Principal Consultant (Public Sector)

Appian; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Continuous training and mentorship

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Job summary

A leading process automation company in McLean, VA is seeking a Principal Technical Consultant to engage with public sector clients post-sales. You will lead projects to develop software solutions on the Appian platform, leveraging your skills in software development and technical consulting. Candidates should have a passion for technology, excellent communication skills, and at least 7 years of experience. This role requires in-office presence 4-5 days a week to foster team collaboration.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of hands-on software development or technical consulting experience.
• Strong understanding of object-oriented programming and database design.
• History of success on cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects throughout the entire project life-cycle.
• Develop custom software and AI solutions using Appian's platform.
• Collaborate with client's technical teams and business users.

Skills

Mentoring/developing others

Client communication

Agile methodologies

SQL skills

Education

B.S./B.A. in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Relational databases

Job description

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellencedefine who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you'll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

Are you looking to combine your passion for technology with your penchant for strategic problem solving? Appian Customer success is obsessed with great customer outcomes. We deliver mission‑critical business impact fast, and are directly responsible for partnering with our customers to bring their best ideas to life. Joining the Customer Success team will provide you with the support and growth you need to strengthen and evolve your skills within the consulting field.

We are seeking a Principal Technical Consultant to join our Customer Success Public Sector team. In this role, you will be engaging with our public sector customers post‑sales to develop software solutions on the Appian platform. These applications help companies drive digital transformation and competitive differentiation. Your primary responsibility will be to lead projects and work throughout the entire project life‑cycle to define, design, develop and implement custom software and AI solutions using Appian's platform for our commercial clients. This includes working within an agile environment to understand our client's business processes and technical needs, launch new relational data models in production, developing APIs to integrate with multiple systems, partnering with Appian Architects and Technical Delivery Managers, and leading/mentoring consultants through fast‑paced software implementations. You'll brainstorm AI use cases and implement Appian's AI tools by applying retrieval augment generation (RAG), agentic workflows, prompt engineering and the latest generative models as a part of transforming how customers run their organization. You will also collaborate with client's technical teams and business users as needed throughout the entire software and development life cycle and drive adoption by empowering clients to become self‑sufficient with building process applications on their own.

This role is based at our HQ in McLean, VA. Appian was built on a culture of in‑person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 4‑5 days per week to foster that culture, ensure we thrive through shared ideas and teamwork, and maximize opportunities to connect with the exceptional people across Appian. While working in‑person with customers is our main priority, we also believe the office environment enables more opportunities to celebrate wins, collaborate effectively, and build strong relationships across teams.

To be successful in this role, you need:

• Passion for mentoring/developing others and experience leading teams through post‑sale software implementation
• Ability to work with clients to define business processes and gather functional and technical system requirements
• Excellent communication skills, passion for technology and continuous learning, and affinity for asking "why" and solving the right problems
• History of success on cross‑functional teams; experience building products using agile methodologies (pair programming, stand‑ups, planning sessions, and sprints)
• Basic understanding of object‑oriented programming, experience working with relational databases and database design/data modeling, and SQL skills (writing queries, joins, views, etc)
• Knowledge of software testing practices (test‑driven development, automated test suites within a continuous integration framework); integrations experience using APIs such as REST and SOAP, JDBC connections, and web services; familiarity with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Analytics, Machine Learning, Google Cloud, Application Integration, Database, Developer Tools, Management & Governance, and Elastic Containers is preferred

Basic qualifications:

• US Citizenship - candidates being considered for a Public Sector roles must be a U.S. citizen
• 7+ years of experience with hands‑on software development or technical consulting
• B.S./B.A. in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics or related field/degree
• Willingness to travel; 10% or less annually to support customer engagement

Tools and Resources

• Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department‑specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First‑Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.
• Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.
• Community: We'll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee‑led affinity groups. These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

Benefits

Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future. Benefits may include health coverage, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free mental health support, life and disability insurance, an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), a retirement/pension plan, wellness dollars, tuition reimbursement, family‑forming benefits and more. Benefits vary by country‑please ask your Talent Acquisition contact for details specific to the location you are applying to.

About Appian

Appian provides process automation technology. We automate complex processes in large enterprises and governments. Our platform is known for its unique reliability and scale. We've been automating processes for 25 years and understand enterprise operations like no one else. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

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Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail]. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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