Lead AI/Agentic Architect

Our client is hiring a Lead AI Agentic Architect for a contract to perm opportunity. The client requirements the resource to work onsite 3-4 days a week. The resource must reside in one of the following locations. Denver, CO, Cleveland, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Phoenix, AZ, or Birmingham, AL.

Description

Our client is is seeking an experienced Lead AI / Agentic Architect to provide strategic technical leadership for the design, implementation, and governance of enterprise-scale agentic AI solutions. This role will define the target architecture for next-generation AI agent platforms, lead the transition from Semantic Kernel to the Microsoft Agent Framework, establish governance and orchestration standards, and drive alignment across business, technology, and client stakeholders.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in AI and distributed systems architecture with strong leadership capabilities and experience delivering solutions within highly regulated enterprise environments.

Key Responsibilities:

AI Architecture & Strategy--

Define and own the end-to-end architecture vision for enterprise agentic AI platforms.

Lead the transition from Semantic Kernel to the Microsoft Agent Framework and establish a scalable target-state architecture.

Design and document enterprise agent patterns, orchestration frameworks, communication protocols, and interaction models.

Establish standards for agent lifecycle management, memory, context handling, tool utilization, and multi-agent coordination.

Drive architectural decisions related to AI platform evolution, scalability, resiliency, and maintainability.

Governance & Control Plane Design--

Design and implement governance, control-plane, and Decision OS integration strategies.

Define policies for agent authorization, monitoring, compliance, auditability, and human-in-the-loop controls.

Establish enterprise guardrails for responsible AI, security, risk management, and operational oversight.

Develop frameworks for agent observability, performance measurement, and operational governance.

Platform & Systems Integration--

Lead architecture and integration efforts across Midland and related enterprise platforms.

Design API, event-driven, and service-oriented integration patterns for AI-enabled business workflows.

Collaborate with engineering, platform, and business teams to ensure seamless integration across systems and data sources.

Provide technical guidance on cloud-native architecture, identity management, security, and infrastructure requirements.

Technical Leadership--

Serve as the principal technical authority for agentic AI architecture decisions.

Lead architecture reviews, design sessions, and technical workshops with internal teams and client stakeholders.

Develop reference architectures, design standards, implementation frameworks, and best practices.

Mentor architects, engineers, and technical leads across AI-related initiatives.

Ensure architectural consistency and alignment across all workstreams.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement--

Partner closely with PNC stakeholders to align architecture decisions with business objectives, governance requirements, and enterprise standards.

Communicate complex technical concepts to executive, business, and technical audiences.

Facilitate architecture alignment, risk assessment, and strategic planning discussions.

Support roadmap development and long-term AI transformation initiatives.

Required Qualifications--

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related discipline.

10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, software architecture, or technology leadership roles.

5+ years of experience designing AI, machine learning, or intelligent automation solutions.

Proven experience designing and delivering large-scale enterprise platforms and distributed systems.

Experience with Microsoft AI technologies, including:

Microsoft Agent Framework

Semantic Kernel

Azure OpenAI Service

Azure AI Foundry

Azure AI Search

Microsoft Graph

Strong understanding of:

Agentic AI architectures

Multi-agent orchestration

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

LLM integration patterns

Prompt and instruction orchestration

Expertise in cloud-native architecture and Azure services.

Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications--

Experience within financial services or other highly regulated industries.

Experience implementing Responsible AI governance frameworks.

Knowledge of enterprise decisioning platforms and control-plane architectures.

Experience with AI observability, evaluation frameworks, and model governance.

Microsoft Azure certifications and/or AI certifications.

Experience leading large-scale digital transformation initiatives.

Key Competencies

Technical Expertise

Agentic AI Architecture

Multi-Agent Systems

Enterprise Integration Architecture

Cloud-Native Design

AI Governance & Security

LLM and RAG Architectures

Platform Engineering

API and Event-Driven Architectures

Leadership Capabilities

Strategic Thinking

Technical Leadership

Executive Communication

Architecture Governance

Stakeholder Management

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Decision Making

Mentoring and Coaching

Skills

Architecture

Top Skills Details

Architecture

Additional Skills & Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications--

Experience within financial services or other highly regulated industries.

Experience implementing Responsible AI governance frameworks.

Knowledge of enterprise decisioning platforms and control-plane architectures.

Experience with AI observability, evaluation frameworks, and model governance.

Microsoft Azure certifications and/or AI certifications.

Experience leading large-scale digital transformation initiatives.

Key Competencies

Technical Expertise

Agentic AI Architecture

Multi-Agent Systems

Enterprise Integration Architecture

Cloud-Native Design

AI Governance & Security

LLM and RAG Architectures

Platform Engineering

API and Event-Driven Architectures

Leadership Capabilities

Strategic Thinking

Technical Leadership

Executive Communication

Architecture Governance

Stakeholder Management

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Decision Making

Mentoring and Coaching

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Dallas, TX.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $85.00 - $90.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Dallas,TX.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 6, 2026.

About TEKsystems

We're partners in transformation. We help clients activate ideas and solutions to take advantage of a new world of opportunity. We are a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 clients, including 80% of the Fortune 500, across North America, Europe and Asia. As an industry leader in Full-Stack Technology Services, Talent Services, and real-world application, we work with progressive leaders to drive change. That's the power of true partnership. TEKsystems is an Allegis Group company.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

About TEKsystems and TEKsystems Global Services

We’re a leading provider of business and technology services. We accelerate business transformation for our customers. Our expertise in strategy, design, execution and operations unlocks business value through a range of solutions. We’re a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 customers, including 80% of the Fortune 500 across North America, Europe and Asia, who partner with us for our scale, full-stack capabilities and speed. We’re strategic thinkers, hands-on collaborators, helping customers capitalize on change and master the momentum of technology. We’re building tomorrow by delivering business outcomes and making positive impacts in our global communities. TEKsystems and TEKsystems Global Services are Allegis Group companies. Learn more at TEKsystems.com.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.