Principal Platform Architect (Plano, CLT, Jacksonville)

Principal Platform Architect - Plano, TX OR Charlotte, NC OR Jacksonville, FL We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Application / Platform Architect to lead the end-to-end architecture, design, and evolution of our application and data platforms. In this role, you will define technical roadmaps, lead modernization efforts, and ensure our platforms are scalable, secure, resilient, and aligned with business goals. This role requires a seasoned technical expert with deep full-stack engineering experience, strong systems thinking, and hands-on architectural leadership across application development, cloud-native technologies, data platforms, containers, and DevOps automation. You will partner closely with engineering teams, product owners, and senior technology leaders to set the strategic direction of the platform and guide developers in building high-quality solutions. Key ResponsibilitiesPlatform Application ArchitectureDefine the overarching architecture, standards, patterns, and best practices for application and platform development. Architect end-to-end solutions using React/Remix/NodeJS, Python (FastAPI, Flask), GraphQL, and microservices. Design scalable containerized and cloud-native solutions using Docker/Podman and Kubernetes. Establish architectural blueprints, reference architectures, and reusable frameworks. Technical LeadershipGuide engineering teams through complex solution design decisions, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture. Conduct deep architecture reviews of applications, microservices, APIs, and data flows. Provide mentorship to developers, senior engineers, and application teams. Platform EngineeringArchitect, optimize, and evolve the internal application platform to support: UI frameworks API gateways Microservice orchestration Observability and logging frameworks CI/CD pipelines Ensure the platform supports high performance, multi-tenancy, and scalability. Data Integration ArchitectureArchitect solutions that manage structured/unstructured data leveraging PostgreSQL, RDBMS concepts, and distributed data tools (e.g., Hadoop). Define API, integration, and GraphQL schemas ensuring consistency and maintainability. Work closely with data engineering teams to ensure metadata, lineage, and quality are integrated into platform services. Application ModernizationAnalyze existing applications and platforms to identify modernization opportunities. Lead refactoring, migration to microservices, and cloud-native transformations. Establish principles for reusability, modularity, and standardized components. DevOps, Automation InfrastructureDefine and evolve platform CI/CD standards using Git-based workflows. Collaborate with Infra teams on automation using Ansible, Shell scripting, and container orchestration patterns. Ensure platform security, reliability, performance tuning, and governance compliance. Collaboration StrategyPartner with product owners to translate business requirements into technology roadmaps. Provide architectural input on major initiatives, platform investments, and technical debt reduction. Engage with cross-functional teams to ensure solution alignment across the organization. Required Skills ExperienceTechnical ExpertiseDeep hands-on expertise in full-stack engineering: Frontend: React, Remix, NodeJS Backend: Python, FastAPI, Flask APIs: GraphQL, REST Strong experience designing and delivering microservices architectures. Mastery in containers and orchestration: Docker, Podman, Kubernetes. Solid understanding of Linux environments. Strong data and DB architecture experience: PostgreSQL RDBMS fundamentals Distributed data concepts (Hadoop) Architectural SkillsExperience designing large-scale distributed systems. Expertise in cloud-native patterns, event-driven systems, and service mesh (plus). Ability to create architecture diagrams, roadmaps, and technical documentation. Strong knowledge of engineering best practices: testing strategies, coding standards, security controls. Leadership Soft SkillsAbility to lead engineering teams through architectural and design decisions. Strong communication skills to articulate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical partners. Ability to influence stakeholders across product, engineering, infra, and security. Proven track record of driving architectural transformation across the SDLC. Preferred Qualifications10+ years of experience in application development and platform engineering. 5+ years in an architect or principal engineer role. Experience with platform-as-a-product mindset. Knowledge of cloud concepts (AWS/GCP/Azure). Experience establishing enterprise architectural governance. SummaryThis role is ideal for a strategic technical leader who can bridge hands-on engineering excellence with platform-level architectural thinking. You will shape the future of our application ecosystem and ensure our platforms remain modern, reliable, and innovation-ready.