Principal Architect; AI, Security & Emerging Technologies

Position Title: Principal Architect (AI, Security & Emerging Technologies)

Location: Remote or Hybrid in Birmingham, AL

Position Status: Direct hire or long-term contract

We are seeking a highly technical Principal Architect to serve as a trusted advisor and hands-on architect across the organization. We are looking for someone who can work directly with engineering, infrastructure, data, security, and business teams to evaluate, design, and help implement complex technology solutions.

The Principal Architect will partner with teams throughout the organization to review proposed solutions, identify risks, recommend improvements, and help drive successful execution. The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in cloud, infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, software development, and AI with the ability to remain hands-on when needed. This individual should be comfortable designing secure AI-enabled applications, reviewing code and architecture patterns, building proof-of-concepts, troubleshooting critical issues, and guiding teams through implementation.

• Partner with engineering, infrastructure, security, and business teams to evaluate, design, and refine technology solutions.
• Serve as the senior technical advisor on strategic initiatives, complex projects, and high-impact technology decisions.
• Review solution designs and provide hands-on architectural guidance across applications, infrastructure, cloud platforms, networking, security, and data.
• Identify technical risks, gaps, and operational considerations while recommending practical, scalable solutions.
• Participate in architecture reviews, design sessions, and technical decision-making processes.
• Architect secure, scalable AI-enabled applications and platforms leveraging modern cloud and software development practices.
• Design solutions utilizing Generative AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), agentic AI frameworks, APIs, and intelligent automation technologies.
• Collaborate with development teams on application architecture, integration patterns, scalability, observability, and performance optimization.
• Build prototypes, proof-of-concepts, and reference implementations to validate architectural approaches.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance for Python-based solutions, APIs, automation, and AI-enabled workflows.

• Design and review enterprise infrastructure solutions across cloud, networking, storage, identity, and security domains.
• Partner with cybersecurity teams to ensure solutions meet security, compliance, governance, and risk management requirements.
• Guide the implementation of secure architecture patterns including identity management, Zero Trust principles, encryption, network segmentation, and access controls.
• Assist in evaluating new technologies and ensuring solutions align with operational, reliability, and resiliency objectives.
• Support hybrid, multi-cloud, and cloud-native architecture initiatives.

• Act as a consultant and technical authority for challenging architecture, integration, performance, and security-related issues.
• Provide Level 3 technical guidance and support for critical systems and enterprise platforms.
• Troubleshoot complex infrastructure, application, cloud, networking, and AI platform challenges.
• Work closely with project teams throughout the solution lifecycle from concept through implementation.
• Collaborate across infrastructure, software engineering, security, data, and business teams to drive successful outcomes.
• Mentor engineers, architects, and technical teams on architecture best practices and emerging technologies.
• Share knowledge through technical reviews, workshops, training, and architecture discussions.
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, engineering excellence, and secure design.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in architecture, software engineering, infrastructure engineering, technology consulting, or related technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated expertise across multiple technology domains, including:
• Infrastructure & Platforms
• Networking
• Cybersecurity
• Software Development
• Experience designing enterprise-scale solutions and guiding implementation teams.
• Strong understanding of modern software architecture patterns, APIs, microservices, distributed…