Principal Architect

Job Role: Principal Architect
Location: United States (Remote/Hybrid, client-facing travel as needed)

Experience: 11+ years minimum, 8+ years in Solution/Technical Architecture

Role Summary:

The Principal Architect is the senior-most technical authority and executive-facing owner of the overall solution architecture for the account. This is a client-facing, decision-making role accountable for technical credibility with the client's executive and engineering leadership, and for the integrity of the architecture across every workstream. Delivery on this account uses an agent-orchestrated development model — the Principal Architect is expected to direct AI coding agents (e.g., Claude Code) directly for spikes and validation, not only delegate to human engineers. The final technology stack is not yet finalized (it may or may not end up being Python + React), so this role is intentionally technology-agnostic rather than tied to a specific platform.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Own the end-to-end solution architecture for the account, ensuring alignment with business goals and enterprise architecture standards, independent of whichever technology stack is ultimately selected.
2. Define and defend the target-state architecture and roadmap directly to client executive stakeholders and governance/Change Board forums.
3. Drive technical design decisions across application architecture, APIs, integrations, cloud infrastructure, and non-functional requirements (performance, scalability, security, reliability).
4. Set coding standards, design patterns, and technology choices across workstreams once the stack is confirmed, and keep design options open and unbiased until that decision is made.
5. Review and approve high-level designs (HLDs) before implementation begins; hold final sign-off authority on architecture decisions and technical design changes, including authority to block releases that violate architectural standards.
6. Evaluate and integrate new tools, frameworks, and AI/agentic development capabilities into the delivery model.
7. Direct and prompt AI coding agents (e.g., Claude Code or equivalent) directly for architecture-level proofs of concept, technical spikes, and feasibility validation.
8. Partner with the Tech Product Manager and Delivery Lead to align architecture with delivery timelines and prioritization.
9. Provide technical leadership and mentoring to the India-based Principal Architect and Solution Architect, ensuring one coherent architecture across delivery locations.
10. Escalate cross-cutting architectural risks and represent the account technically to the client's engineering leadership.

Required Qualifications

1. 11+ years in enterprise technology roles with 8+ years owning solution architecture on client-facing, multi-workstream programs.
2. Proven experience as the client-facing architecture owner, comfortable defending design decisions to VP/C-level stakeholders and formal governance bodies.
3. Deep, current fluency in modern application architecture, API/integration design, cloud infrastructure, and non-functional requirements — technology-agnostic, with the ability to architect confidently on whichever stack is ultimately chosen.
4. Hands-on experience directing or prompting AI coding agents (e.g., Claude Code or an equivalent agentic development tool) as part of an agent-orchestrated delivery model — required, as this engagement is delivered using AI-assisted development.
5. Track record of resolving ambiguous, evolving requirements into a defensible, phased architecture.

Good To Have

1. Enterprise architecture certification (e.g., TOGAF) or a cloud/platform architect certification relevant to the eventual stack.
2. Experience in pharmaceutical/healthcare distribution or another regulated industry.
3. Prior experience architecting within an AI-agent-orchestrated or "generative" development delivery model.