Senior Principal Solutions Architect (Remote) New

• Deep experience in enterprise architecture at scale, across large, distributed systems
• Strong data fluency, dependency mapping, data mesh enablement, high-availability and low-latency design
• Hands-on experience with the stack: Kubernetes, Kafka, Cassandra, Java, TypeScript, AWS, protobuf, Databricks, GraphQL, and REST
• Comfort using AI-assisted development and agentic coding tools to accelerate delivery and enable non-technical teams
• A track record of working across teams on complex, multi-stakeholder technical decisions, including trade-off and risk analysis (eg SPADE, architecture decision records)
• Credibility and trust building across a group including executives who will be focused on business value and senior technical stakeholders who will be focused on implementation
• Strong domain-driven design instincts and comfort with the ambiguity of both greenfield and Legacy work, * 10+ years of experience designing large, distributed systems in multi-stakeholder environments
• Proficiency in Kubernetes, Kafka, Cassandra, Java, TypeScript, AWS, protobuf, Databricks, GraphQL, and REST
• Deep knowledge of enterprise architecture practices, data mesh, high-availability design, and low-latency systems
• Strong data fluency and dependency mapping skills
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development and agentic coding tools
• Track record in trade-off and risk analysis, including use of architecture decision records
• Credibility and trust building with executives and senior technical stakeholders
• Domain-driven design instincts and ability to handle both greenfield and Legacy work
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without employer sponsorship; we do not sponsor visas

• Competitive salary range: $173,585 - $216,882 USD (adjusted for U.S. locations)
• Comprehensive wellness package, unlimited learning resources, annual stipend for development, coworking support for global team, flexible PTO, and 12 weeks of new-parent leave
• Full remote position; requires working in a U.S. time zone, preferably central or east coast, with occasional short travel (two to three times per year)

Equal Employment Opportunity

As set forth in 8th Light's Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. Location Chicago, IL, United States of America Industry IT Rate $173,585 - $216,882 Company 8th Light, Inc.

At 8th Light, we bring life to the best ideas. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Chicago, we are a technology solutions consultancy that partners with organizations from early-stage startups to the world's largest companies. We take on hard software challenges and turn them into durable results. We build agentic products, the platforms they run on, and the engineering and design at every layer. Our commitment to quality means we deliver solutions we're truly proud of, while our curiosity sparks innovation and breakthrough thinking. 8th Lights thrive in an environment that champions continuous education, fueling our growth through mentorship and hands-on work. We foster an open, collaborative culture grounded in honesty that builds trust, and believe true success is measured by the outcomes we create for our clients. If this kind of work and our kind of people energize you, you've found the right place. Who You Are You've spent over 10 years architecting large, distributed systems across complex, multi-stakeholder environments. You move comfortably between long-term planning and hands-on design, building trust with executives focused on business value and the engineers who own implementation.