Principal Consultant

Lightworks is a global firm that integrates consequential technologies and bolsters mission-critical programs. Launched in the AI era, Lightworks is powered by people who have spent decades implementing net-new and highly iterative technologies at scale across banking, insurance, telecommunications, and public infrastructure.
Our team brings deep engineering expertise and first-hand knowledge of how organizations operate, distribute change at scale, and manage risk. We specialize in control plane engineering, bolstering mission-critical programs, modernization, and scaling emergent technologies.
THE ROLELightworks Principal Consultants are senior technology leaders who combine institutional credibility, executive presence, and the technical judgment required to deliver complex programs inside regulated environments. Principals are expected to operate as trusted advisors to client executives, shape complex programs, lead delivery teams, and contribute directly to Lightworks’ commercial growth.
This role spans two core service streams, both requiring leadership experience within governed environments and the ability to turn executive priorities into enterprise-scale delivery.
Agentic Control Plane (ACP)
– The ACP is Lightworks’ flagship joint development program, built in partnership with several of the world’s largest and most regulated institutions. Principals embedded in ACP work inside an industry-led engineering consortium alongside distinguished engineers and institutional leaders from across financial services, telecommunications, and insurance. You will be on the engineering team building the systems, working with frameworks such as LangFuse, LangGraph, Agent Gateway, and related orchestration and observability platforms to develop the control infrastructure that governs how AI is deployed at scale. The platform currently processes over 2 trillion tokens per month. You will be providing hands‑on execution of the deliverables.
CTO-as-a-Service
– Direct execution support of mission‑critical and strategic programs across AI, cloud, data, and migrations. Where clients require embedded executive technology leadership, Lightworks seconds a principal directly into the client’s existing executive team. CTOaaS engagements are delivered exclusively by luminaries with proven experience at CTO and SVP levels, operating within regulated enterprises with $1B+ technology budgets. Our Principals embed alongside existing executive team members and operate effectively across complex vendor landscapes – including hyper‑scaler partnerships and incumbent delivery organizations – bringing hands‑on experience across operating models, master planning, strategic program design, and the day‑to‑day execution required to run complex, high‑risk initiatives. All engagements are structured to strengthen internal capability and transition leadership to permanent teams, not exceeding 24 months.
WHAT YOU WILL DODelivery
Lead complex technology, AI, modernization, and platform programs inside regulated enterprise environments, from architecture through delivery
Translate board and executive priorities into structured programs, delivery roadmaps, operating models, and clear decision paths
Assume direct VP or SVP‑level accountability for technology programs in CTOaaS engagements – owning structure, operating model, team structure, and delivery roadmap
Client & Relationship Leadership
Build and maintain trusted advisor relationships with client C‑suite, board‑level stakeholders, and regulators – present at steering committees, brief executive sponsors, and own key client communications
Lead steering committee discussions, executive briefings, and complex stakeholder conversations with clarity and credibility
Foster relationships across client business units, facilitating cross‑functional AI and technology initiatives
Contribute to business development through client relationship development, scope expansion, proposal leadership, and identification of new opportunities
Mentor and develop Senior Consultants on your engagements – invest in their growth, hold them to a high standard, and build the next generation of Lightworks’ delivery capability
Technical Implementation
AI
Lead, design and build enterprise AI capabilities including LLM gateway, model and inference routers, implementation of guardrails usingLangGraph, LangFuse, ADK, and other leading LLM orchestration and observability platforms
Own and deliver AI and data workstreams within large-scale enterprise programs, including AI/ML infrastructure, data platforms, and agentic system deployments
Lead, design and build secure, compliant cloud platforms, and foundations for highly regulated industries (finance, insurance, aviation, or similar)
Drive client stakeholder meetings at the Executive and C‑suite level, communicating progress, risks, and decisions clearly
Produce technical documentation, architecture decision records, and delivery artefacts that are clear, defensible, and production‑ready
WHAT WE LOOK FOREducation
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, electronics, or another STEM‑related field.
Hyper-scalecertificationsat the Associate or Professional levelarerequired
Experience
10+ years of demonstrated delivery experience in senior technology leadership roles, 3+ of which inside a highly regulated institution – financial services, insurance, telecommunications, or government
Demonstrated consulting, professional services, or advisory experience with evidence of owning outcomes at meaningful scale – program scope, budget, roadmap, stakeholder alignment, delivery teams, and executive communication
Evidence of contributing to business development, executive relationship management, proposal leadership, or scope expansion
Domain Expertise
Demonstrated experience building enterprise AI capabilities – LLM gateways, model inference routing, model guardrails, and agent orchestration frameworks (LangChain, LangGraph, Google ADK, or equivalent) inside regulated environments
Ability to engage credibly with engineers and architects, defend technical decisions in architecture and risk reviews, and understand the engineering implications of your recommendations
Familiarity with regulated delivery expectations – governance, compliance, auditability, and production readiness
Communication & Culture Fit
Exceptional communication range - able to work effectively with engineers, CIOs, regulators, and board‑level stakeholders without losing precision or credibility at any level
Collaborative leadership style that builds trust quickly, earns credibility and raises the standard of the teams around you
Sound judgment under ambiguity – prioritize with clarity, and keep delivery focused on what matters most
Advantageous
Mainframe and/or legacy application modernization exposure
Multi‑cloud experience – AWS, Azure & GCP
Familiarity with observability, SRE practices, and production operations in regulated environments
IaC fluency: Terraform, CloudFormation, Bicep, or equivalent
WHAT WE OFFER
Competitive base compensation with performance bonus, aligned with industry standards
Full benefits package and stock options plan participation
Direct access to the ACP platform and consortium - a first‑of‑its‑kind program at the frontier of regulated AI
Close collaboration with the Lightworks Principals and founding team across strategy, delivery, platform development and client growth
Opportunity to shape how the world’s most regulated institutions govern and scale agentic AI
WHY LIGHTWORKSAt Lightworks, the opportunity is to work at the level where the most important technology decisions are being made. Our team is trusted by CIOs, CTOs, risk leaders, and senior engineering teams inside some of the world’s most highly regulated institutions. The people we bring into Lightworks are expected to meet that standard- to think deeply, communicate clearly, and deliver alongside others who have built and led systems at serious scale.
Lightworks is helping shape how AI is deployed, governed, and scaled inside highly regulated institutions. Through enterprise AI, control plane engineering, modernization, and the Agentic Control Plane, we are working on the standards, systems, and delivery models that regulated institutions will rely on in the next era of technology. For someone operating at this level, Lightworks offers the chance to do defining work, with exceptional people, on problems that will matter well beyond a single engagement.
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