Principal Architect - Apps & AI
Microsoft · Posted Oct 16
Software, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and hardware services
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About the role
Microsoft Industry Solutions – Global Center Innovation and Delivery Center (GCID) delivers end-to-end solutions by enabling accelerated adoption and productive use of Microsoft technologies, with an organization of over 1000+ people driving enterprise scale transformation through consulting, architecture, and delivery leadership. In the AI first GCID organization, Principal Architects lead the adoption of AI native, cloud first, and platform driven execution models at enterprise scale, ensuring solutions are technically sound and aligned with customer business transformation goals. This role is a senior technical and business leader accountable for shaping outcomes across large, complex, multiyear enterprise engagements, acting as a trusted advisor to customer CEO, CIO, CTO, and CDO stakeholders.
What you will do
- Own and drive enterprise scale architecture and delivery execution across highly complex customer portfolios, ensuring alignment to business strategy, transformation goals, and long term technology roadmaps.
- Embed AI first and AI native principles across solution design, delivery models, and operating frameworks—driving intelligent automation, agentic workflows, and data driven execution at scale.
- Serve as the primary executive technical interface for CIO / CTO / CDO leadership, translating business strategy into scalable architecture, delivery plans, and transformation milestones.
- Lead strategic recovery and stabilization of high risk or mission critical programs, establishing executive credibility and clear, outcome driven remediation paths.
- Influence architectural direction beyond a single program—shaping account level, industry level, and GCID wide technical strategies.
- Set and enforce engineering excellence standards across organizations, ensuring architecture integrity, quality, security, resilience, and performance at enterprise scale.
- Champion modern engineering practices including AI assisted development, DevSecOps, SRE, observability, and platform engineering.
- Drive creation and reuse of enterprise grade reference architectures, accelerators, patterns, and paved road platforms.
- Establish and govern architecture review cadences aligned with the Microsoft WellArchitected Framework, influencing decisions at executive and transformation program levels.
- Act as a visible thought leader with customers and internal leadership—shaping future state architectures, modernization strategies, and AI adoption roadmaps.
- Track and evaluate emerging technologies, AI platforms, and engineering paradigms to inform strategic investments and differentiated offerings.
- Influence innovation across GCID by sharing best practices, defining reusable assets, and mentoring senior architects.
- Operate as a trusted advisor to CEO / CIO / CTO stakeholders, guiding executive level conversations on digital transformation, AI adoption, cloud strategy, platform modernization, and operating model changes.
- Lead executive design sessions, architecture boards, and transformation roadmap reviews, providing clear tradeoff analysis across cost, risk, timetovalue, and strategic outcomes.
- Own technical leadership during presales, deal shaping, and complex pursuits, including estimates, risk profiling, executive narratives, and differentiated solution design.
- Build long term executive relationships that position GCID as a strategic transformation partner, not just a delivery vendor.
- Provide seniormost technical leadership across multiple architect teams, fostering a strong culture of accountability, rigor, and innovation.
- Mentor and develop senior and principal architects, setting clear expectations for L64/L65 progression and impact.
- Influence talent strategy, capability development, and succession planning across Apps & AI engineering communities.
- Ensure enterprise grade security, governance, reliability, and compliance across all engagements.
- Drive adoption of secure by design, Responsible AI, and privacy first engineering practices aligned with customer regulatory and risk postures.
- Partner with customer security, risk, and compliance leadership to design architectures ready for regulated and highly scrutinized environments.
- Embody our culture and values
Skills used in this role
What the employer is looking for
- 22+ years of experience in software engineering and enterprise architecture, with significant experience operating at CxO level technical leadership roles.
- Proven track record leading largescale transformation programs across cloud, data, AI, and modern application platforms.
- Strong executive communication, stakeholder influence, and decision making capability.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience; advanced certifications and industry recognition preferred.
- End-to-end architecture leadership for modern, largescale application ecosystems
- Deep expertise in distributed systems, scalability, performance, and secure application design
- Define and govern enterprise AI architectures using Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Services, and agentic systems
- Executive oversight of Responsible AI, governance, observability, and cost optimization strategies
- Design and influence platform centric, PaaSfirst enterprise architectures
- Lead cost, resilience, security, and multiregion strategies aligned to business continuity goals
- Shape enterprise DevOps, platform engineering, and developer productivity strategies
- Drive standardization of CI/CD, IaC, securi...
Benefits and support
- Compensation and benefits are detailed in the job posting
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a multinational technology company that develops, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and hardware devices. Best known for its Windows operating systems, Microsoft 365 productivity suite, and Xbox gaming consoles, the company has expanded heavily into enterprise cloud computing via Azure and advanced artificial intelligence solutions. As one of the world's most valuable public enterprises, it empowers individuals and businesses globally through innovative digital transformation.
- Industry
- Software
- Company size
- 228,000+ employees
- Founded
- April 4, 1975
- Location
- Redmond, Washington, USA
- Funding stage
- Public Company
Leadership
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Vice Chair and President
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