Principal Architect

WillowTree is a leading digital consultancy that partners with the world’s most admired brands to orchestrate winning experiences across the customer journey. Experiences that are personalized, on-brand, and consistent across channels and platforms. Experiences that can both drive customer delight and reduce operating costs.

Our services include digital strategy consulting, product development, brand and experience design, digital marketing, and data and AI services. WillowTree’s client roster spans industries and growth stages, including T-Mobile, Marriott, Allianz, Dexcom, PepsiCo, Brightline Trains, Synchrony Financial, Domino’s, and Dairy Queen. Check out how we have impacted our clients' digital portfolios over the years.

In January 2023, WillowTree was acquired by TELUS International (Symbol: TIXT), a leading provider of next-generation digital customer experience (CX) solutions for global and disruptive brands. The combined firm brings an unparalleled ability to deliver seamless, trusted, digitally-enabled experiences across any channel a customer might choose — including mobile apps, websites, voice UI, chatbots, email, customer service agents, and retail associates.

Our Principal Architect is an integral part of our Marketing Services team at WillowTree. This role will maintain either a remote, or an in-office presence in a hybrid capacity (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) in one of our offices: Charlottesville, VA (HQ), Durham, NC, Columbus, OH, or Boston, MA.

As the Principal Architect, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the technical direction of our client’s products and systems. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams at WillowTree and across client organizations, mentor and guide engineering professionals, and help drive the delivery of high-quality, scalable, and robust web software products and cloud infrastructure. You will serve as the primary voice for WillowTree when interfacing with technology executives all the way up to the CIO, CISO, and CTO. You will work with WillowTree account teams to uncover new opportunities to deliver technical leadership and innovative technology solutions to its clients.

• Create and maintain the technical architecture for web applications and cloud infrastructure, aligning it with business goals, as well as availability, scalability, and security requirements.
• Oversee the development of scalable, highly-available distributed systems that can handle high volumes of data and traffic with a strong focus on quality attributes (e.g., performance, security, scalability, reliability etc.).
• Create and maintain relevant program deliverables such as architecture diagrams, control mapping matrices, flow diagrams, disaster recovery plans, code quality plans, performance testing plans, intrusion detection plans, logging and monitoring plans, etc.
• Interface seamlessly with WillowTree stakeholders across continents, such as engineering and DevOps leadership, program leadership, design leadership, and account leadership.
• Interface seamlessly with WillowTree client stakeholders such as technology executives, product executives, PMO teams, architecture, security, and auditing teams.
• Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance and mentorship to other WillowTree engineers, fostering a culture of learning and innovation.
• Stay at the forefront of technological advancements in cloud-enabled web applications, conducting research to identify emerging tools and methodologies.

• Experience building trusted-advisor relationships with business and technical executives, and managing the architectural design of large enterprise-level technology programs.
• Minimum BS degree in Computer Science or closely related discipline.
• 15+ years of software development experience with 10+ working as an enterprise or solutions architect.
• Thorough understanding of microservice and cloud native architecture
• Firm grasp of system design and building highly reliable systems
• Track record of building highly scalable web and data platforms
• Extensive hands-on experience in Contract First/Design First Software Development for Microservices and Web/Mobile Products, and CI/CD using the Service & Data Contracts
• Expertise in Web Services (REST), API Design, ORM, Spring MVC, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Cloud Computing Platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) Containerization Technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), knowledge of Adobe Marketing Cloud a strong plus
• Extensive experience in the design, development, and delivery of web products with a large user base.
• A clear vision for architecture design and great communication skills to articulate that to all levels of stakeholders.
• Strong strategic and tactical thinking skills, and the ability to align strategies to deliver customer business outcomes.

We offer a place to be yourself.

Our differences, both visible and invisible, benefit our teams, our communities, and the products we craft. That’s why WillowTree strives to build a team with diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. You’ll work hard here; however, we’ll balance that with a culture that supports your growth and cares about your well-being. We’re committed to creating an environment of inclusion — a place where every Tree can thrive.

We want you to reach your fullest potential and part of your professional development at WillowTree will include dedicated time to innovate on passion projects and an annual stipend to fund your professional pursuits.

WillowTree upholds our core values in every aspect of our work. We promote safe and inclusive work environments and maintain a drug-free workplace. We celebrate our differences and provide equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Diverse teams build better products. We acknowledge that the tech industry especially lacks opportunity for those who are of non-traditional backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. In order to create the best products for everyone, we know that it's important for our team to reflect the diversity of our users, and we are committed to being the change we want to see.