Principal Architect - Enterprise Backup and Storage Platforms

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.•Johnston, RI

45d•Hybrid

About The Position

We're looking for a strategic and hands-on leader to own and evolve our enterprise backup and storage platforms across cloud and on-prem environments. This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of architecture, platform engineering, and team leadership - and who is passionate about building resilient, scalable, and secure data protection capabilities in a regulated environment.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in infrastructure engineering, cloud architecture, or platform ownership roles.
Deep expertise in backup technologies (e.g., Commvault, Rubrik, Veeam), storage platforms (SAN/NAS/Object), and cloud-native data protection.
Proven track record of building and scaling technical teams and platforms.
Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements in financial services.
Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end strategy, architecture, and delivery of backup and storage platforms across hybrid environments (AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-prem).
Drive modernization initiatives including cloud-native backup, immutable storage, and ransomware recovery capabilities.
Lead platform lifecycle management, including vendor selection, performance optimization, and cost governance.
Architect scalable, secure, and compliant solutions for enterprise data protection, disaster recovery, and long-term retention.
Implement automation, observability, and self-service capabilities for internal teams.
Ensure alignment with enterprise security, compliance, and data governance standards.
Build and lead a high-performing team of engineers and architects.
Collaborate with infrastructure, cloud, application, and risk teams to deliver integrated solutions.
Serve as a technical thought leader and represent the function in executive forums.
Evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., AI-driven backup, object storage, data mesh) and lead proof-of-concept initiatives.
Influence vendor roadmaps and drive strategic partnerships.
Champion a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.