Principal Enterprise Architect

Versaterm•Mesa, AZ

35d

About The Position

Versaterm is a global public safety solutions company helping agencies transform how they serve their communities. Since 1977, we’ve been building an ecosystem of intuitive tools designed for public safety agencies, forensic labs, court systems, schools and other institutions. Through purposeful integrations and a selective growth strategy, we focus on improving workflows to help our customers achieve more efficient operations, better service and more just outcomes. Our teams are driven by innovation, expertise and an unwavering commitment to customer success. As we continue to grow and expand our ecosystem, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to solutions that enhance community safety and transform the future of public safety technology. If you’re passionate about making a meaningful difference, we’d love to hear from you. We are seeking a Principal Enterprise Architect to serve as the technical visionary and tactical general behind the transformation of our technology portfolio. You will report directly to the Chief Technology Officer and act as the primary architect for our next-generation platform. This is not purely a strategic role, we’re also looking for someone who is a hands-on leader who can dive into code, design scalable patterns, and lead the technical integration of acquired assets. You will bridge the gap between our monolithic legacy applications and our future as a scalable, AI-driven SaaS provider. If you are a hands-on technical leader with a passion to impact the Public Safety Industry for decades to come, this role is for you.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
15+ years of enterprise architecture experience with a demonstrated track record of leading large-scale architectural transformations, specifically transitioning a legacy on-premises portfolio to a modern cloud architecture.
Direct and significant experience in the Public Safety sector (Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, or 911) with domain expertise in understanding the unique constraints of mission-critical dispatching, evidence management, and the high stakes of downtime.
Hands-on expertise with cloud-native patterns (Containers, Kubernetes, Serverless, Event-Driven Architecture) and multi-tenant SaaS data modeling.
Proven experience architecting solutions for real-time media streaming (WebRTC, RTSP), heavy media storage, and processing. You understand bandwidth constraints and latency issues inherent in field operations.
Deep understanding of modernization techniques and patterns (Strangler Fig pattern, Anti-Corruption Layers, API Gateways) to incrementally modernize legacy systems without disrupting active customers.
Deep familiarity with CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) compliance, FIPS standards, and data sovereignty requirements with the mindset that “you build security into the architecture, not bolt it on later”.
Expert knowledge and experience architecting platforms to support data science workflows including an understanding of how to operationalize AI/ML models for predictive policing, resource allocation, or automated redaction within a production environment.
Advanced knowledge of industry interchange standards such as NIEM (National Information Exchange Model), NIBRS, and CAD-to-CAD interfaces.
Strong influence, negotiation and communication skills with the ability to explain complex architectural decisions to non-technical board members while simultaneously commanding the respect of senior engineers.
Possession of advanced security certifications (CISSP, CISM, or similar) is required
This position requires security clearances due to the nature of our work with public safety agencies. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada and must successfully obtain and maintain a Reliability security clearance from the Government of Canada. Additionally, candidates must comply with the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy and pass a comprehensive, fingerprint-based background check. Please note that specific customer contracts may impose additional security verification requirements. Obtaining and maintaining all required security clearances is a condition of employment.

Responsibilities

Portfolio Convergence & Modernization: Own and define the "North Star" architecture that consolidates distinct product lines (CAD, RMS, Jail, Mobile, Analytics) into a cohesive platform.
Lead and govern the transition from on-premises legacy monoliths to cloud first, modular SaaS architecture.
AI-Native Architecture Strategy: Drive the shift from "AI features" to a holistic "AI-Native" architecture.
Architect the platform to utilize Large Language Models (LLMs), ML and predictive agents as foundational components—multiplying the speed of our engineering delivery and the operational capabilities of our end-users.
Security-First Architecture: Embed security into the DNA of the platform rather than treating it as a compliance checklist.
Champion a "Zero Trust" model across the converged portfolio to meet strict CJIS, SOC2, and FedRAMP requirements.
Bridge the gap between architecture and InfoSec.
M&A Technical Integration: Assess acquired technology stacks and define and design the roadmap for integration.
Make "buy vs. build" decisions and determine how to wrap, rewrite, or retire legacy assets.
Scalable Cloud Architecture: Design and enforce architectural standards for high-availability, multi-tenant cloud environments (AWS/Azure/GovCloud).
Ensure our systems meet the 99.999% availability requirements demanded by public safety.
Real-Time Data Strategy: Architect solutions for high-throughput, low-latency data ingestion, specifically focusing on real-time media (video streaming, NG911 voice, drone feeds) and IoT device integration.