Application Discovery & Modernization Consultant

Seeking an experienced Senior Application Discovery & Modernization Consultant to assess and document a portfolio of custom business applications with limited or no existing documentation. This role combines application architecture, software engineering, modernization planning, and AI-assisted analysis. You will leverage tools such as Claude, Copilot, and traditional engineering practices to rapidly understand application functionality, document business capabilities, identify risks, and develop modernization recommendations. This is a unique opportunity to help preserve institutional knowledge, reduce support risk, and shape the future technology roadmap for critical business applications. What You’ll Do Discover and Assess Applications

• Analyze custom-built and legacy applications with incomplete documentation.
• Review source code, databases, integrations, and deployment artifacts.
• Identify business capabilities, workflows, and application dependencies.
• Create a clear understanding of how applications support business operations.

Create Documentation and Knowledge Assets

• Develop functional and technical documentation.
• Produce architecture diagrams, dependency maps, and support artifacts.
• Capture critical operational knowledge and reduce reliance on individual subject matter experts.
• Create documentation that supports long-term ownership and maintenance.

Evaluate Risk and Modernization Opportunities

• Identify technical debt, supportability concerns, and operational risks.
• Assess application architecture, maintainability, scalability, and sustainability.
• Recommend whether applications should be retained, refactored, replatformed, replaced, or retired.
• Contribute to a prioritized modernization roadmap.

Leverage AI-Assisted Engineering

• Utilize approved AI tools including Claude and Copilot to accelerate code analysis, application discovery, and documentation.
• Validate AI-generated findings through engineering expertise and stakeholder collaboration.
• Help establish repeatable AI-enabled assessment practices for future application evaluations.

What You’ll Deliver For each application assessed, you will produce:

• Functional Documentation
• Technical Documentation
• Architecture Diagram
• Dependency Assessment
• Support Runbook
• Risk Assessment
• Technical Debt Assessment
• Modernization Recommendation

At the conclusion of the engagement:

• Application Portfolio Inventory
• Knowledge Concentration Assessment
• Portfolio Risk Summary
• Modernization Roadmap

• Executive Recommendations, The ideal candidate understands how to leverage AI to accelerate assessment activities while applying sound engineering judgment and validation. What Success Looks Like By the end of the engagement, you will have:

• Documented critical business applications.
• Preserved key operational knowledge.
• Reduced application support and continuity risks.
• Identified technical debt and modernization opportunities.
• Delivered prioritized recommendations that support future technology investment decisions.

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, solution architecture, application architecture, or modernization consulting.
• Experience assessing undocumented or legacy applications.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, APIs, databases, integrations, and software development practices.
• Experience creating technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and support documentation.
• Experience identifying technical debt, operational risk, and modernization opportunities.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with business and technical stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience with application portfolio assessments or modernization programs.
• Experience in manufacturing, retail, distribution, supply chain, or enterprise business applications.
• Knowledge of ERP, OMS, CRM, and custom business systems.
• Experience developing modernization roadmaps and technology investment recommendations.

AI Experience Candidates should have practical experience using AI-assisted engineering tools such as:

• Claude
• GitHub Copilot
• Microsoft Copilot
• Automated code analysis and documentation platforms