Principal Architect

About the Role
We are hiring for a Principal Architect to define and govern the application and service architecture of a mature Java enterprise platform being modernized toward Spring Boot services and Angular. The role works across all pods and is a peer to the Principal Engineer for Data and Platform Architecture.
You will define the target architecture, establish decision guardrails, and prove critical patterns with reference implementations. You will not act as a central approval queue. Engineering Leads retain pod delivery ownership, while you guide decisions that affect multiple domains, shared contracts, or the long-term platform shape.
What You Will Own
Define the target application, service, API, integration, security, and deployment architecture.
Establish incremental migration patterns from Java EE, Wildfly, and JSF to Spring Boot and Angular.
Create reference implementations and architecture decision records for high-impact patterns.
Review cross-domain and irreversible design decisions with Engineering Leads and Staff Engineers.
Define standards for service boundaries, API contracts, resilience, observability, and backward compatibility.
Partner with the Data and Platform Principal on data ownership, migration sequencing, and shared platform concerns.
Maintain a pragmatic technical debt and decommissioning strategy for the existing platform.
What You Bring
12+ years of software engineering and 4+ years in architecture roles on enterprise platforms.
Deep Java and Spring Boot architecture experience, including REST services and distributed-system patterns.
Strong understanding of Java EE application servers, Hibernate or JPA, and incremental modernization.
Working knowledge of modern Angular architecture and frontend-backend contract design.
Experience with containers, CI/CD, security, observability, and production reliability.
Ability to communicate architecture through code, diagrams, decision records, and direct coaching.
What Sets You Apart
You have led the architecture of a live Java EE to Spring Boot modernization without a big-bang rewrite.
Your standards are specific enough to guide teams and flexible enough to handle real product constraints.
You influence senior engineers through technical credibility rather than organizational authority.
Success in This Role
Pods make consistent architecture decisions without waiting for routine approvals.
Modernization reduces coupling and operational risk in measurable increments.
Cross-pod designs have clear ownership, documented trade-offs, and working reference patterns.

Work arrangement
Hybrid