AI Systems Architect Consultant

First+Third • Redondo Beach, CA

3d • Remote

About The Position

First & Third is a fully remote boutique web design and development agency specializing in UX/UI, development, and strategy for ecommerce and content-driven brands. We’re building AI-powered systems that combine large language models, automation, and agent-style workflows. What starts as internal tooling has the potential to evolve into more scalable products over time. We move fast, but we don’t want to build carelessly. As these systems become more central to what we do, architectural clarity matters. We’re looking for a senior AI systems consultant who has shipped real-world AI systems and can serve as an ongoing technical sounding board. This is not a coding role and not a product role. It’s a high-leverage consultant position focused on helping us make better architectural decisions. Part-time engagement (approximately 5–10 hours per week). As we expand our AI capabilities, we want a seasoned technical voice who can help us think clearly about what we are building and how we are building it. You will regularly review our proposed system designs and help us evaluate tradeoffs around architecture, orchestration patterns, infrastructure strategy, and evaluation frameworks. In some cases, that may mean validating our approach. In other cases, it may mean challenging our assumptions and redirecting us toward a simpler or more sustainable path. We are not looking for someone to own implementation or manage day-to-day engineering work. Instead, we are looking for a senior systems thinker who can: Pressure-test architectural decisions before they solidify Assess whether an “agent” approach is warranted or unnecessarily complex Evaluate how we structure prompts, memory, orchestration, and feedback loops Advise on infrastructure strategy and long-running system design Help us design thoughtful evaluation and observability layers Challenge sequencing and prioritization when technical order of operations matters You should be comfortable telling us when something does not make sense and offering a better alternative. Success means our technical direction gets sharper and more intentional. We’re not chasing frameworks or overcomplicating problems, we’re making clear architectural decisions and understanding the tradeoffs behind them. With your input, we avoid expensive rewrites and unnecessary complexity. We choose simple solutions when they’re right, and more sophisticated ones when they’re justified. Over time, our systems feel cohesive and well thought out, not like a collection of experiments stitched together. Importantly, what we build isn’t limited to internal tooling. We want the flexibility to evolve these systems into more scalable, outward-facing products if the opportunity is there. That means making architectural choices today that won’t box us in tomorrow. First & Third helps organizations turn strategy into high-impact digital experiences. We’ve partnered with teams like LeanIn.Org, Meta, Billboard, and The Hollywood Reporter. We are proud to be a WordPress VIP partner and Shopify Plus agency.

Requirements

• Real-world experience designing and shipping AI systems that go beyond basic prompt engineering
• Understand how these systems behave under load, where they break, and how complexity compounds over time
• Building or advising on production multi-agent or orchestration-based systems
• Designing long-running AI workflows with evaluation and feedback loops
• Structuring LLM-based systems with attention to latency, cost, and failure modes
• Building internal AI tools (e.g., workflow assistants, Slack-based agents, automation systems)
• Working with a small, fast-moving team where architectural clarity matters

Responsibilities

• Regularly review proposed system designs
• Evaluate tradeoffs around architecture, orchestration patterns, infrastructure strategy, and evaluation frameworks
• Pressure-test architectural decisions before they solidify
• Assess whether an “agent” approach is warranted or unnecessarily complex
• Evaluate how we structure prompts, memory, orchestration, and feedback loops
• Advise on infrastructure strategy and long-running system design
• Help us design thoughtful evaluation and observability layers
• Challenge sequencing and prioritization when technical order of operations matters

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed