Lead Application Architect

Position Summary

The Lead Application Architect will focus on our custom solutions ecosystem, bridging critical operational gaps where standard software and SaaS packages fall short. This is a high-visibility, autonomous role perfect for a seasoned technical leader eager to take full architectural ownership of a modern supply chain and procurement tech stack.

In this role, you will work with a high degree of independence to design scalable custom applications, define domain-wide coding standards, and lead our transition to modern cloud environments. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional technical and business teams to translate complex supply chain challenges into resilient, future-ready software systems. It is the ideal role for a visionary architect who wants to drive cloud modernization (including GCP 2.0 and Postgres migrations) and shape our upcoming "Agent-in-the-Loop" AI roadmap.

• Routine Day Balance: Your time will be dynamically divided between high-level architectural design, hands-on framework development, code reviews, mentoring engineering teams, and collaborating with cross-functional business partners.

• Custom Solutions & Cloud Migration SME: Serve as the primary authority for the availability, stability, and modernization of custom applications. Lead legacy database migrations (Oracle to Postgres) and optimize our modern cloud ecosystem utilizing Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Spring Boot frameworks.

• Architecture Standards & Governance: Define robust domain architecture standards and conduct rigorous code reviews to reduce development cycles for engineering teams while maintaining top-tier software quality.

• Cross-Functional Technical Collaboration: Operate within a core agile team (Team Manager, Scrum Master, Developers, and QA Testers) while serving as a vital technical liaison across the broader organization-partnering with Enterprise Architecture, the Procurement Certified Data Set Team, and various GFS Business Teams.

• Strategic AI & Innovation Roadmap: Champion the technical path forward for our custom systems, integrating advanced capabilities like low-code automation (Appian/SAP BTP) and laying the groundwork for Google domain AI tools (Vertex AI, Agent Builder).

• Autonomous Leadership & Support: Successfully navigate multiple large initiatives simultaneously with minimal oversight. Take ultimate accountability for system reliability, which includes participating in an off-hours support rotation to ensure mission-critical application continuity.

• Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, plus an off-hours on-call support rotation.

• Hybrid Schedule: 4 days in the office in Wyoming, MI or Atlanta, GA with 1 day remote.

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field required.

• Experience: 5+ years of advanced application and database architecture experience required.

• Technical Core (Must-Haves): Direct, proven experience designing and maintaining systems within a modern tech stack centered on GCP, relational databases (Postgres/Oracle), and Enterprise Java frameworks (Spring Boot).

• Supply Chain Integration (Must-Haves): Strong capability to design custom software integrations that align seamlessly with core supply chain and procurement data pipelines.

• Ecosystem & Tooling (Like-to-Haves): Experience with Appian, SAP BTP, Terraform, BigQuery, Looker Studio, or enterprise supply chain suites (o9, JDA), alongside a familiarity with Google domain AI tools.

• Independent Problem Solving: Highly motivated to architect complex solutions under loose supervision, making data-driven recommendations to resolve long-term structural constraints.

• Communication & Influence: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to act as the resident technical expert and translate highly complex system designs into clear, actionable business value for non-technical stakeholders and executives.

Gordon Food Service values our customers and understands that their success is largely dependent upon their workforce. To demonstrate our commitment to our partnership, we will require any candidate who works for a Gordon Food Service customer to provide a letter of support from their management if they are selected for the interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity is a matter of policy at Gordon Food Service, Inc. and we are committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please submit your request to talent@gfs.com and use the words "Accommodation Request" in your subject line.

All Gordon Food Service locations are tobacco-free.

Gordon Food Service is a drug-free workplace and conducts pre-employment drug tests.