> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/4171219-lead-application-modernization-consultant](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/4171219-lead-application-modernization-consultant). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead Application Modernization Consultant - **Company:** Ensono - **Location:** Saint Paul, MN, United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $125,000.0 - $168,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), .NET Framework, Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Cloud Engineering, Static Program Analysis, Distributed Systems, Python (Programming Language), Software Engineering, Google Cloud, Enterprise Software Applications, Code Restructuring, Microservices - **Published:** October 31, 2026 - **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/F6C4CF0B6EA44718BB0926E2D21E1FB1/job/ ## About the Role * 7+ years of progressive software engineering, application development, or related experience, including 3+ years in application modernization, cloud architecture, or technical delivery leadership. * Demonstrated experience leading modernization of large-scale, complex, high-availability applications, including cloud-native and microservices architectures. * Hands-on proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language, such as Java, .NET, or Python, with the ability to analyze and reason through legacy codebases. * Experience assessing legacy application estates, developing application inventories, and recommending modernization strategies such as rehost, refactor, re-platform, retire, retain, or replace. * Experience leading solution design and translating business requirements into technical architectures, specifications, ADRs, acceptance criteria, and executable delivery plans. * Strong experience designing distributed systems on Azure, AWS, or GCP, including architectural trade-offs, scalability, availability, performance, and other non-functional requirements. * Experience establishing engineering standards and quality practices, including automation, testing, documentation, quality gates, and reusable development patterns. * Demonstrated experience identifying and managing technical, architectural, and delivery risks across the software development lifecycle. * Experience using AI-assisted development tools to support code analysis, development, testing, documentation, or modernization while maintaining engineering oversight and accountability. * Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership, coaching, and mentorship to engineers while maintaining accountability for quality and delivery. * Strong client-facing communication skills with the ability to provide clear technical direction, explain architectural decisions, and align teams around desired outcomes. * Proven ownership of technical outcomes, including clear documentation, continuous improvement, and development of reusable engineering assets., * Experience supporting application modernization discovery, assessments, solutioning, or pre-sales activities. * Experience creating reusable engineering assets, standards, reference architectures, documentation, or modernization patterns across multiple engagements. * Experience supporting technical interviews, engineering assessments, or broader capability-building initiatives. * Experience working with AI-assisted development tools or agents in enterprise software engineering environments. * Relevant cloud or architecture certifications from Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud. ## Description As a Lead Application Modernization Consultant at Ensono, you will lead an agile delivery team or a significant workstream within a larger program, owning technical outcomes, delivery quality, and the developer experience. You will remain hands-on across architecture, design, and development while ensuring solutions achieve measurable business outcomes for our clients. You will strengthen the Connected Services competency by advancing standards, documentation, and reusable modernization patterns, and by supporting discovery, assessments, and pre-sales activities as needed. You will also coach and mentor engineers in modern development practices, including the responsible use of AI assistants and agents, while fostering a collaborative, psychologically safe environment that prioritizes intent, quality, accountability, and learning., * Lead an agile delivery team or significant workstream within a larger program, owning technical outcomes and the developer experience while ensuring solutions deliver measurable business outcomes for clients. * Own technical and delivery risk within your scope, proactively identifying, tracking, and mitigating risks related to legacy dependencies, migration patterns, new technologies, and AI-assisted approaches. * Remain hands-on in architecture, design, and development while overseeing multiple work packages and ensuring solutions align with agreed architectures, engineering standards, and Ensono best practices. * Drive application modernization efforts by assessing legacy codebases, building application and capability inventories, and recommending appropriate dispositions, including rehost, refactor, re-platform, retire, retain, or replace. * Develop assessments and target-state designs that provide clients with a clear, credible path from legacy environments to modernized solutions. * Lead discovery and planning activities with clients to define problem statements, desired business outcomes, success criteria, technical constraints, and delivery priorities. * Champion spec-driven development by clearly documenting requirements, architectural intent, non-functional expectations, architecture decision records (ADRs), and acceptance criteria. * Promote a modern developer experience, including the effective and responsible use of AI-assisted tools to accelerate legacy analysis and improve productivity, quality, and feedback cycles. * Maintain strong engineering judgment and accountability while ensuring key architectural and delivery decisions are transparent and well documented. * Provide technical leadership within the Connected Services competency, setting clear expectations for engineering quality, delivery, and developer experience.