Lead Solution Architect

Vision-Aid India is a nonprofit that enables, educates and empowers people with visual impairment. The Vision-Aid Advanced Technology and Development Centre (VATDC) is Vision-Aid Indias advanced technology initiative, supported by Vision-Aid USA, and is focused on research, prototyping, product development and client delivery in artificial intelligence, automation, assistive technology and accessibility engineering. Vision-Aid India is seeking a hands-on technology leader to guide VATDC's inclusive development team, whose work brings together technical expertise, lived experience and an accessibility-first design ethic to deliver high-quality software solutions to clients in India and globally. Reporting to the Executive Director of Vision-Aid India, the Lead Solution Architect will provide technical and delivery leadership to VATDCs development team, including managing the existing Tech Lead and developers. The role will own solution architecture and engineering quality, contribute to technology strategy, and support the Executive Director in client solutioning and business-development initiatives. Key Responsibilities 1. Own the architecture of web and mobile applications, APIs, data platforms, cloud services and AI-enabled solutions. 2. Lead and mentor the VATDC technology team, including the existing Tech Lead and developers; establish clear ownership, standards and delivery discipline. 3. Remain hands-on through prototypes, architecture and code reviews, troubleshooting and critical technical decisions. 4. Ensure production readiness through sound practices in security, privacy, testing, CI/CD, monitoring and documentation. 5. Apply technologies such as generative AI, RAG, voice, speech-to-text/text-to-speech, OCR and automation to accessibility and social-impact use cases. 6. Embed accessibility and Responsible AI throughout the solution lifecycle. 7. Lead client discovery, scoping, estimation, demonstrations and technical proposals, and support the Executive Director in converting opportunities into successful pilots and longer-term engagements. What We Are Looking For 1. Around 10 years of experience in software engineering, product engineering or technology consulting, with significant solution-architecture or technical-leadership experience. 2. A proven record of taking complex digital products from ambiguous requirements to production deployment and support. 3. Strong knowledge of application and API engineering, cloud platforms, data architecture, security, testing and CI/CD. 4. Practical experience with AI/ML or generative-AI solutions. 5. Experience leading software-development teams, including senior engineers or Tech Leads. 6. Strong client-facing solutioning or pre-sales experience covering discovery, estimation, proposals, presentations and demonstrations. 7. Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills. 8. A relevant bachelor's or master's degree, or equivalent professional experience. 9. Willingness to work in a hybrid arrangement (work from home and office as required) from Chennai or Bengaluru and travel as required. Preferred Experience in digital accessibility, WCAG/WAI-ARIA, assistive technology, voice or conversational AI, Indic-language solutions, OCR, inclusive EdTech, health-tech or other social-impact domains. Compensation: 150,000.00 - 200,000.00 per month Benefits: Cell phone reimbursementWork Location: Hybrid remote in Chennai, Tamil Nadu .