Principal Architect – Information Technology

United Airlines; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 141,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision care

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Parental leave

Employee assistance program

Commuter benefits

Paid holidays

Paid time off

401(k)

Flight privileges

Job summary

United Airlines seeks a Principal Architect — IT to lead architectural design and strategy for enterprise applications, with a focus on self-service kiosks and device integrations. Build resilient, scalable cloud systems and guide cross-functional teams to deliver value across the organization.

The role requires deep expertise in system integration, security, and AI-enabled capabilities, plus hands-on guidance in DevOps, CI/CD, and multi-region deployments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems or related field.
• 5 years of relevant experience in enterprise architecture or IT leadership roles.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure or GCP) and multi-region deployments.
• Experience in designing and building secure, scalable architectures with hardware integration.
• Strong knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD, automation and observability tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design and strategy for enterprise applications, focusing on device integrations and Self-Service Kiosks.
• Guide cross-functional squads on large-scale system best practices and cloud solutions.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to modernize the self-service platform.
• Mentor development teams and establish engineering best practices for high-scale systems.
• Collaborate with enterprise architects to ensure deep integration and high performance across capabilities.

Skills

DevOps mindset

Security best practices

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related field

Tools

AWS

Kubernetes

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

Description

United’s Digital Technology team is comprised of many talented individuals all working together with cutting-edge technology to build the best airline in the history of aviation. Our team designs, develops and maintains massively scaling technology solutions brought to life with innovative architectures, data analytics, and digital solutions.

Job Overview And Responsibilities

The Principal Architect — IT leads the architectural design and strategy of our enterprise applications, with a specific focus on device integrations and logistics for Self-Service Kiosks. In this role, the Principal Architect will champion the development of resilient, high-performing, and scalable cloud systems capable of supporting diverse business capabilities and delivering continuous organizational value. The Principal Architect collaborates closely with enterprise architecture teams, guides development squads on large-scale system best practices, and serves as a critical bridge between IT and business stakeholders to translate complex needs into sustainable cloud solutions.

Combining deep technical expertise in system integration, scalability, and security with specialized knowledge of hardware and device integration layers, the Principal Architect will continuously evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends. The Principal Architect’s vision will ensure our self-service kiosk platform architecture remains innovative, modern, and perfectly aligned with our evolving strategic goals.

• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies, cloud services, and industry trends to modernize the self-service platform and ensure alignment with evolving business goals.
• Lead the design and implementation of secure, resilient integration layers connecting application software with kiosk hardware and Common Use platform(CUSS).
• Anticipate future technology requirements and communicate those to leadership and multi-functional teams
• Proactively identify emerging AI and digital self-service capabilities such as personalization, real-time decisioning, identity verification, and kiosk offline mode. Develop proof-of-concept applications and guide architectural evolution accordingly.
• Lead AI SDLC, including AI — assisted requirements, architecture reviews, code generation, automated testing and release quality gates
• Define maturity models and drive measurable improvements in velocity, quality and developer experience.
• Establish engineering best practices, conduct rigorous design reviews, and mentor development teams in building high-scale, resilient systems.
• Partner with cross-functional architects at the enterprise level to ensure applications are deeply integrated, highly performant, and capable of supporting multiple business capabilities
• Advanced system visibility by implementing best-in-class observability dashboards and leveraging A/B testing to experiment with feature requirements.

Qualifications

What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, other computer related field required
• 5 years of relevant experience
• Experience in common architecture frameworks such as Microservices, API management
• Experience in designing and building applications using AWS (or Azure or GCP) cloud architecture & services and support of highly available and resilient multi-region platforms
• Expertise in AWS and Kubernetes to support cloud infrasturcure.
• DevOps and CI/CD:Strong knowledge of DevOps practices, including CI/CD, automation, and observability tools (Harness, Dynatrace, DataDog, Splunk).
• Security and Vulnerability Management:Solid understanding of security best practices, including vulnerability management and mitigation.
• Experience in hardware integration
• PCI Compliance: Proven experience in implementing and maintaining PCI compliance for enterprise applications.
• A mindset for continuous learning and staying updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):

• Master’s degree in Computer Science
• AWS certification
• 3-5 years of AWS experience
• 1-3 years of Common Use platform experience
• 3-5 years of optimizing downstream dependencies for speed and reliability
• 1-3 years of experience with various kiosk functions and peripherals (IATA/AEA spec, Camera, Printers, Payment, Scanners, status LED’s, etc)

The base pay range for this role is $140,600.00 to $183,108.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [e-mail]