Job SummaryThe Senior Principal Architect is responsible for providing architecture services to ensure portfolio technology investments are in alignment with corporate goals and its ability to move towards the future in an evolving business environment. As a Digital Technology expert, this role will utilize communication, influence, guidance, and governance processes to maximize return on technology investment, and reduce time to capability, while minimizing operational costs. The Senior Principal Architect will use strategic thinking to evolve Architecture and the Business of Technology as a disciplined, data-driven, and measurable practice-producing repeatability, continuity, benchmarking, and auditability at scale.
As part of the DT architecture team the Senior Principal Architect will be responsible for shaping the architecture practice itself-not just individual solutions-across a team of 20-30 architects. The role's primary value lies in driving consistency, governance, and long-term sustainability in a regulated environment.
Essential Functions:- Set up the architectural vision for core architecture practice capabilities and aligning patterns to allow for consistency and reuse
- Define enterprise principles, patterns and guidance that help in technology data capabilities, platforms and infrastructure, how applications are built, deployed, and maintained to align with strategic needs and maximizing technology investments
- Provide Oversight and Governance processes for establishing and maintaining enterprise architecture standards, patterns, and decision frameworks (ADR), while ensuring compliance without slowing delivery.
- Define and maintain the enterprise architecture standards library, including approved solution patterns, reference architectures, and anti-patterns, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and regulatory obligations.
- Operate and continuously improve the architecture review process-Design Reviews, Architecture Review Board (ARB) participation, and lightweight fitness function checks-ensuring governance is an enabler rather than a bottleneck.
- Drive adoption of architecture tooling, reusable patterns, and alignment with Agile/SAFe to improve delivery efficiency and reuse.
- Provide practice leadership, acting as a mentor and thought leader, elevating architect capability, defining role clarity, and influencing outcomes through credibility rather than hierarchy and using influence rather than authority
- Effectively communicate to group leadership, management and teams throughout the company
Minimum Qualifications:- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 9 years of relevant work experience.
Preferred Qualifications:- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 11 years of relevant work experience.
- Track record of designing and implementing architecture governance frameworks that balance rigor with delivery agility.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities:- Core competencies centered on architectural thinking, governance design, and influencing skills, combined with deep expertise in cloud, integration, data, and regulatory environments.
- Strong executive communication, mentoring, risk/technical debt management, and the ability to balance rigor with agility.
- Strong expertise in architectural practices: Architectural Decision Records, Build vs Buy analysis, Business Capability Maps, Value-Stream Analysis, Solution Architecture work products, Architecture Governance
- Familiarity with Enterprise Architecture toolsets (LeanIX, Ardoq, Orbus, etc.) and low-code platforms (ex: Microsoft Power Automate) to create architecture governance workflows and data models
The salary/hourly range is $149,400.00 - $193,644.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee's assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee's base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
Health and WellbeingFinancial and RetirementWork and Family Life SupportHealth, Dental, and Vision Insurance401K with Employer MatchGenerous Paid Time Off Wellness ProgramsRailroad Retirement BenefitsPaid Caregiving Days and Backup CareHealth Savings AccountPublic Service Student Loan ForgivenessFertility and Family Building BenefitsNo-cost Personal Health AdvocateStudent Loan AssistanceAdoption and Surrogacy AssistanceMedical Plan Opt-out CreditTuition and Education ReimbursementPaid Family Leave Life InsuranceRail Pass Privileges Short- and Long-term Disability InsuranceEmployee Assistance Program No-cost Financial Advisor SessionsCommuter and Flexible Spending Accounts
Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:166620
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:No
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%
