Principal Software Architect

Lumen; Montpelier (VT); Remote; USD 152,000 - 223,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Life insurance

Voluntary lifestyle benefits

Job summary

Lumen seeks a Principal Software Architect to bring classically trained architecture discipline and AI-augmented design to the DJAS team. You will apply architectural principles across microservices, event-driven systems, and API-first design, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security across complex multi-system environments.

You will mentor engineers, lead design reviews, and stay engaged from architecture through delivery, partnering with cloud, security, and domain architects to drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related field with 12+ years of software architecture experience
• Master's degree with 10+ years of software architecture experience
• AI-first practitioner integrating AI tools as a routine part of architecture work
• Demonstrated examples of AI accelerating or improving work
• Classically trained software architecture background with formal exposure
• Deep expertise in distributed systems: microservices, event-driven architecture, saga patterns, CQRS, async messaging
• API design authority: REST, gRPC, GraphQL, versioning and governance
• DDD and bounded context modeling
• Non-functional requirements design: performance, reliability, scalability
• Observability architecture: OpenTelemetry, metrics, tracing, alerts
• Security architecture integration: threat modeling, secure patterns
• Strong written and verbal communication: ADRs and solution designs
• Track record of delivered production systems

Responsibilities

• Apply proven software architecture principles to DJAS design work: microservices, event-driven patterns, distributed systems, API-first design, DDD
• Lead architecture design sessions and design reviews addressing NFRs from the start
• Produce high-quality architecture artifacts: solution designs, ADRs, integration specs, architecture standards
• Define architecture governance: what is good enough to ship vs needs more work
• Evaluate and adopt modern architecture patterns and methodologies beyond current norms
• Apply AI-augmented engineering practices: LLM-assisted design, agentic workflows
• Architect for operational excellence: observability-first design, chaos engineering, runbooks
• Bridge architecture and implementation: stay involved through delivery
• Mentor architects and engineers on fundamentals and design rigor
• Collaborate with cloud/IAM/security and domain architects on cross-cutting concerns
• Challenge technical debt patterns to ensure conscious choices

Skills

AI-first

Distributed systems

API design

DDD

Observability

Security architecture

Technical writing

Production systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Master's degree in related field

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI-powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high-performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI-ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

Bring classically trained, broad software architecture expertise to the Digital Journey Architecture and Solutions team. DJAS architects have developed deep knowledge of Lumen's systems through years of embedded work - this role brings the architectural discipline, patterns, and methodologies that complement that institutional depth. The Principal Software Architect raises the architectural quality bar across DJAS's design work by bringing formal architecture practices, modern system design patterns, and a perspective that isn't shaped entirely by how things have been done at Lumen.

This is not a domain specialist role. The value is breadth, discipline, and the ability to apply proven architectural principles to complex, multi-system problems - including the emerging domain of AI-augmented and agentic systems.

Location

This is a remote opportunity open to candidates located anywhere in the U.S.

The Main Responsibilities

• Apply proven software architecture principles to DJAS design work: microservices, event-drivenpatterns, distributed systems, API-first design, domain-driven design

• Lead architecture design sessions and design reviews - challenge assumptions, surface tradeoffs,ensure solutions address NFRs (performance, reliability, scalability, observability, security) from the startProduce high-quality architecture artifacts: solution designs, ADRs, integration specifications,architecture standards

• Define architecture governance practices: what makes a design "good enough to ship" vs what needsmore work; codify standards the team applies consistently

• Evaluate and adopt modern architecture patterns and methodologies - not just what Lumen has done,but what the broader engineering discipline has learned

• Apply AI-augmented engineering practices: LLM-assisted design, agentic workflow architecture,integrating AI capabilities into system designs safely and observably

• Architect for operational excellence: observability-first design, chaos engineering readiness,runbook-aligned failure handling

• Bridge the gap between architecture and implementation: stay present through delivery, validate thatwhat gets built matches the design intent, surface gaps early

• Mentor architects and engineers on architecture fundamentals, design patterns, and how to think aboutsystem design rigorously

• Partner with cloud, IAM/security, and domain architects to ensure cross-cutting concerns areaddressed coherently across DJAS's portfolio

• Challenge technical debt patterns where they emerge in designs - not to block delivery, but to ensurethe team is making conscious choices

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related field with 12+ years of softwarearchitecture experience or

• Master's degree with 10+ years of software architecture experience

• AI-first practitioner - actively integrates AI tools (LLMs, coding assistants, AI-powered analysis anddesign tools) as a routine part of architecture and engineering work, not as an occasional experiment.

• Candidates must demonstrate specific, current examples of how AI has meaningfully accelerated orimproved their work.

• Classically trained software architecture background: formal education or structured architecturepractice exposure (not exclusively developed through a single company's environment)

• Deep expertise in distributed systems: microservices, event-driven architecture, saga patterns, CQRS,async messaging

• API design authority: REST, gRPC, GraphQL - knows when to use each, how to version, how togovern

• Domain-driven design (DDD) and bounded context modeling

• Non-functional requirements design: performance engineering, reliability patterns (circuit breakers,bulkheads, retries), scalability modeling

• Observability architecture: OpenTelemetry instrumentation, metrics design, distributed tracing, alertingstandards

• Security architecture integration: threat modeling, secure design patterns, data classification inarchitecture

• Strong written and verbal communication: can produce ADRs and solution designs that are clear,precise, and decision-quality

• Track record of delivered production systems - not just designs, but architectures that were built andoperated

Preferred

• Experience architecting AI/ML-augmented systems: LLM integration patterns, RAG architecture,agentic workflow design

• Cloud-native architecture depth (AWS, Azure, or GCP) - complements the dedicated Cloud Architectrole

• Experience in telecom, network automation, or NaaS domains - reduces ramp time on Lumen-specificcontext

• Platform architecture experience: designing systems that other teams build on, not just end-userapplications

• Architecture governance experience in a multi-team engineering organization: standards enforcement,design review processes, exception handling

• Contributions to technical standards bodies, open source architecture frameworks, or publishedarchitectural thinking

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges

$152,066 - $202,755 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY

$159,670 - $212,893 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI

$167,273 - $223,031 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Learn more about Lumen's:

Benefits (https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/benefits-statement)

Bonus Structure

#LI-Remote

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI-focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit:

https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/life-at-lumen

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Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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