Services R&D Principal

Who is Trace3 ? Trace3 is a leading Transformative IT Authority, providing unique technology solutions and consulting services to our clients. Equipped with elite engineering and dynamic innovation, we empower IT executives and their organizations to achieve competitive advantage through a process of Integrate, Automate, Innovate. Our culture at Trace3 embodies the spirit of a startup with the advantage of a scalable business. Employees can grow their career and have fun while doing it! Trace3 is headquartered in Irvine, California. We employ more than 1,200 people all over the United States. Our major field office locations include Denver, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Lexington, Los Angeles, Louisville, Texas, San Francisco.   Ready to discover the possibilities that live in technology? Come Join Us! Street-Smart   -  Thriving in Dynamic Times We are flexible and resilient in a fast-changing environment. We continuously innovate and drive constructive change while keeping a focus on the “big picture.” We exercise sound business judgment in making high-quality decisions in a timely and cost-effective manner. We are highly creative and can dig deep within ourselves to find positive solutions to different problems. Juice -  The “Stuff” it takes to be a Needle Mover We get things done and drive results. We lead without a title, empowering others through a can-do attitude. We look forward to the goal, mentally mapping out every checkpoint on the pathway to success, and visualizing what the final destination looks and feels like. Teamwork -  Humble, Hungry and Smart We are humble individuals who understand how our job impacts the company's mission. We treat others with respect, admit mistakes, give credit where it’s due and demonstrate transparency. We “bring the weather” by exhibiting positive leadership and solution-focused thinking. We hug people in their trials, struggles, and failures – not just their success. We appreciate the individuality of the people around us. JOB SUMMARY: The Trace3 Innovation team scouts and vets emerging technologies to keep Trace3 and its clients ahead of enterprise technology transformation. Building on that same intelligence advantage, Trace3 is extending Innovation's mission from product and solution incubation into services – identifying, prototyping, and incubating the next generation of Trace3 service capabilities. The Services R&D Principal is a highly technical individual contributor responsible for building prototypes, proofs of concept, and minimum viable products that turn emerging technology signals into new Trace3 service offerings. Partnering closely with Business Unit (BU) and practice leaders, service delivery resources, and the Innovation team's market analyst, this role supports the full lifecycle of service incubation – from defining candidate service capabilities and building accelerators, to demonstrating value through client-facing proofs of concept, to codifying repeatable delivery methodology alongside field teams. This is a hands-on, builder-oriented role that requires broad fluency across the enterprise technology landscape and the ability to rapidly ramp on new, unfamiliar tools and platforms. The Services R&D Engineer acts as an early design partner to both internal delivery teams and select clients, gathering feedback that shapes how a service matures, scales, and eventually transitions into Trace3's standard services portfolio. SUMMARY OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Partner with Business Unit (BU) and practice leaders, service delivery resources, and the Innovation team's market analyst to identify emerging technology signals that point to future demand for new Trace3 service capabilities. Translate emerging technology trends and market signals into candidate service concepts, defining the capability, target client value, and potential accelerators. Design and build proofs of concept, demos, and minimum viable products (MVPs) that validate technical feasibility and demonstrate value to prospective clients. Support the full incubation lifecycle of new services – from ideation and market analysis through MVP, incubation, and acceleration – applying structured, gated evaluation criteria at each stage. Build pre-sales enablement and marketing material, including demos, technical briefs, and solution collateral, to support go-to-market (GTM) readiness for incubating services. Partner with client-facing delivery resources to pilot new services with early design-partner clients, capturing feedback on value delivered and areas for improvement. Define and document repeatable standard operating procedures (SOPs), delivery methodologies, and technical playbooks that allow incubated services to transition cleanly to BU and delivery teams. Rapidly evaluate and develop hands-on competency in new and unfamiliar technologies, tools, and platforms as they emerge in the market. Apply AI-native and automation-first principles when designing prototypes and delivery frameworks, building for scale and repeatability from the outset. Collaborate with the Innovation team's research and market analysis functions to help prioritize incubation efforts based on expected future value, growth potential, and revenue impact. Track incubation pipeline status, outcomes, and client adoption metrics, and use that data to refine prioritization and evaluation methodology. Represent incubating services in internal and external enablement sessions, briefings, and workshops to socialize new service capabilities. Contribute to written content, such as technical briefs, blogs, and internal documentation, that communicates new service capabilities to internal stakeholders and clients. Exercise independent, hands-on technical judgment to determine whether a candidate technology or service concept is viable, defensible, and ready to progress to the next stage of incubation. Adapt technical messaging for BU leaders