Architect Principal - Infrastructure

Infrastructure Architect Part of a larger team delivering enterprise infrastructure solutions that enable business operations, technology modernization, and operational excellence. Responsible for translating business, operational, and technical requirements into scalable infrastructure architectures spanning server platforms, operating systems, storage, databases, identity services, automation, and core enterprise platforms. Focuses on developing and governing infrastructure standards, architecture patterns, roadmaps, and technology ecosystems to ensure solutions are secure, resilient, supportable, and aligned with strategic objectives. Provides architectural leadership across infrastructure domains while driving consistency, modernization, and operational efficiency. What you'll do: Design and deliver infrastructure solutions that address complex business and technology requirements while ensuring scalability, resiliency, security, and operational supportability. Partner with engineering, operations, and business stakeholders to identify challenges, evaluate requirements, and develop strategic infrastructure solution options. Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture on infrastructure standards, reference architectures, design patterns, technology roadmaps, and engineering best practices. Lead architecture and design efforts across infrastructure domains including Windows and Linux platforms, storage, databases, identity services (Active Directory and LDAP), automation, and enterprise infrastructure platforms. Produce architectural deliverables, technical designs, roadmaps, and governance artifacts with minimal supervision. Serve as a trusted technical advisor and subject matter expert for infrastructure technology strategy, platform modernization, and operational excellence initiatives. Collaborate with engineering teams to evaluate emerging technologies, modernization opportunities, and platform lifecycle management strategies. Mentor and provide architectural guidance to engineers to strengthen infrastructure engineering capabilities and promote consistent design practices. Work closely with project teams, leadership, and operations teams to ensure successful delivery of infrastructure initiatives and alignment with enterprise architecture objectives. Participate in key project and operational decisions, ensuring trade-offs between risk, cost, supportability, security, and delivery timelines are thoughtfully evaluated. Assess the health, maturity, and future-state direction of infrastructure platforms and services, developing strategic roadmaps that improve reliability, efficiency, automation, and business enablement. Drive continuous improvement through infrastructure automation, standardization, and adoption of modern engineering practices to reduce operational complexity and increase service quality. What we're looking for: Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related technical field is required. Experience: 8 years of relevant work experience is required. An equivalent combination of education and related experience may be considered. At AEP, we're more than just an energy company — we're a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you! Compensation Grade: SP20-009 Compensation Range: $116,255.00 - $151,132.50 The Physical Demand Level for this job is: S – Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. American Electric Power