Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect

We are seeking a Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect to support a critical strategic leadership role focused on mission-critical technology modernization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

In this high-visibility individual-contributor role, you will define and advance target-state enterprise architecture, intelligent automation, Zero Trust security baselines, and PCI-DSS compliance across hybrid cloud, networking, applications, and regulated payment environments.

The architect will serve as a senior liaison between Digital Technology and executive stakeholders, evaluating Generative AI/ML use cases, driving Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and DevSecOps pipelines, and maintaining clear integration boundaries with peer platform architects.

You will also leverage modern AI-assisted architecture workflows to accelerate technical designs, deliver reference implementations, and mentor engineering teams in building secure, scalable, and resilient enterprise systems.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Modernization & AI Enablement

Define and govern target-state enterprise architectures, technical standards, and multi-year roadmaps.

Drive modernization initiatives across hybrid cloud, infrastructure automation, analytics, asset management, and AI-enabled decision-support systems.

Align architecture strategies with enterprise business and technology objectives.

AI & Intelligent Automation Architecture

Evaluate Generative AI, Machine Learning, and intelligent process automation use cases.

Translate complex business requirements into secure and scalable deployment architectures.

Establish appropriate data governance, access controls, auditability, and operational ownership.

Identify opportunities to leverage AI-assisted architecture and engineering workflows.

Zero Trust & Security Architecture

Lead architectural direction for Zero Trust security models.

Design cloud networking, identity-aware access, and microsegmentation strategies across on-premises and cloud environments.

Incorporate software-defined security controls and automated policy enforcement.

Regulatory Governance & Compliance

Conduct technical risk assessments and establish compliant architecture patterns.

Design solutions aligned with PCI-DSS, NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, and applicable transportation/Federal Railroad Administration regulations.

Support secure architecture practices for regulated payment environments.

Architecture Acceleration & AI Workflows

Apply AI-assisted prompt engineering and architecture workflows to accelerate:

Technical documentation

Risk analysis

Business cases

Architecture assessments

Executive communications

Establish reusable architecture patterns for complex cloud and security concepts.

Deliver reference implementations and technical design artifacts.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Coaching

Partner with peer architects, Cloud Platform teams, engineering, security, and compliance organizations.

Provide hands-on technical coaching and design walkthroughs.

Mentor engineering teams and help scale internal architecture capabilities.

Influence technical decisions across matrixed teams without direct management authority.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data/Intelligence, or a related technical field with 13+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent professional experience.

Proven experience delivering significant business value through large-scale enterprise technology environments valued at $500M+.

9+ years of technical/business experience, including 2–3 years within a formal Enterprise Architecture practice.

Demonstrated expertise designing architectures involving:

AI/ML integration

Zero Trust

Microsegmentation

Cloud infrastructure

Regulated payment environments

PCI-DSS compliance

Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex technical concepts to C-suite executives, senior engineers, and matrixed stakeholders.

Proven ability to influence decisions and drive transformation without direct authority.

Experience managing multiple concurrent architecture engagements and complex portfolio transformation initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Computer Science, or a related field.

Previous technology experience within the Travel, Transportation, or Passenger Rail industry.

Strong knowledge across multiple architecture disciplines, including:

Business Architecture

Enterprise Architecture

Solution Architecture

Infrastructure/Technical Architecture

Information/Data Architecture

Hands-on experience with DevSecOps pipelines.

Experience with automated security and policy enforcement.

Strong knowledge of software-defined networking.

Experience implementing AI-driven architecture and engineering workflows.

Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and cloud automation.

Strong understanding of enterprise cloud se