Principal IT Consultant

Archetype SC, Inc•Myrtle Beach, SC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal IT Consultant / IT Architect is a strategic leader responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing complex, enterprise-level IT infrastructures for a diverse range of clients. This role requires deep technical expertise in IT architecture, including cloud environments, systems and infrastructure, IT security, and automation. You will serve as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders, lead multi-disciplinary teams, and drive innovation across projects. Equally important, you will own the commercial side of the work: sizing effort, recommending hours and resource mix, and aligning client budgets to the outcomes they are buying. As a key technical authority, you will shape IT strategies, solve high-level challenges, and mentor senior engineers, ensuring the successful delivery of cutting-edge IT solutions. Archetype SC is seeking an elite-level Principal IT Consultant / IT Architect to lead the design, strategy, and implementation of complex IT solutions across a diverse client base. This role requires visionary leadership, technical mastery, and strategic foresight to shape the future of IT architecture. As a Principal Consultant or Architect, you will drive the technical direction of IT projects, establish best practices, and mentor senior IT engineers. This is a pivotal role, ideal for someone who thrives on innovation, solving high-level IT challenges, and collaborating with both clients and internal teams. Location: Myrtle Beach, SC preferred; open to qualified candidates throughout the Southeast.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in IT engineering, architecture, or IT consulting with an emphasis on large-scale enterprise environments.
Proven consulting ability, including discovery, requirements definition, and managing client expectations through difficult conversations.
Proven expertise in architecting and implementing IT infrastructures, including data centers, enterprise systems, virtualization, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and IT automation.
Hands-on experience with enterprise-grade technologies from vendors like Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, Palo Alto, and Fortinet.
Deep knowledge of IT security, including identity and access management, endpoint and perimeter security, and zero-trust architecture.
Demonstrated ability to translate business requirements into technical designs, while balancing performance, scalability, and security considerations.
Demonstrated experience scoping and estimating consulting engagements, including level-of-effort models, resource planning, and SOW development.
Working knowledge of consulting commercial models (fixed-fee, time-and-materials, retainer, and managed services) and the levers that drive project margin and client satisfaction.
Ability to frame technical recommendations in financial terms for executive and financial stakeholders.
Strong leadership capabilities with a history of managing cross-functional teams and mentoring senior technical staff.
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to present and defend technical decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Proven experience in client-facing roles, with the ability to manage executive-level client relationships and drive successful outcomes.

Nice To Haves

Architect-level credentials such as CISSP, TOGAF, AWS Solutions Architect, or Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
Additional relevant certifications.
Extensive experience in cloud environments, hybrid/multi-cloud strategies, and edge computing solutions.
Expertise in emerging technologies.
Familiarity with DevOps practices and IT automation.
Familiarity with professional services automation (PSA) tools for forecasting, utilization tracking, and project financial reporting.

Responsibilities

Define the strategic vision for IT architecture and serve as the top technical authority in the design, implementation, and optimization of advanced IT solutions.
Lead complex, multi-disciplinary IT projects from conception through completion, including cloud infrastructure, data centers, virtualization, and IT automation.
Collaborate with executive leadership and clients to develop technology roadmaps, ensuring IT solutions align with business goals and future growth.
Design and architect scalable, secure, and high-performance IT infrastructures that meet the needs of global enterprises.
Oversee the integration of new IT technologies into existing environments, ensuring seamless transitions with minimal disruption to client operations.
Lead pre-sales efforts, including developing and presenting technical solutions to clients, assisting with proposals, and contributing to business development.
Provide expert consulting services in areas such as IT security, high-availability architectures, disaster recovery, and compliance.
Develop level-of-effort estimates for proposed engagements, recommending hours, resource mix, and timelines that are realistic, defensible, and aligned to the complexity of the work.
Align client budgets with business outcomes, advising on phasing, trade-offs, and prioritization so that every dollar invested maps to a measurable result.
Author and review statements of work (SOWs), scoping documents, and change orders, clearly defining deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and acceptance criteria.
Partner with sales and delivery leadership on pricing strategy, margin targets, and risk assessment across fixed-fee, time-and-materials, retainer, and managed services engagements.
Monitor burn rate, utilization, and budget-to-actual performance on active projects, surfacing variances early and recommending corrective action before they affect the client or the engagement margin.
Advise clients on total cost of ownership (TCO), return on investment (ROI), and cloud and licensing cost optimization as a core part of technology roadmap planning.
Serve as the escalation point for complex IT issues that require deep technical expertise and innovative problem-solving.
Drive continuous improvement and optimization of IT infrastructure through the development and implementation of cutting-edge solutions.
Mentor senior IT consultants and engineers, sharing knowledge and promoting technical growth within the team.
Keep pace with the latest advancements in IT, evaluating and integrating new tools, platforms, and methodologies to maintain Archetype SC’s competitive edge.