Position: Development Architect
Location: Fully Remote (Available in 32 States*) | Preference for West Coast, NY, DC, or Chicago. Compensation: $180,000 -- $200,000 + Exceptional Benefits (Includes a 7-hour workday)
Company Overview
Our client is a premier, global litigation powerhouse, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and formidable law firms in the world. Unlike traditional full-service firms, they specialize exclusively in high-stakes litigation and trial work, representing the world's most sophisticated organizations in "bet-the-company" disputes.
The Mission
The firm is standing up a pioneer program to move away from "shadow IT" and toward a robust, governed development program. As the first dedicated architectural hire, you won't just be managing projects; you will be defining the architectural context for the entire firm. You will own the SDLC, determine the tool stack, and ensure that AI implementation is both cutting-edge and compliant with ISO/SOC II standards.
What You'll Do
- Establish the Blueprint: Define enterprise development standards, coding conventions, and architectural patterns across low-code, integration, and custom-built applications.
- Own the SDLC: Move the firm from project-by-project decision-making to a cohesive, enterprise-grade practice. You will define what "production-ready" means for the organization.
- AI Governance: Partner with Infosec to implement frontier AI models (Claude Code, Gemini, Harvey) while maintaining compliance.
- Technical Authority: Serve as the go-to expert for internal teams and external partners. You will be hands-on in code reviews, refactoring, and vetting solutions before they hit production.
- Integration Strategy: Define connector standards and agent-to-system protocols to eliminate data silos and duplicated code.
Technical Stack & Focus
- Ecosystem: The firm is primarily a Microsoft shop (Azure), but the role itself is tech-agnostic.
- AI Tools: We are looking for frontier model experience (Claude Code, Codex, Harvey AI, Gemini). Note: The firm is specifically looking for alternatives to standard Copilot.
- Platforms: Extensive use of Airtable (low-code/no-code) and Salesforce.
- Compliance: Strong focus on ISO 27001 or SOC 2 compliance frameworks.
Who You Are
- Systems Thinker: You don't just see the project in front of you; you see how individual decisions create downstream dependencies.
- Hands-on Professional: You have 7+ years of experience. You aren't an "ivory tower" architect; you still enjoy writing, reviewing, and refactoring code.
- Ego-Free & Forward-Thinking: You are a senior developer ready for the next step into architecture. You stay on top of emerging tech and bring "strong opinions, loosely held."
- Pragmatic Governor: You know how to balance strict security standards with the reality that speed matters in a fast-moving, elite environment.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in CS, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.
- 7+ years of hands-on experience in software development with progressive responsibility in architecture or lead roles.
- Proven track record of establishing development governance (architectural reviews, CI/CD pipelines, code quality standards).
- Experience in professional services, legal, or partnership-driven environments is highly preferred.
The Perks & Fine Print
- Work-Life Balance: Unique 7-hour workday policy.
- Remote Flexibility: While fully remote, the firm has a preference for candidates in the West Coast (LA/SF), NY, DC, or Chicago.
- Salary: $180,000 - $20,000 + 5-10% Bonus
Approved Hiring States: AR, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI.