Principal Solutions Architect III

Principal Solutions Architect III | Cumberland, Rhode Island, United States Principal Solutions Architect III - AI/Data Security (Contract) Cumberland, RI, 02864, United States

About the Role
Join our dynamic team as a Principal Solutions Architect III and drive the future of data protection and AI security within highly regulated environments. This pivotal contract position offers you the opportunity to architect cutting-edge solutions, influence enterprise strategy, and work alongside talented experts. Leverage your experience to lead data security initiatives, guide AI/ML engineers, and shape the organization's approach to responsible, future-proof data stewardship.

Responsibilities

- Define and own data protection strategy for structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data, ensuring alignment with NERC, SOX, CCPA, GDPR, and other mandates.
- Architect and deploy Azure Purview for advanced data classification and insider risk management.
- Lead secure implementation of AI data pipelines, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Vector Databases, and Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for SQL workloads.
- Explore and assess emerging technologies such as Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and Differential Privacy (DP) for AI/LLM pipelines.
- Develop and execute legacy data de-duplication, archiving, and migration strategies, optimizing data lifecycle and mitigating retention risks.
- Implement and manage Data Loss Prevention (DLP) across endpoints, email, cloud storage, and collaboration platforms (Microsoft 365, SharePoint).
- Provide architectural guidance, author security patterns, develop threat models, and create actionable playbooks for product and AI/ML teams.
- Evaluate, integrate, and automate third-party tools for data discovery, tokenization, monitoring, and classification response.
- Define DSPM (Data Security Posture Management) strategy and data incident response protocols.
- Ensure compliance with all internal policies and standards.

Required Skills and Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field, or equivalent experience.
- 10+ years of experience in information security or data architecture roles.
- Proven expertise in data protection, security architecture, and risk assessment.
- Proficiency with Azure Purview, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and DLP implementations.
- Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

Preferred Skills

- Experience in utilities or regulated industries.
- Knowledge of data protection in data lakes or Azure Synapse.
- Background in LLM security or responsible AI design patterns.
- SANS/GIAC, CISSP, or Azure Security certification.
- Experience with legacy data cleanup and DSPM platforms.
- In-depth understanding of cryptographic standards and quantum-ready cryptography.
- Passion for AI safety, responsible data stewardship, and future-proofing sensitive workloads.

Benefits

- Opportunity to lead transformative data security initiatives in a forward-thinking, high-impact environment.
- Collaborate with top-tier experts and executive leadership on innovative projects.
- Expand your skills across the intersection of AI, data security, and cloud technologies.
- Great potential for contract extension or transition to full-time based on performance.

How to Apply

Ready to shape the future of data security and AI? Submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your experience in data protection and AI/ML security. Qualified candidates will be contacted promptly for interviews.