Chief AI Architect

About UsInnovapptive is acategory-defining SaaS companybuilding the world’s most advancedAI-powered Connected Worker Platformfor the industrial sector. Headquartered in Houston, TX, and backed byVista Equity Partners , Innovapptive is on a mission toreimagine how industrial work gets done— connecting frontline workers, back-office systems, and assets in real time to drive higher safety, reliability, and productivity. Our platform is trusted by some of the world’s largest enterprises — includingShell, Hess, Cenovus Energy, W.R.Grace, Westlake Chemicals, UNICEF, Kimberly Clark, Scott Miracle Gro, and Newmont Miningto name a few, and across chemicals, energy, mining, and manufacturing industries. These customers have achieved tangible, hard-dollar results, such as: Over$40 million in annual EBITDA savingsat a single enterprise. 10× frontline productivity improvementsthrough mobile-first and AI-enabled workflows. 15–20% maintenance cost reductionsandsignificant uptime gainsacross plants and sites. Innovapptive is recognized by leading industry analysts for its differentiated value creation model: Named aLeader in the Frost & Sullivan Industrial Connected Worker Radar. Featured byGartnerin “Connected Factory Worker” research and theHype Cycle for Manufacturing Operations Strategy. Cited byLNS Researchfor delivering3–5× greater valuethan point solutions through unified OT–IT execution, AI/vision innovation, and field-proven ROI.Our growth is backed byTiger Global Management and Vista Equity Partners , one of the world’s premier software investors, known for scaling high-performance SaaS companies. Together, we are building the next-generation AI Powered Connected Worker Platform, combining cutting-edge technologies — SLM’s, Generative AI, Computer Vision, and Intelligent Orchestration — into a unified system that transforms plant operations globally. Today, with over300+ employees across the U.S., India, and ANZ , Innovapptive stands at a pivotal inflection point: with an ambition to scale to$100M ARR within the next 3-4 yearsby industrializing every aspect of our product, engineering, and customer delivery systems.The Role The Chief AI Architect is the strategic and technical authority responsible for the Enterprise AI Reference Architecture at Innovapptive. Reporting directly to the SVP of Engineering & Technology, this role establishes how AI Agents, Models, Data, and Control Systems interact—ensuring reliability, security, and cost efficiency as AI becomes a core layer of the Connected Worker Platform. This leader combines deep systems architecture expertise with pragmatic engineering instincts, designing for scale while guiding lean execution. They partner closely with the AI Platform Architect, VP of Technology & Architecture, and Engineering Ops** to create a cohesive AI governance and delivery ecosystem.How You Will Make An Impact 1. Define the Enterprise AI Reference Architecture Architect the AI Systems Blueprint—covering model selection, agent orchestration (MCP), data flows, vector stores, governance, and observability. Standardize communication and context-sharing between Agents, microservices, and data systems. Ensure modularity and extensibility for new AI Agent types (Planner, Detect, Assist, Optimize). 2. Establish AI Governance and Trust FrameworkBuild a comprehensive AI Governance Model—covering data ethics, security, prompt versioning, model selection, and human-in-the-loop controls. Define metrics for accuracy, explainability, safety, and drift, with dashboards visible to engineering and leadership. Implement AI observability standards across telemetry (Sentry, Datadog) and cost management frameworks. 3. Integrate AI Architecture with Core PlatformPartner with the AI Platform Architect to embed governance and monitoring within the MCP control plane. Define APIs and integration patterns for connecting LLMs, vector databases, and industrial data sources (OSI PI, SAP, Maximo). Guide teams on designing AI features that extend existing modules rather than duplicating them. 4. Build AI Engineering Standards and CultureAuthor of the AI Engineering Playbook—principles for AI system design, testing, and documentation. Define best practices for prompt design, validation, and cost optimization (“AI SRE” principles). Conduct architecture reviews and mentoring sessions to upskill engineers on AI systems thinking. 5. Partner for Business Value and AdoptionTranslate executive KPIs (velocity, reliability, cost take-out) into AI architecture objectives. Work with Product and Customer Success to measure and communicate value created by AI-powered features. Collaborate with Security, Finance, and Legal to maintain auditability and compliance.What You Bring to The Team 15 + years in software architecture, including 5 + years in AI platform or systems architecture. Proven experience building AI governance or multi-agent systems for SaaS or enterprise products. Strong understanding of LLMs, retrieval architectures, and agent frameworks (LangChain, CrewAI, Semantic Kernel, DSPy). Deep knowledge of data pipelines, vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant), and embedding models. Familiarity with AI security and compliance frameworks (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR). Excellent communication and system design skills; able to align executives, architects, and engineers around a shared vision.Success Metrics (FIRST 90-180 Days) AI Reference Architecture Blueprint completed and adopted across engineering teams. Governance Framework operational, including prompt versioning and observability dashboards. MCP governance and telemetry integrated with Platform and DevOps systems. AI Engineering Playbook published and used by engineering and product teams. AI cost and latency metrics visible and controlled across production agents.Why does this Role Matter? AI is now the core operating system of Innovapptive’s future — and architecture is its language of truth. The Chief AI Architect ensures that our AI capabilities are not just powerful, but responsible, reliable, and governed by design. This leader turns AI innovation into a scalable, trusted platform advantage — building the bridge between experimentation and industrialization.What We Offer Competitive compensation and equity tied to strategic AI delivery milestones. The opportunity to define the AI blueprint for a Vista-backed industrial SaaS scale-up. Flexible engagement model — full-time or fractional leadership. Hybrid work arrangement with periodic travel to Houston HQ for executive alignment.Innovapptive does not accept and will not review unsolicited resumes from search firms. Innovapptive is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, political affiliation, marital or partnership status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth (or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, genetic disorder, genetic predisposition, carrier status, military status, familial status, or domestic violence victim status and any other basis protected under federal, state, or local laws.