Senior AI-Native Architect

Software Engineering Institute | Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University seeks an AI-Native Architect to help organizations modernize systems at scale with AI-enabled workflows. You will design and prototype architectures, guide engineering teams, and apply AI to improve software delivery and quality.

The role focuses on creating AI-native software engineering strategies, collaborating with researchers and industry partners, and advancing CMU's architecture-scale modernization efforts.

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of software architecture and software engineering fundamentals.
• Broad knowledge of architecture principles, practices, and tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to explain complex ideas clearly.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers and guiding teams.
• Track record of architecting or rearchitecting systems at scale.

Responsibilities

• Assess customer system challenges and propose technical solutions.
• Review systems and design modernization strategies.
• Create novel architectures and reference architectures for various domains.
• Coach engineering teams to achieve architecture-scale changes.
• Prototype systems and agentic workflows for AI-native software.
• Apply AI to diverse architecture challenges and document learnings.

Skills

Software architecture

Software engineering fundamentals

Communication skills

Mentoring & coaching

Architecting at scale

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/SE

MS in CS/SE

PhD in related field

Job description

The future of software engineering is AI-native. Our team works to shape that future through pioneering research, practical engineering methods, and close collaboration with government, industry, and academia.

At the AI-Native Software Engineering Directorate, we focus on how today’s engineering teams can quickly exploit emerging technologies and harness AI capabilities to create and evolve software quickly without losing fundamental software qualities.

To address this new world, we :

• study and guide industry and government teams’ use of AI in software engineering
• distill best practices and lessons from experiments and experience to shape AI-native software engineering
• pilot and transition improvements with organizations and measure their success
• create novel agents and agentic workflows to support software engineering
• apply AI to accelerate architecture-scale modernization
• help organizations establish AI-native software engineering practices
• guide organizations in evolving their software with architecture and AI-native approaches

Our overarching goal is to create new workflows and tools that enable AI-paced delivery of software without loss of quality. We’re seeking candidates with a demonstrated track record who are motivated to shape AI-native software engineering.

AI-Native Architect

As an AI-Native Architect, you will focus on helping organizations solve architecture-scale challenges with the assistance of AI. Common challenges include modernizing legacy systems, rearchitecting systems to enable insertion of new technologies, and creating new architectures and reference architectures across different domains. New challenges include creation and evolution of agentic workflows, both for business processes and software engineering activities. You will help advance our AI-Native Software Engineering strategy by solving challenges such as:

• assessing customer system challenges and recommending technical solutions
• reviewing existing systems against today’s challenges and designing modernization strategies
• creating novel architectures and reference architectures to address customer challenges
• coaching engineering teams in achieving architecture-scale changes
• architecting and prototyping systems and agentic workflows
• identifying opportunities to apply AI to diverse architecture challenges
• sharing experiences, solutions, and practice improvements with the technical community through publications and presentations

You will have the opportunity to work with world class software engineers, researchers, and data scientists working on national and global scale problems.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of software architecture and software engineering fundamentals
• Broad knowledge of architecture principles, practices, and tools
• Ability to quickly learn new problem domains and technologies
• A track record of architecting or rearchitecting systems at scale
• A track record of aligning development activities with planned architectures
• Ability to keep up with and adapt to rapidly changing technical advances
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey complex technical ideas in a layperson’s terms to stakeholders with different backgrounds
• Proficiency developing task plans or roadmaps to solve complex problems
• Strong collaboration skills for working with colleagues and sponsors
• Willingness and ability to guide and mentor junior team members

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or related discipline with ten (10) years of experience; OR MS in the same fields with eight (8) years of experience; OR PhD with five (5) years of experience.
• You will be subject to a background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.
• Willing to travel up to 25% of the time to locations outside of your home location. Travel sites include SEI offices in Washington, D.C., sponsor sites, and conferences.

Desired Experience

• Experience leading engineering teams to produce successful outcomes for industry or government projects
• Successful application of AI to improve software engineering activities
• Experience working with leadership to plan, develop, and deliver an overall technical strategy
• Experience drafting work proposals

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function

Software/Applications Development/Engineering

Position Type

Staff – Regular

Full time/Part time

Full time

Pay Basis

Salary

More Information:

• Please visit “Why Carnegie Mellon” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world.

• Click here to view a listing of employee benefits

• Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

• Statement of Assurance