Application Architect (Closes 6/2)

At DHS, we serve more than 200,000 residents each year and manage over $1 billion in essential services for Allegheny County’s most vulnerable populations. We’ve built a strong reputation for using data and technology to improve how public services work, and we’re continuing to grow.

We’re hiring an Application Architect to help us connect, modernize, and guide the technical design of core systems across the Department. This role sits within the Office of Analytics, Technology, and Planning (ATP) and will be part of our senior technical group. The position will work closely with the CTO, though the final reporting structure will be confirmed during the hiring process.

About the Role

As an Application Architect, you will help define the system architecture, integration patterns, data flows, and processes that connect our applications. You’ll work closely with engineering, product, data, and vendor teams to design solutions that are secure, scalable, and maintainable.

You should be comfortable working across both legacy and modern systems, with the ability to understand constraints while still moving the environment forward. You won’t necessarily build everything yourself, but you will shape the technical direction and partner with teams to get us to the right long-term design.

Our environment includes  PostgreSQL, Oracle, Salesforce, Appian, Python/Django services, React frontends, vendor platforms, and a growing set of orchestration and automation tools including Apache Airflow. Familiarity with CI/CD workflows is helpful. Experience with Appian is a plus, or at least the interest and ability to learn the platform quickly.

Key Responsibilities 

• Design and maintain architectural patterns that guide how DHS applications integrate and communicate


• Lead technical design for new systems, integrations, APIs, and data pipelines


• Partner with engineering, product, and data teams to translate business needs into scalable technical architectures


• Evaluate system constraints and propose modernization pathways, especially where legacy Oracle systems intersect with newer PostgreSQL and cloud-based services


• Support orchestration and workflow automation using tools like Airflow


• Review solution designs from internal and vendor teams to ensure alignment with DHS standards


• Provide architectural oversight for implementations and ensure clean integration with the broader ecosystem


• Guide teams on CI/CD workflows, operational reliability, and deployment best practices


• Create system diagrams, documentation, and architectural artifacts that support transparency and shared understanding


• Identify technical risks, dependencies, and long-term impacts of architectural decisions


• Serve as a technical advisor and thought partner to senior leadership on systems strategy and modernization

What We’re Looking For

• 6+ years of experience in software engineering, systems integration, or application architecture


• Strong understanding of relational databases, especially PostgreSQL and Oracle


• Experience designing integrations between disparate systems and services


• Familiarity with orchestration tools like Apache Airflow


• Experience with one or more core DHS technologies: Python/Django, React, Salesforce, or Appian


• Understanding of modern CI/CD practices and cloud environments


• Ability to break down complex problems and communicate clearly across technical and non‑technical teams


• Demonstrated ability to design systems that balance immediate needs with long-term architectural health


• Curiosity, flexibility, and an interest in improving how public services work

Application

This is a salaried role with benefits and will be fully embedded with the DHS team. The final reporting structure will be confirmed during the hiring process.

Why DHS?

You can make a big impact here. We stand out as one of the best human services organizations in the country, and we need technologists who care about building systems that help people. You’ll join a team committed to using modern tools, thoughtful design, and data to improve outcomes for individuals and families across Allegheny County.

DHS strives to be the kind of place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come to grow and do their best work.