Principal Solution Architect, Enterprise API Platform
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America3 months ago
Base Salary
$152k - $250k/yr
Responsibilities
- Own enterprise and business solution architecture strategy, standards, reusable patterns, reference architectures, and architectural guardrails.
- Lead complex, high-impact architecture decisions spanning multiple value streams, platforms, domains, and business units.
- Drive API modernization, API rationalization, reuse, lifecycle management, gateway and integration patterns, and domain-aligned API design.
- Shape API, MCP gateway, context-layer, observability, discoverability, governance, and AI-enablement strategies.
- Guide build-versus-buy decisions, API reimplementation priorities, scalability and resilience improvements, and modernization sequencing.
- Partner with Enterprise Architecture, Engineering, Product, Platform, Security, Risk, Compliance, and business stakeholders.
- Influence roadmaps, MVP scope, technical trade-offs, and enterprise exceptions without direct reporting authority.
- Mentor and coach architects and senior engineers and represent solution architecture in review boards and enterprise forums.
- Provide architecture input for major production incidents and translate technical decisions into business outcomes.
Requirements
- Deep experience designing and governing enterprise-scale solution architectures across multiple teams and domains.
- Experience modernizing API ecosystems, including API management and lifecycle platforms, gateway patterns, integration patterns, performance, scalability, and domain-aligned API design.
- Proven ability to define and drive adoption of architecture standards, frameworks, reusable patterns, and governance.
- Strong understanding of application architectures, APIs, integration patterns, AI, cloud platforms, and data flows.
- Experience balancing business priorities, technical trade-offs, risk, governance, and compliance at enterprise scale.
- Ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels and influence distributed teams without direct authority.
- Strong communication skills with technical and non-technical audiences and the ability to translate strategy into architectural direction.
- Experience in regulated or risk-sensitive environments and a track record of mentoring architects and engineers.
- Experience with Agile or product-based delivery models and producing product-level and team-level technical design documentation.
- Strong engineering background and ability to partner credibly with engineering leaders on enterprise API architecture.
- Understanding of MCP, agentic AI enablement, context-layer architecture, API observability, discoverability, governance, security, and AI-native enterprise capabilities.
Benefits
- Full-time eligible employees receive contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources.
- Professional skill-building, leadership development, and philanthropic opportunities are available.
- Hybrid work arrangement requiring three days per week at the Guardian office in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Categories
About The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America is a U.S. mutual insurer that provides life and disability insurance, dental and vision plans, annuities, and workplace benefits to individuals, families, and employers. It earns revenue through premiums, investment income, and fee-based wealth and retirement solutions, distributed via financial professionals, employers, and digital channels. Founded in 1860 and headquartered in New York City, it operates nationwide and is owned by its policyholders.