Associate Director, Software Architect – AI/ML

Role Summary

Associate Director, Software Architect – AI/ML (based in Cambridge, MA).

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop AI/ML-driven software for R&D, including large language model services and multiagent orchestration to solve R&D challenges (e.g. knowledge extraction, medical writing, drug design, clinical trial optimization, etc.).
• Define and document the end-to-end technical architecture for new and existing software applications, including system components, services, and integrations.
• Develop and maintain the long-term technical roadmap, ensuring it aligns with business goals and industry best practices.
• Lead the design of robust, scalable, and secure solutions that meet both functional and non-functional requirements.
• Evaluate and select appropriate technologies, frameworks, languages, and tools for new projects. Validate new architectural approaches and technologies. Drive rigorous build-vs-buy analyses, recommending when to leverage partner ecosystem solutions.
• Establish and enforce architectural standards, coding best practices, and design patterns across the R&D organization. Champion and drive the adoption of modern architectural paradigms such as microservices, event-driven architecture, and serverless computing.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to multiple agile development teams. Mentor senior and junior engineers in cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
• Work closely with product managers, business analysts, and other stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical specifications and architectural designs.
• Collaborate with DevOps teams to ensure that the architecture is designed for continuous integration, deployment (CI/CD), and operational excellence.
• Imagine the art of the possible—think creatively to envision bold AI innovations and translate those visions into enterprise-class, production-ready solutions.

Qualifications

• BS degree in computer science, engineering or related field. MS or higher degree preferred.
• 8+ years of industry experience in architecting, building, launching, and maintaining end-to-end ML systems from whiteboard to production at scale across a range of models and platforms, including hands-on coding with LLMs and agentic AI frameworks. Experience with AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and scientific data integration. Experience with ML Ops concepts related to testing, retraining, and monitoring models in production. Experience in configuring and working in different coding environments (local, notebooks, containers) and using standard software engineering workflows (testing, code management/Git, CI/CD).
• A track record of partnering cross-functionally with a wide range of stakeholders and cross-functional teams to develop and deploy novel data solutions in production environments.
• Demonstrated passion for making complex technology more accessible and the ability to communicate complex technical topics simply and convincingly to a wide range of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability in translating big picture business and product ideas into micro use cases and has a strong focus on solving core problems to deliver straightforward, effective solutions.
• Experience recognizing and communicating the implications of emerging technologies.
• Excellent communication, prioritization, and interpersonal skills, with a high level of attention to detail.
• An enthusiasm to ask questions and try and learn new things is essential.
• Ability to be agile, adaptable, and drive change.
• Ability to work in global matrix organization with a high degree of uncertainty.
• Experience in life sciences and healthcare desirable.

Education

• BS in computer science, engineering or related field; MS or higher preferred.