Principal Architect (SE3) (Government)

AT&T•Columbia, SC

6d•$130,700 - $304,600•Onsite

About The Position

AT&T Global Public Sector is hiring a Principal Architect to provide contract-wide technical leadership for the Regional IT Services I (RIS I) program, which delivers secure, mission-essential technology services for the Department of Defense. The program integrates video teleconferencing, network services, land mobile radio, E911, voice, video, mobility, structured cabling, workplace and mobile devices, and peripherals. Its coordinated engineering, operations, field support, lifecycle management, and modernization activities help sustain service continuity, interoperability, end-user experience, and scalable mission-supporting solutions. This senior individual-contributor role defines and advances RIS I’s technical architecture through hands-on architectural leadership, technical expertise, influence, and collaboration rather than direct people-management authority. The architect evaluates requirements across services and delivery teams, ensures end-to-end integration and architectural alignment, and identifies innovative and emerging technologies. Working with program leadership, service managers, engineering and field delivery teams, cybersecurity stakeholders, and the customer, the role translates operational needs into technical strategies, resolves cross-functional dependencies, guides modernization priorities, and promotes secure, scalable, reliable, and interoperable solutions. The position is full-time and onsite five days per week at the designated work location in Columbia, Maryland. No relocation is offered. The required clearance is TS/SCI with polygraph. The posted annual salary range is $130,700–$304,600; individual starting salary may depend on geography, experience, expertise, and education or training.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related technical discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
At least 10 years of progressive experience designing, integrating, modernizing, or governing complex enterprise IT environments, including at least 5 years in an enterprise, solution, systems, or principal engineer capacity.
Experience leading as a senior individual contributor through technical expertise, influence, collaboration, and architecture governance rather than direct supervisory authority.
Ability to define and maintain current-state and target-state architectures, technical roadmaps, architecture principles, reference patterns, standards, and transition plans across multiple services or technology domains.
Experience translating customer mission needs, contractual requirements, operational constraints, and service requirements into actionable technical requirements and cohesive architecture decisions.
At least 5 years of systems engineering experience applying ITIL practices to complex enterprise IT services, including requirements management, service design and transition, configuration and change management, operational readiness, incident and problem management integration, service-level performance, and continual improvement.
Broad technical depth across enterprise infrastructure and services, including networking, unified communications, video, mobility, end-user computing, cloud or hybrid platforms, systems management, monitoring, automation, and service-management technologies.
Success evaluating solution designs for integration, interoperability, scalability, resiliency, performance, lifecycle support, maintainability, security, and cost effectiveness.
Experience leading architecture reviews, technical design reviews, trade studies, and cross-functional decision forums, and documenting decisions, assumptions, exceptions, risks, owners, and closure dates.
Working knowledge of federal cybersecurity and risk-management practices, including zero-trust principles, security-by-design, compliance controls, and collaboration with cybersecurity stakeholders.
Ability to identify technical debt, integration dependencies, lifecycle risks, capability gaps, and modernization opportunities and develop prioritized, measurable mitigation or transition plans.
Experience evaluating emerging technologies, automation, prototypes, and technology-insertion opportunities and making evidence-based recommendations tied to mission, service, risk, performance, or cost outcomes.
Ability to establish and report measurable architecture outcomes, including standards conformance, review timeliness, action closure, technical-debt reduction, integration quality, lifecycle posture, reliability, and modernization progress.
Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and executive briefing skills, including the ability to communicate technical options, tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations to leadership, engineering teams, cybersecurity stakeholders, and government customers.
Ability to manage multiple priorities independently, meet review and reporting timelines, mentor technical stakeholders, and deliver high-quality architecture artifacts in a mission-focused environment.
Active TS/SCI clearance with polygraph is required.
Ability to work onsite five days per week at the designated work location.

Nice To Haves

Proactive monitoring and alerting solutions experience.
Experience with IT compliance, risk management, and security practices.
Governance-driven mindset and knowledge of process improvement and quality improvement.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

Serve as principal technical advisor to RIS I program leadership, service managers, engineering teams, cybersecurity stakeholders, delivery teams, and the customer.
Evaluate mission needs, contract and service requirements, and operational constraints; translate them into architecture decisions and actionable technical requirements.
Define, maintain, and communicate the RIS I target architecture, architecture principles, technical standards, reference patterns, and integration approach.
Apply systems engineering practices and ITIL service-management principles throughout the solution lifecycle, including requirements analysis, service design, transition planning, configuration and change management, operational readiness, continual improvement, and alignment with service-level objectives.
Assess proposed solutions and designs for architectural alignment, interoperability, scalability, resiliency, performance, supportability, security, and cost effectiveness.
Lead cross-service architecture analysis to identify dependencies, integration risks, capability gaps, duplication, and standardization opportunities.
Partner with cybersecurity stakeholders to integrate security, compliance, zero-trust principles, and risk-management requirements into solution architectures.
Develop current-state and future-state architecture views, technical roadmaps, transition plans, and sequencing recommendations for modernization priorities.
Facilitate technical design reviews and architecture decision forums; document decisions, assumptions, tradeoffs, exceptions, and technical risks.
Provide hands-on analysis and technical guidance to resolve complex cross-functional engineering, integration, performance, and operational issues.
Identify, evaluate, prototype, and recommend emerging technologies, automation opportunities, and innovative solutions to improve mission outcomes and service delivery.
Develop technical insertion proposals and business and mission impact assessments for customer consideration.
Establish architecture measures and evidence to evaluate technical debt, standards adoption, integration health, lifecycle posture, reliability, and modernization progress.
Review lifecycle, capacity, availability, and technology-refresh plans to promote supported, maintainable, and sustainable solutions.
Mentor engineers and technical stakeholders through consultation, design guidance, reusable patterns, and knowledge sharing without direct supervisory responsibility.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
401(k) plan.
Tuition reimbursement program.
Paid time off and holidays: at least 23 vacation days per year and 9 company-designated holidays, based on date of hire; prorated when working less than 40 hours per week.
Paid parental leave.
Paid caregiver leave.
Additional sick leave beyond what state and local law require may be available; it is unprotected.
Adoption reimbursement.
Short- and long-term disability benefits.
Life and accidental death insurance.
Supplemental benefits, including critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, and group legal programs.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
Employee wellness programs.
Employee discounts of up to 50% on eligible AT&T mobility plans and accessories, AT&T internet and fiber where available, and AT&T wireline phone.