Principal Solutions Architect

Code for America

1d • Remote

About The Position

Code for America is looking for a talented Principal Solutions Architect who will collaborate with government partners and deliver technical guidance to transform the way the government delivers services to communities in need. In this role, you’ll work with a team of designers, researchers, engineers, product managers, and policy experts across our program portfolios. You will spend time with key government agencies to build rapport with their technical team, understand their technical needs, and develop a shared understanding of the role that this program can play in helping them achieve their goals. This will involve identifying and designing technical solutions to improve access to their programs. Solutions Architects at Code for America are an integral component of all of our program areas. There are currently three program areas at Code for America: Criminal Justice, which focuses on Automatic Record Clearance, Tax Benefits, which focuses on free trustworthy tax services and simplified tax filing, And the Social Safety Net. Focus areas in this portfolio include food benefits, integrated benefits applications, and training & capacity building. This role will report to the VP of New Ventures and is expected to travel no more than 10% of the time. Code for America is based in California and can employ those who reside full-time within the United States. This is a remote position.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience as a Software Engineer, Solutions Engineer, or Solutions Architect with experience leading projects and interacting with customers.
• 4+ years of experience coding backend systems and data infrastructure in an industry-standard language (Python, Java, C#, Ruby, etc).
• 2+ years of experience in applying or integrating emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI models) into existing workflows or new solutions.
• Ability to engage in research to learn about current systems and architecture, and then incorporate this knowledge to design new solutions and new architectures.
• Ability to identify modular, reusable solutions, thinking in primitives and capabilities rather than one-off scripts.
• Strong self management skills and a proven ability to manage multiple engagements simultaneously.
• Fundamentally curious and empathetic; able to thoughtfully balance partner, user, and team needs and identify solutions that move the work forward towards greater impact.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Tenacity and adaptability; able to navigate relationships, ambiguity, and technical challenges and unblock yourself and your team.
• Passion for our mission of making government services better for people who need them most.
• Fast learning curve and capacity to get up to speed in new tech stacks whenever needed.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with or in government.
• Personal experience with or professional experience working within the justice system, social safety net or other mission-relevant government services.
• Experience applying knowledge graphs or GraphRAG patterns to connect disparate data sources, such as eligibility systems, case management, or benefits data.
• Experience with government procurement processes.
• Active contribution to open source projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical advisement, implementation, migration, and integration projects for government safety net services.
• Assist in project planning and drafting statements of work and technical requirements.
• Build and integrate AI-powered solutions—including LLMs, agentic orchestration, RAG—ensuring they are mitigate biases and remain to the people they serve.
• Implement proof-of-concept applications, software installations, and custom development projects.
• Ability to think in "primitives" and "capabilities," preferring modular, reusable frameworks over bespoke scripts.
• Design and implement flexible solutions to challenges involving data quality, normalization and spread.
• Work closely with cross-functional government partners to clarify problems and understand system constraints, and offer feasible and high-value technical solutions that consider the needs of all stakeholders.
• Provide technical perspectives and expertise in service of improved government services for government agencies, organizational stakeholders, and other key audiences.
• Evaluate the technical landscape and partner capacity for prospective new state engagements, drafting assessments and recommendations.
• Assist in documenting and communicating technical best practices and in the framing of government RFPs.
• Estimate project scope and rough project plans for government initiatives.
• Assist in project planning and drafting statements of work: work closely with clients to build out detailed technical requirement and specification documents.
• Build and maintain relationships and develop technical champions within government and partner organizations.
• Work closely with cross-functional government partners to clarify problems and understand system constraints, and offer feasible and high-value technical solutions that consider the needs of all stakeholders.
• Participate in calls with government partners and provide written resources to communicate complex technical concepts.
• Mentorship, Organizational Influence & Other Duties As Assigned

Benefits

• Laptop provided
• A one-time $700 payment for remote environment setup; $200 stipend (in first paycheck) and up to $500 reimbursement, in accordance with our equipment policy
• Cell phone and/or internet reimbursement of $50 per month
• $500 annual (per calendar year) stipend towards professional development; prorated at time of hire
• Up to $500 of professional development funds can be rolled over each year, up to a maximum of $1000
• Training / guidance for staff required to utilize AI as part of their role, plus opportunities for employees to gain AI-related skills to support job and career growth
• 100% employer match on the first 3% of contributions for 401k
• Additional 50% match on contributions between 3% and 5% for employees with 3+ years of service, for a maximum employer contribution of 5%
• At least one no cost health insurance option for full-time employees for employee-only coverage
• A minimum of 80% of the cost of dependent coverage
• Open personal time off (subject to manager approval)
• A minimum of 14 paid holidays
• Org-wide closure from Christmas Day through New Year's Day
• Paid sick time; up to 96 hours annually
• 17 weeks of paid parental and family leave
• 3 weeks of paid sabbatical after 5 years of service

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees