Principal Architect

ConverseNow is seeking a Principal Architect to define, evolve, and govern the architecture of its AI platform for restaurants. This role involves leading the technical vision, ensuring reliability, scalability, and cost efficiency as the company aims for profitable scale. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader and strategic systems thinker, adept at solving complex distributed-system challenges and mentoring teams in an AI-driven ordering ecosystem.

Must Have

• Define and drive the evolution of ConverseNow’s cloud-native platform architecture.
• Own the end-to-end technical vision for ConverseNow’s voice AI platform.
• Champion performance benchmarking, cloud cost optimization, and system reliability.
• Lead initiatives for infrastructure optimization, observability, and performance tuning.
• Evaluate and implement architectural patterns (e.g., event-driven, microservices, serverless, or hybrid models).
• Establish standards for code quality, system design reviews, and architectural documentation.
• Partner closely with AI/ML, product, and customer delivery teams to translate business goals into technical strategy.
• Coach senior engineers and tech leads; foster an engineering culture of ownership, rigor, and operational excellence.
• Design for long-term efficiency, optimizing infrastructure, cloud spend, and scalability.

Perks & Benefits

• Attractive ESOP package
• Annual performance bonus based on company and individual performance
• Significant ownership through stock options

ConverseNow is the leading Voice AI platform for restaurants. Our virtual ordering assistants automate drive-thru and phone orders for some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands. Combining cutting-edge conversational AI with deep hospitality insight, we sit at the intersection of technology, SaaS, and service — enabling brands to deliver faster, friendlier, and more consistent guest experiences. Recognized by Forbes AI 50, Built In’s Startups to Watch, and featured in TechCrunch, Business Insider, and Nation’s Restaurant News, ConverseNow is supported by world-class investors including CRAFT Ventures (Tesla, Uber, Airbnb, Slack) and Enlightened Hospitality Investments (founded by Shake Shack’s Danny Meyer). After six years of product and market maturity, ConverseNow is entering its next phase: profitable scale by the end of 2026. The foundations are strong — proven technology, marquee customers, and scalable operations — and we’re now seeking a Principal Architect to lead the next stage of our platform evolution.

The Role

• As Principal Architect, you will be responsible for defining, evolving, and governing the overall architecture of ConverseNow’s AI platform — spanning infrastructure, data systems, APIs, and production services that power millions of voice and text interactions every month. You’ll be both a hands-on technical leader and a strategic systems thinker — responsible for evolving the architecture that powers our AI-driven ordering ecosystem. Your mandate: ensure reliability, scalability, and cost efficiency as we transition from high-growth to profitable and sustainable scale. The existing ConverseNow platform utilises a wide variety of technologies at the heart of which lies advanced AI frameworks, models and our patented algorithms. This role is ideal for a senior technologist who thrives on solving complex distributed-system challenges, guiding architectural transformation, and mentoring high-performing teams toward long-term stability and innovation.

What You’ll Do Here:

• Architectural Leadership: Define and drive the evolution of ConverseNow’s cloud-native platform architecture, balancing innovation with long-term maintainability and cost efficiency.
• Platform Stewardship: Own the end-to-end technical vision for ConverseNow’s voice AI platform — ensuring architectural consistency, security, and scalability across services and deployments.
• Operational Excellence: Champion performance benchmarking, cloud cost optimization, and system reliability as key levers for profitability and customer trust.
• Infrastructure & Scale: Lead initiatives for infrastructure optimization, observability, and performance tuning — ensuring reliability at scale across voice, data, and ML services.
• Platform Modernization: Evaluate and implement architectural patterns that enable modularity, resilience, and faster experimentation (e.g., event-driven, microservices, serverless, or hybrid models). Adapting to new technologies, platforms and technical operations using modern tools.
• Technical Governance: Establish standards for code quality, system design reviews, and architectural documentation across all engineering teams.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with AI/ML, product, and customer delivery teams to translate business goals into technical strategy.
• Mentorship & Influence: Coach senior engineers and tech leads; foster an engineering culture of ownership, rigor, and operational excellence.
• Financially-Aware Architecture: Design for long-term efficiency — optimizing infrastructure, cloud spend, and scalability to support the company’s profitability goals.

Technology and Tools Expertise:

• Multi-Dimensional Data Models
• Vector Databases
• Cube.js
• Apache Superset
• Google Looker
• Golang
• React
• Node.js
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Voice-to-Text and Text-to-Voice
• Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Voice Processing
• Large and Small Language Models (LLMs)
• GPT-based Tools (e.g., ChatGPT)
• PCI DSS Compliance
• User Experience (UX) Design
• Kubernetes
• Microservices Architecture