Principal Enterprise Architect

Overview

Our client is hiring a Principal Enterprise Architect to define and guide the long-term technology strategy across applications, platforms, and data systems.

Our client recently completed an independent operating capability assessment that produced a detailed target-state capability map and an 18-month transformation roadmap. This role's primary responsibility is to internalize that assessment, own the target-state architecture, and translate it into executable patterns and decisions across the engineering organization.

This is a hands-on architecture role, not a governance-only position. You will define patterns, review implementations, and make binding technical decisions. Collaboration is central to this role: you will work as a partner to engineering, data, and platform operations leaders, not as an external authority.

Key Responsibilities

Target-State Architecture Stewardship

• Own and steward the target-state architecture and capability map produced by the independent operating assessment
• Translate the assessment's Stabilize, Standardize, and Scale phasing into actionable engineering patterns
• Define retain, wrap, and replace decisions for legacy systems by domain
• Define facade, API, and read-side decoupling patterns enabling incremental migration away from tightly coupled legacy dependencies
• Map all dependencies on the primary record-keeping system and define a prioritized decoupling plan

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work as a close partner to the Data & Analytics Practice Leader, Head of Engineering, and Platform Operations leader to ensure cohesive architecture strategy
• Bridge communication between business leaders, product teams, and engineering with pragmatic, outcome-oriented recommendations
• Collaborate with engineering managers who act as solution architects across product portfolios
• Provide architecture input to platform vendor evaluation, integration architecture, and migration design
• Participate in cross-team architecture reviews, sprint demos, and planning ceremonies where architecture decisions are being made

Cloud & Integration Architecture

• Define architecture patterns supporting Azure cloud adoption as an enabler for operational improvement, not as a standalone migration project
• Guide integration strategies across legacy and modern systems, including API gateway, event-driven patterns, and queue-backed orchestration
• Provide architectural guidance for workflow modernization, moving from brittle batch processing to durable, state-aware execution patterns
• Define security architecture input for authentication consolidation, identity management, and API edge controls
• Support M&A integration scenarios by defining repeatable integration architecture patterns for acquisitions

Leadership & Influence

• Serve as a trusted architectural advisor across Product, Engineering, and Executive leadership
• Provide pragmatic guidance balancing ideal architecture with business realities and delivery timelines
• Establish lightweight architectural governance processes and decision frameworks
• Build architectural consensus through influence and collaboration rather than top-down mandates

Ideal Background

• Enterprise architecture leadership experience with hands-on technical depth
• TOGAF certification strongly preferred
• Deep experience with Azure cloud ecosystems
• Experience defining containment and decomposition strategies for legacy or monolithic systems
• Strong integration architecture experience including API-first patterns, event-driven architecture, and messaging systems
• Experience defining repeatable integration patterns for M&A environments
• Experience working in regulated environments (HIPAA preferred)
• Collaborative, pragmatic personality with low ego and a track record of building consensus across engineering teams