Principal Architect

ACI Worldwide • Norcross, GA

4h • Hybrid

About The Position

ACI Worldwide is seeking an exceptional Principal Architect to provide technical vision and leadership for our next-generation cloud-native payment platform. As our most senior technical leader, you'll shape the architecture of systems that process trillions of dollars annually, working directly with executive leadership to align technology strategy with business objectives.
This is a highly visible role where you'll tackle our most complex technical challenges, drive innovation across multiple products, and mentor our architecture community. You'll be responsible for setting architectural direction for AWS-based solutions spanning real-time payment processing and large-scale batch operations, ensuring ACI remains at the forefront of payment technology.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; Masters or PHD preferred.
• 15+ years of software architecture and development experience
• Proven track record as Principal/Chief Architect or equivalent at enterprise scale
• World-class expertise in AWS cloud architecture and services
• Deep experience with Java, Spring Boot, and modern enterprise application frameworks
• Expert knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and event-driven architectures
• Demonstrated ability to architect systems processing extremely high transaction volumes
• Experience with both real-time processing and batch processing at massive scale
• Outstanding communication skills with proven ability to influence at all organizational levels
• Track record of driving technical strategy and delivering transformational architecture

Nice To Haves

• Deep experience in payments, financial services, or mission-critical systems
• Advanced AWS certifications (Solutions Architect Professional, Security Specialty, etc.)
• Experience with event streaming platforms (Kafka, Kinesis) and real-time analytics
• Knowledge of payment industry standards (ISO 20022, PCI-DSS, PSD2, EMV, etc.)
• Experience architecting for regulatory compliance and security in financial services
• Published thought leadership (speaking, writing, patents) in relevant technical domains
• Experience with multi-region, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud architectures
• Background in performance engineering and capacity planning at massive scale

Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the long-term technical vision for ACI's cloud-native payment platform
• Lead architecture initiatives across multiple product lines and engineering teams
• Solve the organization's most complex technical challenges requiring innovative approaches
• Influence product strategy and roadmap through architectural insights and technical expertise
• Partner with executive leadership and Chief Architects on enterprise architecture direction
• Architect large-scale, mission-critical systems on AWS handling billions of transactions
• Drive adoption of cutting-edge technologies and architectural patterns across the organization
• Establish architectural standards for Java Spring Boot microservices, APIs, and cloud-native patterns
• Design solutions that balance innovation, security, compliance, performance, and cost
• Work directly with customers on innovative solutions and emerging payment technologies
• Mentor and develop Principal, Senior, and Staff Architects across the organization
• Lead architectural reviews and provide authoritative guidance on critical technical decisions
• Build alignment across architecture and engineering communities on strategic initiatives
• Represent ACI's technical capabilities with customers, partners, and industry forums
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, innovation, and continuous learning

Benefits

• In return for your expertise, we offer opportunities for growth, career development, and a competitive compensation and benefits package—all within an innovative and collaborative work environment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level