The Lead Architect provides strategic technical leadership and overall architecture direction for Fisher Dynamics' transition from current ERP to a custom, AI-native ERP platform. This position will define the end-to-end system architecture, technology stack, and AI integration strategy that will power all core business operations. They will also lead cross-functional technical teams, coordinate with business stakeholders, manage the 24-month roadmap execution, and ensure successful platform delivery. This position will combine deep technical architecture expertise with strong project and program management capabilities to architect and deliver an enterprise-grade, scalable, secure ERP platform that positions Fisher Dynamics for competitive advantage and long-term success.

Candidates MUST be local to the Metro Detroit Area. Relocation is not available.

This role does not provide immigration sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Technical Architecture & Strategy
  • Define the overall ERP platform architecture, technology stack, and design principles for the 24-month Brute Force AI initiative.
  • Architect AI-native design patterns, APIs, and data structures that seamlessly embed machine learning and LLM capabilities into core ERP workflows.
  • Establish technical standards, coding conventions, security best practices, and data governance policies.
  • Design scalable, modular architecture that supports incremental feature delivery across four phases.
• Technical Leadership & Team Direction
  • Lead and mentor technical teams: SW Engineers, ML/AI Engineers, Data Engineers, and QA engineers.
  • Make critical technical decisions on platform design, technology choices, and architectural trade-offs.
  • Conduct design reviews, code reviews, and ensure technical excellence across all teams.
  • Foster collaborative engineering culture and share architecture vision with all team members.
• Program & Project Management
  • Oversee the 24-month roadmap execution across four phases: Foundation, Data Layer, AI Platform, and Scale.
  • Define technical milestones, dependencies, and delivery timelines aligned with business objectives.
  • Manage cross-functional technical dependencies and coordinate integration between platform components.
  • Track technical progress, identify risks and blockers, and drive resolution.
• Stakeholder Communication & Alignment
  • Present technical architecture and progress to Director - IT/DT and executive leadership.
  • Communicate technical strategy, key decisions, and trade-offs to business stakeholders.
  • Translate business requirements into technical specifications and architecture decisions.
  • Gather technical feedback and incorporate into platform design and roadmap.
• AI/ERP Integration & Data Strategy
  • Design the integration between ML/AI models and core ERP systems for intelligent operations.
  • Define data pipelines, feature engineering strategies, and real-time model inference infrastructure.
  • Establish data governance, security, and compliance architecture for sensitive financial and operational data.
  • Oversee data migration from Plex and ensure data quality and integrity.
• Cloud & Infrastructure Architecture
  • Design cloud-native architecture on AWS, GCP, or Azure for ERP platform scalability, reliability, and security.
  • Define deployment architecture, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, and monitoring/observability strategies.
  • Ensure disaster recovery, high availability, and business continuity planning.
  • Optimize cloud costs and resource efficiency across environments.
• ERP Domain Expertise
  • Maintain deep understanding of ERP workflows: financial management, supply chain, manufacturing, inventory, procurement.
  • Understand how AI/ML enhances each domain: forecasting, optimization, anomaly detection, automation.
  • Ensure platform architecture supports complex business rules and regulatory compliance requirements.
  • Translate manufacturing and supply chain domain challenges into technical requirements.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.

Master's degree in related field preferred.

Experience

7-10 years of professional software engineering and architecture experience

Demonstrated experience architecting and leading large-scale platform or ERP system implementations required.

Proven experience as a technical leader, architect, or PM leading cross-functional engineering teams on enterprise projects. Experience designing AI/ML-integrated systems or platforms strongly preferred.

Skills

Expert-level proficiency in backend languages (Python, Java, C++, Go) and modern architecture patterns.

Deep expertise in relational and distributed database design, optimization, and data architecture.

Advanced knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and cloud-native architecture design.

Mastery of API design (REST, GraphQL, event-driven), microservices, and distributed systems.

Strong DevOps and infrastructure-as-code expertise (Terraform, Kubernetes, CI/CD).

Expert understanding of ERP systems, business processes, and enterprise software architecture.

Knowledge of AI/ML integration, model serving, and real-time inference infrastructure.

Security, compliance, and data governance expertise for regulated/mission-critical systems.

Strong program and project management skills with experience leading large technical initiatives.

Exceptional communication and presentation skills for both technical and executive audiences.

Ability to make architectural trade-off decisions and communicate rationale.

Leadership and mentoring capabilities with experience building and scaling technical teams.

Experience with ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Plex, custom builds) is required.

Work Environment

Working environment and physical requirements of this position are those typical of an office setting and manufacturing environment.

Position requires extensive collaboration with technical teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership.

Physical Demands

Ability to lift 40lbs