Principal Software Architect

This is a contract to hire opportunity with 4-days onsite in Ashburn, VA. Candidates MUST be local to the Ashburn, VA. This role is NOT open to C2C, OPT, or any Visa consideration. No vendor support of any kind allowed.

Principal Software Architect – Cloud Platform Modernization

Overview

We are seeking a highly technical Principal Software Architect to lead the design, modernization, and evolution of enterprise-scale cloud platforms. This role is ideal for a hands-on architect who enjoys balancing strategic architecture leadership with active software engineering contributions. You will help shape platform direction, establish engineering standards, and guide teams in building scalable, secure, and resilient distributed systems.

The ideal candidate combines deep cloud architecture expertise with practical software development experience, modern event-driven design knowledge, and a passion for improving engineering productivity through emerging AI technologies.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud Architecture & Engineering

• Design and implement scalable, highly available cloud-native solutions using AWS services and modern architectural patterns.
• Develop proof-of-concepts, reference architectures, and reusable frameworks to accelerate delivery.
• Contribute directly to production software development, code reviews, and technical implementation efforts.
• Define and govern API standards, integration patterns, and service communication strategies.
• Lead modernization initiatives that transform legacy applications into scalable cloud-native platforms.

Distributed Systems & Event-Driven Design

• Design and implement asynchronous, event-driven architectures that support scalability and resilience.
• Establish event governance practices, including contract design, versioning, and lifecycle management.
• Develop patterns for system decoupling, event orchestration, and reliable message processing.
• Guide engineering teams on appropriate use of event-driven approaches while maintaining architectural simplicity.

Architecture Leadership

• Lead architecture reviews, technical design sessions, and engineering strategy discussions.
• Establish architectural standards, best practices, and governance processes across multiple teams.
• Drive technical decision-making through documented architecture decisions and design reviews.
• Partner closely with engineering, platform, and DevOps leaders to align architecture with business goals.

Security & Platform Engineering

• Design secure authentication and authorization frameworks for enterprise applications.
• Define identity, access management, and API security strategies across cloud environments.
• Champion zero-trust security principles and secure-by-design development practices.
• Ensure platform architectures meet applicable regulatory, compliance, and governance requirements.
• Collaborate with security and infrastructure teams to mitigate risk while enabling delivery velocity.

AI-Enabled Software Development

• Leverage AI-assisted development tools to improve engineering efficiency and software quality.
• Establish standards and best practices for AI-supported coding, testing, debugging, and automation.
• Identify opportunities to accelerate delivery through intelligent developer tooling.
• Measure and promote improvements in engineering productivity and development workflows.

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Translate complex technical concepts into clear business and operational outcomes.
• Produce high-quality architecture documentation, design artifacts, and technical guidance.
• Present recommendations and technical strategies to both engineering and business stakeholders.
• Build alignment across teams while driving execution and accountability.

Required Qualifications

• 8 years of software engineering, architecture, or platform engineering experience.
• Deep expertise designing and implementing solutions in AWS cloud environments.
• Strong experience with distributed systems, microservices, APIs, and modern backend technologies.
• Hands-on experience with event-driven architecture and asynchronous processing patterns.
• Strong understanding of application security, identity management, and secure system design.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex systems and solve large-scale technical challenges.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• AWS Solutions Architect certification or equivalent cloud credentials.
• Experience with domain-driven design (DDD) and modern architectural approaches.
• Exposure to mobile application ecosystems and client-facing platforms.
• Background in platform engineering, developer experience, or internal platform development.
• Experience leading enterprise modernization and cloud transformation initiatives.

What Success Looks Like

• Architecture standards are consistently adopted across engineering teams.
• Platform designs reduce complexity while improving scalability and maintainability.
• Teams deliver solutions faster through improved developer experience and engineering practices.
• Technical decisions are well documented, aligned, and effectively communicated.
• AI-assisted engineering practices drive measurable improvements in productivity and quality.
• Engineering teams operate with greater consistency, alignment, and ownership.