Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect

Job Title: Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect.

Location: Washington, DC (On-site).

Employment Type: Contract (W2 through ZipStaff - No C2C or 1099).

About the Opportunity

ZipStaff is seeking a Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect for technology modernization at a major passenger-rail organization.

You will set target-state enterprise architecture, Zero Trust baselines, and PCI-DSS patterns across hybrid cloud, networking, applications, and regulated payments. This is a senior individual-contributor architecture seat - not a team-manager role and not a hands-on cloud-admin role.

What You'll Do:

• Define and govern target-state architectures, standards, and multi-year roadmaps across hybrid cloud, infrastructure automation, analytics, asset management, and AI-enabled decision support.
• Evaluate Generative AI, machine learning, and process-automation use cases and turn them into secure deployment architectures with data governance, access control, auditability, and ownership.
• Set architectural direction for Zero Trust, cloud networking, identity-aware access, and microsegmentation, on-premises and in cloud.
• Run technical risk assessments and set patterns aligned to PCI-DSS, NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, and Federal Railroad Administration rules.
• Use AI-assisted architecture workflows to speed designs, risk analyses, and executive material, and leave reusable patterns behind.
• Coach peer architects and engineering through design walkthroughs and reference implementations, without direct reports.
• Hold clear integration boundaries with platform architects.

Required Qualifications:

• 13+ years in enterprise architecture, infrastructure architecture, or related technical leadership.

• 2-3 years embedded in a formal Enterprise Architecture practice.
• Delivery of business value in a large enterprise environment ($500M+ scale).
• Architectures for AI/ML integration, Zero Trust, microsegmentation, and PCI-DSS payment environments.
• Ability to explain complex designs to C-suite and senior engineers without direct authority.
• Concurrent architecture engagements and portfolio transformation.
• Bachelor's in Computer Science, Data/Intelligence, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Ability to work on-site in Washington, DC.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's or MBA.
• Travel, transportation, or passenger rail.
• Breadth across business, solution, infrastructure, and data architecture.
• DevSecOps pipelines, automated policy enforcement, software-defined networking, and AI-assisted architecture workflows.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance.
• Dental Insurance.
• Vision Insurance.
• 401(k) + 401(k) matching.

• Paid time off.
• Referral Program.

About ZipStaff

ZipStaff partners with leading organizations to connect skilled technology professionals with high-impact contract opportunities.

We focus on quality matches, clear communication, and long-term success for candidates and clients.