Lead Software Architect - Innovation

Client Resources, Inc.; Omaha (NE); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Client Resources, Inc. is seeking an experienced Lead Software Architect – Innovation to provide strategic architecture leadership across complex enterprise initiatives.

You will shape the future-state technology landscape, modernize legacy platforms, and leverage cloud, AI, automation, APIs, and event-driven architecture to drive business outcomes. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise with the ability to influence strategy, guide engineering teams, and translate business

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in software architecture and modernization.
• Experience with mainframe modernization.
• Expert knowledge of cloud-native and distributed architectures, APIs, microservices, and event-driven systems.
• Strong technical background with AWS, Java, containerization, relational/non-relational databases, and mainframe technologies.
• Experience applying Domain Driven Design (DDD) and designing around business domains and bounded contexts.
• Strong understanding of scalability, resiliency, performance, integration patterns, and distributed system design.
• Experience evaluating and implementing AI, automation, intelligent workflow, data architecture, and predictive analytics solutions.
• Experience with architecture governance, security, privacy, compliance, enterprise risk, and responsible AI.
• Proven leadership within Agile and SAFe environments.
• Strong strategic thinking, communication, stakeholder management, and technical leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture strategy, solution design, and technology roadmaps for large-scale enterprise initiatives.
• Drive mainframe and legacy modernization, transforming existing platforms into secure, scalable, cloud-ready solutions.
• Design modern cloud-native, distributed, API-driven, microservices, and event-based architectures.
• Partner with Enterprise Architecture, Product Management, engineering teams, business leaders, vendors, and Agile Release Train teams.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and identify opportunities for AI, intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and modern data solutions.
• Lead architecture workshops, proof-of-concepts, rapid prototypes, and technical feasibility assessments.
• Establish architecture standards, governance, security, non-functional requirements, and responsible AI guardrails.
• Evaluate architectural risks and trade-offs while balancing scalability, resiliency, performance, security, maintainability, and business value.
• Coach architects and engineers on modern architecture practices, systems thinking, and engineering excellence.

Skills

Software architecture

Enterprise architecture

Mainframe modernization

Cloud-native

APIs

Microservices

Event-driven

DevSecOps

CI/CD

AWS

Java

Containers

DDD

Bounded contexts

Agile / SAFe

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Tools

AWS

S3

Bedrock

SageMaker

EC2

CDK

SDK

Job description

Lead Software Architect - Innovation
Java Omaha , Nebraska Contract to Hire Omaha Sep 23, 2026

Lead Software Architect – Innovation, Contract to Hire

We are seeking an experienced Lead Software Architect – Innovation to provide strategic architecture leadership across complex enterprise technology initiatives. This role will help shape the future-state technology landscape, modernize legacy platforms, and identify opportunities to leverage cloud, AI, automation, APIs, and event-driven architecture to drive meaningful business outcomes.

The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise along with the ability to influence strategy, guide engineering teams, and translate business objectives into scalable, modern technology solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Lead architecture strategy, solution design, and technology roadmaps for large-scale enterprise initiatives.

Drive mainframe and legacy modernization, transforming existing platforms into secure, scalable, cloud-ready solutions.

Design modern cloud-native, distributed, API-driven, microservices, and event-based architectures.

Partner with Enterprise Architecture, Product Management, engineering teams, business leaders, vendors, and Agile Release Train teams.

Evaluate emerging technologies and identify opportunities for AI, intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and modern data solutions.

Lead architecture workshops, proof-of-concepts, rapid prototypes, and technical feasibility assessments.

Establish architecture standards, governance, security, non-functional requirements, and responsible AI guardrails.

Evaluate architectural risks and trade-offs while balancing scalability, resiliency, performance, security, maintainability, and business value.

Coach architects and engineers on modern architecture practices, systems thinking, and engineering excellence.

Required Qualifications

8+ years of progressive experience in software architecture, enterprise architecture, software engineering, solution design, and modernization.

Strong experience with mainframe and legacy application modernization.

Expert knowledge of cloud-native and distributed architectures, APIs, microservices, event-driven systems, DevSecOps, and CI/CD.

Strong technical background with AWS, Java, containerization, relational/non-relational databases, and mainframe technologies.

Experience applying Domain Driven Design (DDD) and designing around business domains and bounded contexts.

Strong understanding of scalability, resiliency, performance, integration patterns, and distributed system design.

Experience evaluating and implementing AI, automation, intelligent workflow, data architecture, and predictive analytics solutions.

Experience with architecture governance, security, privacy, compliance, enterprise risk, and responsible AI.

Proven leadership within Agile and SAFe environments.

Strong strategic thinking, communication, stakeholder management, and technical leadership skills.

Preferred

TOGAF certification

Insurance industry experience

AWS experience including S3, Bedrock, SageMaker, EC2, Connect, CDK, and SDK

Familiarity with autonomous/agentic AI systems

Participation in architecture, technology, or industry communities of practice

This is an opportunity for a seasoned architect who enjoys solving complex problems, challenging traditional approaches, and helping an enterprise move from legacy technology toward a modern, AI-enabled future.