Principal Solutions Architect III

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.

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.

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.