Principal Solutions Architect, Enterprise Applications & Services

Job Description and Duties

This is a re-advertisement. If you have previously applied to this JC, you do not need to reapply.

The salary ranges listed in this Job Control may not reflect reductions in pay in accordance with the 2025 Personal Leave Program. Please follow the link for more information regarding the 2025 Personal Leave program.

Are you interested in helping FTB optimize its Enterprise Applications and Services to give FTB and the State the most flexibility in its ability to support and fund critical statewide services? Then we have the perfect opportunity for you. We are seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Principal Solution Architect (PSA) to join our team. In this critical role, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of our enterprise-class internal and external systems and services. You will collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership to design and implement innovative technology solutions. This position offers a unique opportunity to drive architectural strategy, mentor other architects, and contribute to the continuous improvement of our IT practices. If you are passionate about leveraging technology to solve complex challenges and thrive in a collaborative environment, we encourage you to apply.

As the IT Specialist III, you’ll serve as a Principal Solutions Architect with a focus on the solutions within the Enterprise Applications and Services landscape, working closely with FTB's information technology managers, architects, technical teams across the department, and business partners. You will:

• Provide technical leadership, expert analysis, and guidance to improve existing performance and implement new application services in alignment with FTB's current and future business processes and technology solutions
• Develop, maintain, and use advanced technical knowledge of FTB systems of work and data assets to provide expert analysis, identifying optimal and reasonable application solutions to solve the department's most complex technical problems and challenges
• Deliver a disciplined approach to enable real business value, enhance FTB's leverage, facilitate user adoption, drive down the total cost of ownership and minimize the risk of failure of its data management solutions
• Be responsible for engaging the development team and encouraging them to build and maintain knowledge of FTB’s automated solutions, use existing documentation and models, methods, services, or other artifacts to create this leverage, speed up and stabilize automated processing
• Work closely with FTB architects, Enterprise Architecture (EA) Office, and senior managers, engaging in continual education on industry technology, data governance, data strategies, and operational trends to help identify and guide complex projects and initiatives that will provide the greatest value to the department and citizens of California

Additional positions may become available (RPA 2526-02476).

Please complete this optional survey letting us know how you heard about this position by clicking here.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

• Interviews will be conducted in person.

• This position requires 4 or more days in the office per week. It is designated office-centered and may be eligible for some remote work based on departmental guidelines and operational need.
  

• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for a visa sponsorship, now or in the future.
  

About the Technology Services Division (TSD) The mission of TSD is to securely deliver and support information technology solutions and services essential to the success of the FTB’s mission. By acting on our TSD mission, we will realize our vision of a collaborative and diverse team of IT experts who further innovation and empower our business partners to accomplish their goals. Read more about FTB .

Learn more about other FTB technical roles at this FTB microsite .

Need help understanding the hiring process or have questions about FTB? We'd love to talk to you! Before applying, read through these step by step instructions to apply, or contact us at View email address on us.fitly.work . Please include the job control (JC) number and the position title in the subject line.

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.

This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce. E-Verify is a web-based system that allows enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. For more information about E-Verify, please go to .

CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 2, SECTION 172: All candidates for, appointees to, and employees in the state civil service shall possess the general qualifications of integrity, honesty, sobriety, dependability, industry, thoroughness, accuracy, good judgment, initiative, resourcefulness, courtesy, ability to work cooperatively with others, willingness and ability to assume the responsibilities and to conform to the conditions of work characteristic of the employment, and a state of health, consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. Where the position requires the driving of an automobile, the employee must have a valid state driver's license, a good driving record and is expected to drive the car safely. The foregoing general qualifications shall be deemed to be a part of the personal characteristics of the minimum qualifications of each class specification and need not be specifically set forth therein

PORTANT NOTICE** As required by the department's rules of conduct, all employees of the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) must be in compliance with the California Revenue and Taxation Code. During the background investigation portion of the hiring process, FTB will review return information to verify California state income tax compliance. Any failure to comply with the California Revenue and Taxation Code may prevent you from being hired at FTB. You must verify your filing status by calling View phone number on us.fitly.work to resolve any potential tax compliance issues, prior to submitting your application and seeking employment with FTB. All applicants not currently employed with the Franchise Tax Board will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation. The investigation will consist of completion of a pre-employment questionnaire, fingerprinting, and an inquiry to the Department of Justice to disclose criminal records. We comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Persons with hearing or speech impairments, call TTY/TDD View phone number on us.fitly.work.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to clearly demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications and Alternate Range Placement for the position on your State Application (STD Form 678). The application should also clearly demonstrate the candidate’s ability to meet the Desirable Qualifications identified in this job advertisement. The Classification Specification is located on this Job Announcement Posting under "Minimum Requirements”.

We encourage applications regardless of whether you think you meet 100% of these skills below. Please highlight your knowledge, skills, and experience related to the below desirable qualifications in your application package.

• Demonstrated experience architecting and implementing large-scale, complex enterprise solutions that meet business requirements and optimize cost, performance, security, and scalability
• Extensive experience planning, directing, and executing cloud migration and transformation initiatives, including the transition of legacy systems to cloud or hybrid environments with minimal operational disruption
• Experience applying innovative and analytical approaches to resolve complex technical issues, reduce technical debt, and improve enterprise application architectures
• Experience participating in or leading all phases of the application development lifecycle, including the design, deployment, and maintenance of scalable and resilient cloud, hybrid, and on-premises applications
• Knowledge of cost-effective solution design principles, including resource optimization and strategies to enhance return on investment for enterprise technology systems
• Experience implementing security frameworks and ensuring compliance with applicable industry standards, state policies, and regulatory requirements in cloud and hybrid environments
• Experience mentoring and guiding technical staff and/or architects to support architectural maturity, staff development, and effective knowledge transfer
• Experience with DevSecOps practices, leading, facilitating, or collaborating with multidisciplinary business, technical, and operational teams to develop and implement integrated technology solutions
• Experience applying technical project management and change-management principles to support successful system implementations and operational transitions
• Knowledge and/or experience working with Franchise Tax Board (FTB) systems, financial systems, or tax administration environments
• Experience developing policies, plans, and strategies that comply with applicable laws, regulations, statewide policies, and enterprise standards
• Experience working across diverse program areas or functional units that contribute to a broad understanding of enterprise operations, priorities, and perspectives
• Demonstrated ability to foster and maintain effective working relationships, promote a positive and collaborative work environment, and model professional and service-oriented behavior
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities in a fast-paced environment, adapt to changing requirements, and meet established deadlines
• Ability to prepare and produce clear, concise, and technically accurate documentation, including procedures, plans, diagrams, and information security-related materials

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the website and the website.

In addition, Franchise Tax Board offers the following:

• Convenient transportation and commuting options include : Light Rail stop, bicycle lockers, free parking, and carpool/vanpool opportunities

ADDITIONAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

A complete application package must be received in the Classification & Hiring Unit or postmarked by the final filing date and must include:

• Completed employment information on the STD. 678, including the “From” and “To” dates, “Hours Per Week,” and “Duties Performed" fields for all jobs listed in the “Employment History” fields (resumes do not take the place of these fields on the STD. 678)
• All of the required documents listed in the “Required Application Package Documents” section
• The position number and job control number in the job title line of the STD. 678, if submitting a paper application package (these numbers will auto-populate in the job title line of the STD. 678 if submitting an electronic application through your CalCareer Account )
• A signature, if submitting a paper application package

Candidates who do not follow all of the listed application instructions may be eliminated from the selection process. All submitted information will be screened and the most qualified candidates will be invited to an interview.

Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended. If you are unable to apply electronically through your CalCareer account, please mail a completed and signed STD. 678 and application package to the mailing address provided above in the “Application Instructions” section.

Do not include full Social Security Number, method of eligibility, and LEAP information in your application package.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Other - A cover letter is required and must be included.
• Other - Required : If you are basing your eligibility on educational requirements, you MUST provide a legible copy of your transcripts as proof of meeting the education requirement as listed in the Classification Specification (please see the Class Specification located under “Minimum Requirements” on the left-hand side of this job posting). Applicants with foreign transcripts must provide a foreign transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which the foreign course work is equivalent. Transcripts may be official or unofficial; please redact birthdates and social security numbers. If you are not basing your eligibility on an educational requirement, you may instead use the bypass option (when applying, select Choose/Upload for the required document and then select Bypass File).
• Supplemental Application - In order to be considered for this position, interested candidates must submit a supplemental application. Your response must be no more than two type-written pages in length, using 12-point font, 1-inch standard margins and include your first and last name in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Respond to the following supplemental statement(s):
  

  
  What is a recent technical challenge you encountered while integrating a system into a DevSecOps pipeline—such as automating security controls, optimizing CI/CD workflows, or ensuring resilient and performant deployment automation?

  What was your role?

  What did you do to address the challenge?

  What was the outcome of your specific actions to address this challenge?