Principal Technical Advisor/Architect

Job description

At RAVL, we connect strategy with execution, care deeply about the people we work with, and measure success by the lasting impact we leave behind. Our purpose is to build a team that puts real, sustainable business outcomes at the core of everything we do. We’re here to leave our clients better than we found them, and to create a place where our people are proud to Build. Better. As a **Principal Technical Advisor / Architect at RAVL**, you’ll operate at the intersection of strategy, AI, architecture, and executive trust. You’ll bring deep technical authority and advisory presence — shaping complex solution landscapes while helping clients make confident, informed decisions. This role goes beyond designing systems and solutions: you’ll synthesize data, constraints, and business context into clear insights that guide both C-suite direction and hands-on delivery teams. You’ll work closely with executive stakeholders, engineering leaders, and delivery teams to ensure architectures are not only technically sound, but aligned to outcomes, risk posture, and long-term value. ### What does success look like in this role? - Serve as a trusted technical advisor to client executives, providing clear guidance on AI, architecture, trade-offs, and technology strategy - Build RAVLs technical advisory capability by shaping client offerings and building skills within the organization - Architect secure, scalable, and resilient solutions across AI, cloud, application, data, and integration domains - Translate complex business and technical inputs into coherent architectures, roadmaps, and decision-ready insights - Incorporate AI into solutions to achieve measurable business outcomes - Assess current-state environments, identifying systemic risks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for modernization - Lead architectural decision-making, producing clear recommendations supported by data, experience, and pragmatic reasoning - Communicate effectively across audiences — from C-level executives to developers — tailoring depth and language as needed - Guide engineering teams on architectural intent, patterns, and constraints while respecting delivery realities - Define and evolve architectural standards, reference architectures, and decision records to support consistency and governance - Influence outcomes through credibility, clarity of thought, and the ability to simplify complexity - At higher impact levels: shape technology direction across multiple engagements, mentor senior architects, and elevate architectural maturity within client organizations ### Sounds great, but do my skills fit? - Senior-level experience architecting and advising on enterprise-scale or mission-critical systems - Sophisticated executive demeanor, comfortable functioning at the highest levels of client organizations - Deep expertise in modern architecture patterns, including modular services architectures, event-driven architectures, and domain-oriented design - Expert knowledge of AI including platforms, LLMs, harnesses, guardrails, governance and supporting tooling - Strong hands-on knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and their architectural trade-offs - Experience designing integration-heavy environments using APIs, messaging, and event streaming technologies - Proven ability to engage credibly with executives, facilitating discussions that balance business priorities, risk, and technical feasibility - Comfort synthesizing complex data, requirements, and constraints into actionable recommendations and insights - Strong grounding in security, identity, and governance considerations within distributed systems - Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD, observability, and operational excellence as architectural concerns - Consulting mindset: structured thinking, empathy, strong facilitation skills, and the ability to create clarity in ambiguous situations ### Mindset Traits - **Delivery-first** – balances architecture vision with delivery pragmatism - **System thinker** – connects business strategy with technical implementation - **Influential** – guides teams through clarity, trust, and technical authority - **Collaborative** – thrives on co-design and continuous feedback across disciplines ### Why join RAVL? - Flexible, client-aligned work model — autonomy with accountability, adapting to client delivery needs - Variable bonus & RRSP contributions tied to performance and delivery impact - 4 weeks paid time off (plus public holidays) - Paid professional development days and continuous learning opportunities - Comprehensive health & dental coverage, including mental health support - Commitment to lifelong learning — continuous improvement through training, mentorship, and certification