Job Description – Hands-On Application / Solutions Architect (Contract)Publication Management Systems

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Hands-On Application/Solutions Architect (Contract) to lead the architecture, design, and hands-on development of a modern publication management system. This role is responsible for defining the technical architecture while also actively contributing code to build a scalable, secure, and extensible platform. The architect will leverage modern technologies and architectural patterns and implement AI-driven capabilities to enhance automation, data quality, and user experience.

Key Responsibilities

Architect and hands-on build a ground-up publication management platform supporting bibliographic data, curation workflows, reporting, and integrations.

Define and implement the overall system architecture, including application, data, integration, and security layers.

Actively write, review, and maintain production-quality code, setting standards and best practices for the development team.

Select and implement modern technology stacks, frameworks, and architectural patterns.

Design and develop scalable APIs and integration patterns with upstream and downstream systems 

Build and optimize data models and persistence layers for complex metadata and reporting needs.

Design and implement AI-enabled features, such as metadata enrichment, publication matching, intelligent curation assistance, data validation, and workflow automation.

Collaborate closely with business analysts, developers, and stakeholders to translate requirements into working solutions.

Ensure solutions meet security, governance, privacy, and compliance standards.

Provide architectural guidance while remaining deeply engaged in implementation through all phases of development.

Engagement Details

Expected to serve as both architect and senior developer

Works closely with internal IT, research stakeholders, and governance teams

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with publication management systems,  research information systems.

Familiarity with scholarly metadata standards such as DOI, ORCID, MeSH, PubMed, or similar.

Background in research, healthcare, life sciences, or academic environments.

Experience leading greenfield development initiatives and phased delivery models.

AI & Advanced Capabilities (nice to have)

Hands-on experience designing and implementing AI/ML capabilities within enterprise applications.

Experience with AI use cases such as:

• NLP-based metadata extraction and enrichment

• Intelligent classification and matching

• Workflow automation and decision support

Understanding of responsible AI principles, including data governance, explainability, and privacy.

Proven experience as an Application Architect / Solutions Architect with significant hands-on development responsibility.

Strong proficiency in modern programming languages and frameworks (e.g., Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, or equivalent).

Hands-on experience with modern architectural patterns, including:

• Microservices or modular architectures

• API-first and event-driven design

Experience with containerized environments, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps practices.

Demonstrated ability to design and build data-intensive systems.

Excellent communication skills and ability to mentor and guide development teams through example.

Required Skills & Experience