Principal Architect (.Net/C#, Azure)

Job Title: Principal Architect (reporting to VP of Architect and CIO))

Location: Kansas City, MO

Job Type: 6-8 Months (Contract to Hire)

Detailed Description

The Principal Architect is a highly visible, hands-on technical leadership role responsible for the architectural integrity of the organization's core systems. This person is the technical authority developers and engineering leaders turn to for designing complex systems, resolving critical production issues, and setting the technical direction across .NET, Azure, and SQL Server platforms. This role is expected to grow in scope, with a path toward VP of Architecture.

Required

• 10+ years in software engineering/architecture, with deep, current expertise in .NET / C#, Angular and SQL.
• Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure (App Services, Durable Function, Azure Container, Azure Service Bus, and Resources)
• Deep SQL Server expertise schema design, performance tuning, query optimization
• Deep understanding of OWASP, Azure Intra ID, and JWT.
• Good understanding of DevOps, and CI/CD.
• Proven track record designing and troubleshooting complex, distributed, high availability systems.
• Ability to go deep technically (debugging, code review, architecture diagrams) and communicate at the executive level.
• Experience in mentoring engineers and being a trusted technical authority across teams.

Responsibilities:
Technical Leadership & Design

• Design and guide the architecture of complex, high-scale systems built on .NET/C#, Azure, and SQL Server
• Serve as the escalation point and go-to resource for triggering complex production and performance issues across application teams.
• Conduct architecture and code-level reviews to ensure scalability, security, and maintainability.
• Define and evolve architectural standards, patterns, and reusable frameworks across development teams.
• Lead modernization efforts cloud migration, legacy system re-architecture, microservices adoption.

Strategy & Risk

• Assess risks related to platform stability, vendor dependencies, and technical debt at the enterprise level.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends, recommending adoption where it drives business value.
• Partner with the CIO and IT leadership on multi-year technology roadmaps

Collaboration & Mentorship

• Act as a technical mentor to senior engineers and architects across teams.
• Communicate technical tradeoffs clearly to both engineering and executive audiences.