Principal Transportation Solutions Architect

Job Title Principal Transportation Solutions Architect
Washington, DC (Onsite)
11 months contract

Job Description
Seeking a Principal Transportation Solutions Architect for a premier client in Washington, DC, to lead the technical design and integration of a 24/7 mission-critical operational ecosystem.
This is a high-impact, hands-on role designed for a veteran engineer turned architect who bridges the gap between complex technical design and real-world transport operations (rail, transit, or aviation).
Acting as an independent consultant, you will partner directly with operational stakeholders such as dispatchers, controllers, and planners to map As-Is/To-Be workflows and deliver execution-grade, fault-tolerant architectures spanning IT/OT boundaries, real-time data streaming lakehouses, and cloud-hybrid platforms.

Key Responsibilities
End-to-End Solutioning: Own the architecture and technical design for complex, multi-system operational ecosystems, ensuring seamless connectivity across scheduling, dispatch, crew management, and asset maintenance.
Process & Workflow Modeling: Conduct structured business process analysis, including process mapping, gap analysis, and workflow decomposition, to align technical design with physical operational realities.
Architectural Artifact Creation: Produce rigorous, execution-grade artifacts including solution design documents, integration maps, API contracts, non-functional requirement matrices, and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) that engineering teams can build against without ambiguity.
Data & Integration Engineering: Design robust integration patterns utilizing event-driven architecture, REST/GraphQL APIs, pub/sub streaming (Kafka), and real-time operational data pipelines.
Stakeholder & Vendor Engagement: Interface directly with front-line operational staff to ground technical decisions in actual workflow contexts, while supporting RFP/RFQ inputs, vendor evaluations, and architecture governance.

Qualifications & Requirements
Experience Baseline: 10+ years of progressive IT/technology experience, featuring a strict foundation in hands-on engineering delivery (application development, systems integration, or data platforms) before moving into architecture. Note: Advisory-only candidates will not be competitive.
Domain Expertise: 5+ years as a Solutions or Enterprise Architect with demonstrated ownership of complex transportation operations (rail, transit, or airlines); familiarity with safety-adjacent, low-latency rail environments is a major plus.
Technical Depth: Deep command of cloud and hybrid platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform) designed for 24/7 high availability, reliability, and fault tolerance.
Advanced Data Ecosystems: Familiarity with lakehouse architectures (Databricks, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog) and AI/ML-enabled operations, such as predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, or scheduling optimization.
Consulting Mindset: Proven experience in a contractor or consulting engagement model; ability to deliver independently, manage scope, communicate blockers proactively, and maintain elite artifact quality without close supervision.