PermitSF Solutions Architect (9976) - Department of Technology

PermitSF is leading the City’s effort to modernize and unify San Francisco’s permitting system, making it faster, more predictable, and truly customer-centric. The team is streamlining processes, strengthening accountability, and replacing more than 30 legacy systems with a single, citywide permitting platform launching in 2026.

The Department of Technology seeks a PermitSF Solution Architect, a senior technical leader responsible for guiding the City’s technical strategy, integration architecture, and system interoperability for the unified permitting platform built on the OpenGov Permitting & Licensing solution.

This role focuses on ensuring that data flows consistently across all permitting systems, establishing an integration architecture that enables OpenGov to work seamlessly with critical City systems such as Accela, Oracle Forms, and Clariti. The Architect will define enterprise standards, lead architectural decision-making, and work closely with PermitSF, DataSF, Digital Services, the Mayor’s Office of Innovation (MOI), and DT to ensure citywide alignment on data governance, API standards, and system modernization roadmaps.

The Architect will also develop the long-term plan for replacing legacy permitting systems and will guide technical decisions that ensure scalability, resilience, and sustainability for the City’s new permitting ecosystem.

Essential duties include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Provide strategic leadership for PermitSF’s integration and system architecture, ensuring consistent data exchange and interoperability across departments.
• Lead architectural decision-making for connecting OpenGov with City systems, including legacy platforms (Accela, Oracle Forms, Clariti) and City infrastructure (API gateway, cloud, and data platforms).
• Establish and maintain enterprise architecture standards covering integrations, data exchange, GIS/addressing, identity, document management, and API design.
• Define the integration layer that decouples City systems and user interfaces from OpenGov logic, ensuring long-term flexibility.
• Ensure alignment with citywide strategies for cloud, cybersecurity, privacy, and digital transformation.
• Architect the system landscape supporting PermitSF, including data synchronization, workflow coordination, data pipelines, GIS services, document management, and API/event-driven integrations.
• Occasionally perform light technical prototyping, configuration, or proof-of-concept work to validate integration approaches or architectural assumptions.
• Guide implementation partners and vendors to ensure architecture compliance and long-term sustainability.
• Advise on configuration tradeoffs to minimize customizations and technical debt.
• Develop the roadmap for transitioning from legacy systems to OpenGov, including coexistence and phased replacement strategies.
• Define operational standards for integrations, including monitoring, performance, security, and lifecycle management.
• Collaborate with DT engineering and operations to ensure long-term platform readiness and support.
• Partner with PermitSF leadership, business owners, DataSF, MOI, and Digital Services to ensure solutions align with redesigned workflows and data governance needs.
• Act as a liaison across City departments — Planning, DBI, Public Works, Fire, Public Health, DataSF, and DT — to ensure technical consistency and alignment.