Principal Cloud Architect

Apply now: Principal Cloud Architect, location is Hybrid (Herndon, VA). The start date is ASAP for this contract-to-hire position.

Job Title: Principal Cloud Architect
Location-Type: Dulles Corner Blvd. Herndon, VA 20171 (Hybrid - 2–3 Days A Week Onsite / Tuesday - Thursday)
Travel: Periodically for customer workshops
Start Date Is: ASAP
Duration: Contract-to-Hire (6 - 12 Months)
W2 Pay Rate Range: $85/hr - $95/hr
Benefits: Eligible for Health, Dental, Vision, 401K
Must be authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for sponsorship .

Job Description:
Lead enterprise SAP cloud transformation initiatives by serving as the principal technical advisor for customers, driving discovery workshops, defining target-state architectures, and delivering strategic roadmaps that align SAP technologies with long-term business objectives.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities:

• Lead executive-level discovery workshops and customer strategy sessions
• Assess current SAP environments and develop future-state architecture roadmaps
• Translate business requirements into scalable SAP cloud solutions
• Design technical architectures spanning SAP BTP, S/4HANA, ECC, integration, security, and cloud platforms
• Develop heatmaps, transition plans, modernization roadmaps, and architecture documentation
• Partner with Functional Architects, Enterprise Architects, and Engagement Leads on solution strategy
• Guide customers through cloud transformation and SAP adoption initiatives
• Provide technical oversight throughout implementation to ensure architectural alignment
• Present technical recommendations to executive stakeholders and business leaders
• Act as a trusted SAP technical advisor across customer engagements

Requirements:

Minimum Requirements:

• 10 years of SAP Basis, Technical Solutions, or SAP Architecture experience
• 10 years of IT and enterprise architecture experience
• 5 years of management or technology consulting experience
• Deep expertise with SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, SAP BTP, and SAP cloud solutions
• Strong knowledge of SAP Integration Suite, PI/PO, APIs, and middleware architecture
• Experience with SAP data architecture, including Datasphere, SAP HANA, BW/4HANA, MDG, and data governance
• Experience with SAP security architecture, GRC, Identity Management, and compliance
• Knowledge of SAP Cloud ALM, Solution Manager, and application lifecycle management
• Experience with cloud infrastructure and hybrid cloud architectures (AWS, Azure, SAP BTP)
• Strong customer-facing consulting experience leading executive workshops and transformation initiatives
• Ability to translate technical architecture into business value and long-term technology roadmaps
• Understanding of SAP AI capabilities and customer use cases
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Preferred Qualifications (NOT required, but a plus!) :

• SAP LeanIX experience
• SAP Signavio experience
• Cloud ALM certification
• TOGAF certification
• Public Sector, Defense, or Aerospace implementation experience
• MBA
• Experience estimating the financial impact of architectural decisions
• Experience with SAP Joule, SAP Business AI, or AI Core initiatives