.
• Review code/architecture to identify bottlenecks and improve performance.
• Support modernization efforts, migrate legacy systems to cloud data platforms.
• Document data architectures, models, and processes for knowledge sharing.
• Work with stakeholders on data governance and lifecycle activities.

Skills

Data engineering

Analytics

Software development

SQL

Python

Tableau

Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering/IS

Tools

Terraform

AWS CloudFormation

Job description

About Metis Strategy

Metis Strategy, a management and strategy consulting firm, focused on the intersection of business and technology, continues to grow and is looking for highly motivated individuals to join our San Francisco Bay Area team. We are trusted advisors to Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, helping them meet their most critical business objectives through tailored engagements and deep professional relationships. We work across industries on topics related to business & digital strategy and navigating organizational change.

About Metis Strategy

Metis Strategy, a management and strategy consulting firm, focused on the intersection of business and technology, continues to grow and is looking for highly motivated individuals to join our San Francisco Bay Area team. We are trusted advisors to Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, helping them meet their most critical business objectives through tailored engagements and deep professional relationships. We work across industries on topics related to business & digital strategy and navigating organizational change.

We are an entrepreneurial, fast-growing firm headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Dallas, Texas. The firm’s presence from coast to coast allows us to serve clients throughout the United States and internationally. In our 20+ year history, we have established a track record of making lasting impacts on organizational performance and helping executives improve business outcomes. In a career with Metis Strategy you will experience high growth as you encounter new challenges with each client engagement; have a high degree of autonomy to craft the direction of your work; and become empowered to work directly with thought-leaders, C-level clients, and other decision-makers.

Responsibilities of an Associate

The Consulting Associate in Metis Strategy’s Data & AI Practice plays a key role in supporting client engagements focused on developing and delivering data-driven and AI-enabled strategies for large enterprises. You will collaborate with teammates and client stakeholders to unlock growth, operational efficiency, and measurable impact through advanced analytics, responsible AI, data governance, and technology transformation initiatives. As an Associate, you will apply proprietary frameworks and strategic methodologies to help clients assess their maturity, identify high-value use cases, prioritize investments, and enable enterprise-wide adoption of data and AI solutions.

In this role, you will collaborate with teams to assess client data and AI maturity, leveraging Metis Strategy’s diagnostic frameworks across people, process, technology, data, and culture. You will support the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of AI and analytics use cases by utilizing standardized business case templates to analyze their impact, feasibility, and return on investment. You will gather and synthesize stakeholder perspectives through interviews, workshops, and surveys, translating these insights into actionable recommendations and strategic opportunity maps for clients. You will contribute to the development of AI operating models, governance structures, and change management plans that enable the responsible and scalable adoption of AI across business functions.

• Support client engagements by gathering business requirements, data needs, and technical constraints, helping translate them into practical data/AI solutions.
• Assist in the design and implementation of data/AI architectures, including contributing to conceptual and logical data models.
• Apply established standards, best practices, and governance policies to ensure data quality, security, and compliance.
• Support the evaluation and integration of data/AI tools and platforms under guidance from senior architects.
• Contribute to the design of data flows, integration patterns, and pipelines across systems and cloud environments.
• Collaborate with data engineers and technical teams to implement solutions aligned with architectural guidelines.
• Develop prototypes and proof of concepts (PoCs) to validate solution approaches before full-scale implementation.
• Write and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) scripts (e.g., Terraform, AWS CloudFormation) to support cloud environment configuration.
• Review code and architecture to identify technical debt, resolve bottlenecks, and improve system performance.
• Assist in modernization efforts, including migrating legacy systems to cloud-based data platforms.
• Help document data architectures, models, and processes to support knowledge sharing and consistency.
• Work closely with stakeholders to support data management, governance, and lifecycle activities.

Qualifications And Expectations

• 4 to 6 years of relevant experience in data engineering, analytics, software development, or related roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or a related field.
• Foundational understanding of data architecture concepts, data modeling, and data integration.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, or GCP) and modern data ecosystems is a plus.
• Exposure to data governance, data quality, and security principles is desirable.
• Basic experience with data tools (e.g., SQL, Python, Tableau, Excel, or similar).
• Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to learn in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to clearly present ideas and collaborate with team members.
• High level of motivation, curiosity, and a proactive, “roll up your sleeves” mindset.
• Ability to balance technical learning with business context and client needs.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, and strong interpersonal skills.

What We Look For

• Leadership: A healthy balance of intellectual curiosity, confidence, humility, creativity, and empathy, with the ability to coach junior team members and senior clients
• Relevant Experience: Technology and business acumen with concrete examples of having helped companies solve complex business problems using a combination of people, process, and technology solutions
• Problem Solving: Innovative problem-solving skills and entrepreneurial spirit, with the ability to turn ideas into action in pursuit of personal, team, and firm growth targets
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate complex ideas concisely, tailored appropriately for different audiences (executive to operational) and media (presentations, white papers, emails, etc.)
• C-Level Interactions: Ability to produce polished and compelling analyses and recommendations for C-level initiatives
• Relationship Orientation: Willingness to learn from, and collaborate with, others to build strong relationships with clients and team members
• Motivation: Entrepreneurial grit with an outcome-oriented approach to business and an energetic “roll up your sleeves” mentality
• Curiosity: High intellectual curiosity and intrinsic interest in, and knowledge of, emerging technologies and their applications in business contexts
• Work Status: Eligibility to work in the U.S. without sponsorship is preferred

What Metis Strategy Has to Offer

Successful candidates will be motivated by the desire to make a difference by helping our clients achieve and maintain strategic and operational excellence while continuously improving their own skill set and embracing emerging intellectual challenges.

This position is also eligible for bonus compensation. Additional benefits include but are not limited to:

• comprehensive medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance;
• parental leave, and family benefits;
• retirement contributions;
• stipend for continued learning;
• paid time off, and more.

Compensation and benefits are competitive and will be commensurate with each candidate’s qualifications and relevant work experience.

If you are driven by the desire to help some of the world’s most renowned companies solve complex business problems and excited by the intersection of business strategy and technological innovation, you will enjoy being a part of our team.

The Pay Range For This Role Is

75,000 - 135,000 USD per year(West Coast Office)