Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect

Job overview

The Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect role is onsite in Washington, DC, paying $60–$62 per hour. ZipStaff is recruiting for technology modernization at a major passenger-rail organization. This senior individual-contributor role sets enterprise architecture direction across hybrid cloud, infrastructure, networking, applications, and regulated payments. It helps guide secure modernization through target-state designs, standards, risk assessments, and reusable patterns while coaching peer architects and engineers without direct reports.

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 develop secure deployment architectures
• set direction for Zero Trust, cloud networking, identity-aware access, and microsegmentation
• conduct technical risk assessments and align patterns with PCI-DSS, NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, and Federal Railroad Administration rules
• use AI-assisted architecture workflows
• coach peer architects and engineering through design walkthroughs and reference implementations
• maintain integration boundaries with platform architects.

What we're looking for

Skills & competencies

principal cloud infrastructure architect

washington dc

zipstaff

contract w2

$60–$62/hr

hybrid cloud

enterprise architecture

zero trust

pci-dss

microsegmentation

ai/ml architecture

nist

on-site

13+ years experience

Work arrangement

• Weekend coverage required

Benefits & perks

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with matching
• paid time off
• referral program.

Why this role

Requires 13+ years in enterprise or infrastructure architecture and 2–3 years in a formal Enterprise Architecture practice; contract W2 through ZipStaff, with no C2C or 1099; must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

About the employer

ZipStaff Inc. is hiring for this role. Industry: Employment Placement Agencies. Sector: 56.