Solutions Architect at Blend360 in Columbia, SC

companyDescription Blend360 is a premier data, AI, and marketing consulting firm that partners with the world's most ambitious organizations to turn complex challenges into competitive advantage. We sit at the intersection of deep analytical rigor and pragmatic business execution—helping Fortune 1000 companies and Private Equity-backed businesses unlock transformational value through data, technology, and human expertise. jobDescription Role summary Own the practice of Solutions Architecture across a portfolio of engagements: talent, methods, risk posture, and technical strategy aligned to business outcomes—especially as clients adopt Intelligent Applications and LLM platforms. You set what “good solutioning” looks like—review models, accelerators, risk frameworks—and you represent architecture tradeoffs to executive stakeholders. You may still contribute to highest-risk programs directly, but primary accountability is scaling the capability. Responsibilities Set practice strategy: capability model, hiring bar, leveling alignment, onboarding, communities of practice. Establish portfolio governance: architecture review boards, exceptions, security/reliability minimums, vendor/architecture risk processes. Grow talent: performance coaching, sponsorship, succession planning for Staff/Principal paths. Define reusable assets: reference architectures, decision templates, NFR catalogs, threat modeling kits, engagement playbooks. Partner with sales/delivery leadership on technical win strategy, estimates risk ranges, and delivery feasibility. Drive LLM architecture governance with measurable controls: policy, evaluations, monitoring, incident readiness, vendor/model posture. Align CI/CD, observability, and platform standards across engagements with enterprise constraints. qualifications Required qualifications Demonstrated leadership at org/multi-team scale (people leadership and/or practice leadership). Strong technical judgment across full-stack, data, integration, cloud, and LLM solution risk—sufficient to arbitrate and set standards. Track record improving quality, predictability, and risk posture through systems (not heroics). Executive-ready communication; adept at conflict resolution and prioritization. Preferred qualifications Experience leading SA practice in consulting, product, or enterprise transformation contexts. Deep engagement with regulated industries or high-trust clients. Proven programs for responsible LLM, RAG, and agentic delivery governance. Nice to have: Portfolio experience where Databricks and Snowflake are primary analytics estates—architecture governance spanning apps, identity, data products, and cost controls. Success in first 90 days Practice priorities, quality gates, and career paths are clear and adopted. Portfolio architecture risk is more visible and managed; fewer repeating failure classes. Hiring and onboarding improve time-to-competence for new SAs. additionalInformation #LI-AJ1 The starting pay range for this role is $150,000 - $170,000.  Actual compensation within the range will be dependent on several factors including but not limited to relevant experience, skills, certifications, training, and location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range and determining factors for compensation are considered for each individual circumstance. BLEND360 also offers a competitive benefits program to meet the health and financial well-being of our team and their families. You can look forward to a range of benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401K, PTO, paid holidays, commuter benefits, spending accounts, life insurance, disability coverage, and EAPs.