Principal Technical Architect

Appnovation; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Appnovation seeks a Principal Technical Architect to lead the technical strategy and architecture of a key digital platform. You will own the platform’s direction, ensure modern security, scalability, reuse, and alignment with enterprise standards, and guide engineering teams that build and operate it.

You will collaborate with senior business and Digital leaders to translate needs into architecture, invest in sustainable technical practices, and champion governance and reliability at global

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead and develop engineering teams and architectures.
• Solid analytical, problem solving and decision‑making skills.
• Customer‑facing mindset and ability to partner with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define and advance the platform’s technical direction to align with enterprise standards.
• Serve as the design authority for the platform, determining its target architecture and standards.
• Lead and develop the engineering teams building and operating the platform at scale.
• Partner with senior business and Digital leaders to translate needs into architectural choices and measurable outcomes.
• Apply AI, automation, and modern engineering practices to improve speed, quality and governance.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Decision making

Effective communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Information Systems

Job description

• As a Principal Technical Architect (Senior Director level), you will join a highly motivated and experienced team as the senior technical leader accountable for the technical strategy and architecture of one of our key digital platforms
• You will define and advance the platform’s technical direction — ensuring it is modern, secure, scalable, reusable and aligned to enterprise architecture standards — translate ambiguous enterprise and divisional needs into a clear target architecture, and guide the engineering teams that build and operate it
• We are looking for a senior, hands‑on leader who can create clarity from complexity, make sound architecture and investment trade‑offs, and set the technical standards that deliver faster, safer and more reusable digital capabilities at global scale
• Platform Technical Strategy: Own the technical strategy for the platform, connecting business priorities, enterprise architecture standards, and emerging technology into a clear, actionable roadmap and target‑state architecture
• Architecture and Design Authority: Serve as the design authority for the platform, defining its target architecture, key technical standards, and integration patterns, and ensuring major technical decisions are sound, sustainable, and fit for enterprise scale
• Platform Engineering Leadership: Lead and develop the engineering team(s) that build and operate the platform, ensuring investments are modern, secure, scalable, reusable, and aligned to enterprise priorities
• Stakeholder Partnership: Partner with senior business and Digital leaders, product owners, and divisional teams to translate ambiguous needs into practical technical choices, delivery models, and measurable outcomes
• AI-Enabled Delivery: Define how AI, automation, and modern engineering practices are responsibly applied to the platform to increase speed, improve quality, strengthen decision‑making, and maintain appropriate governance and verification
• Technical Talent and Culture: Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing team of engineers and technical leads, creating a culture of technical excellence, hands‑on credibility, business partnership, accountability, inclusion, and continuous learning
• Reliability, Security, and Governance: Establish and uphold expectations for reliability, security, documentation, and operational excellence across the platform, ensuring it is compliant, observable, and resilient at global scale

Proven ability to lead and develop engineering teams, including engineers, architects, and technical leadsYou have solid analytical, problem solving and decision‑making skillsYou are responsive and thrive in a fast‑paced diverse high‑performance environment with rapidly changing business needsDeep, hands‑on technical expertise in modern engineering practices, cloud platforms, data and integration patterns, APIs, security, and reliabilityYou have customer first mindset and a devotion to customer serviceYou have prior experience in consultingYou set high standards for code quality, performance/scalability and security and seek continuous improvementYou think about how to scale, automate and operate, not just how to build a solution to an immediate problemYou have strong self‑initiative, passion, interpersonal, oral and written communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work, influence and make an impact in a cross‑functional environment with all levels of the organizationYou understand lean thinkingDemonstrated experience owning the technical strategy and architecture of a significant platform, product, or technology domainExperience partnering with senior business and Digital stakeholders to shape technical direction, investment choices, and measurable outcomesPrior experience and connections in the Life Sciences industry is preferredBachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, with significant senior engineering and technical leadership experience in enterprise platforms, cloud, or large‑scale technology deliveryYou engage and build positive internal and external client relationships, while managing multiple initiatives, often with competing prioritiesYou actively seek out things outside your comfort zone with the ability to rapidly learn and take advantage of new concepts, business models, and technologies

WHO YOU ARE

• Advanced degree in a technology, engineering, or related discipline
• Recognized technical depth in the platform’s core technology domain (e.g., agent platforms, data fabric, developer experience, colleague-facing AI, or cyber defence, as applicable)
• Experience applying AI-enabled delivery, automation, and platform reuse to improve speed and quality
• Track record of influencing senior leaders, building trusted partnerships, and creating clarity in ambiguous, high‑impact situations
• Experience operating in a highly regulated, global enterprise environment with complex compliance, privacy, security, and risk expectations