Platform Architect

Principal Platform Architect Plano, TX | Charlotte, NC | Jacksonville, FL Hybrid 3 Days onsite 2 days remote 18 Month W2 Contract $65-$75/hour Principal Platform Architect Role Overview We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Application / Platform Architect to lead the end-to-end architecture, design, and evolution of enterprise application and data platforms. This role combines deep hands-on engineering expertise with strategic architectural leadership. You will define technical roadmaps, drive modernization initiatives, and ensure platforms are scalable, secure, resilient, and aligned with long-term business objectives. You will partner closely with engineering, product, infrastructure, and executive stakeholders to shape the strategic direction of the platform and guide teams in building high-quality, cloud-native solutions. Key Responsibilities 1. Platform & Application Architecture • Define architectural standards, patterns, best practices, and governance models. • Architect end-to-end solutions using: • Frontend: React, Remix, NodeJS • Backend: Python (FastAPI, Flask) • APIs: REST and GraphQL • Design scalable, containerized, cloud-native systems using Docker/Podman and Kubernetes. • Establish reference architectures, reusable frameworks, and architectural blueprints. • Ensure solutions meet scalability, performance, resiliency, and multi-tenancy requirements. 1. Technical Leadership • Lead complex architectural design decisions across distributed systems. • Conduct architecture reviews of applications, APIs, microservices, and data flows. • Mentor senior engineers and development teams. • Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture standards. • Drive engineering excellence including testing strategy, coding standards, and security best practices. 1. Platform Engineering Architect and evolve the internal application platform to support: • UI frameworks • API gateways • Microservice orchestration • Observability and logging frameworks • CI/CD pipelines Ensure platform reliability, performance tuning, and operational resilience. 1. Data & Integration Architecture • Architect structured and unstructured data solutions leveraging: • PostgreSQL • RDBMS fundamentals • Distributed data tools (e.g., Hadoop) • Define scalable API and GraphQL schema standards. • Ensure integration patterns are consistent and maintainable. • Partner with data engineering teams on metadata, lineage, governance, and quality frameworks. 1. Application Modernization • Evaluate existing systems and identify modernization opportunities. • Lead refactoring initiatives and migration to microservices and cloud-native architectures. • Establish principles for modularity, reusability, and standardized components. • Reduce technical debt while improving maintainability and agility. 1. DevOps & Infrastructure Automation • Define and evolve CI/CD standards using Git-based workflows. • Collaborate with infrastructure teams on automation using: • Ansible • Shell scripting • Container orchestration best practices • Ensure platform security, compliance, and governance alignment. 1. Strategy & Cross-Functional Collaboration • Translate business requirements into scalable technology roadmaps. • Provide architectural guidance on major initiatives and platform investments. • Influence stakeholders across product, engineering, infrastructure, and security. • Champion a platform-as-a-product mindset. Required Qualifications Technical Expertise • Deep full-stack experience: • React, Remix, NodeJS • Python (FastAPI, Flask) • GraphQL and REST APIs • Strong microservices architecture experience. • Advanced expertise in Docker, Podman, Kubernetes. • Strong Linux systems knowledge. • Deep understanding of: • PostgreSQL • RDBMS architecture • Distributed data systems (Hadoop concepts) Architectural Experience • Proven experience designing large-scale distributed systems. • Expertise in cloud-native and event-driven architectures. • Experience with service mesh (preferred). • Strong documentation and diagramming capabilities. Leadership & Communication • 10+ years of application development experience. • 5+ years in architect or principal engineer capacity. • Strong ability to lead, mentor, and influence cross-functional teams. • Excellent communication skills for both technical and executive audiences. • Demonstrated success driving SDLC and architectural transformation initiatives. Preferred Qualifications • Experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP. • Experience establishing enterprise architectural governance frameworks. • Proven experience building and evolving internal developer platforms. • Platform-as-a-product mindset. Ideal Candidate Profile This role is ideal for a strategic technical leader who: • Balances hands-on engineering depth with enterprise architectural vision. • Thinks in systems and platforms, not just applications. • Can modernize legacy ecosystems into scalable, cloud-native architectures. • Influences organizational technology direction while remaining deeply technical.