What Does a Principal Architect Do?
Principal architects are senior-level professionals who oversee the design, development, and implementation of complex software systems and enterprise-level applications. Typically, they work for large organizations, consulting firms, or technology companies. They lead a team of designers, developers, and architects and provide technical guidance and direction on projects from conception to execution. To succeed as a principal architect, it is imperative that individuals in this role have a deep understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and best practices.
They create technical specifications, establish milestones, and ensure the development team reaches them. These professionals work closely with stakeholders, such as business analysts, project managers, and clients, to understand their requirements and deliver a product that meets their expectations. Principal architects are also responsible for researching, evaluating, and recommending cutting-edge technologies.
A principal architect typically has a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, as well as several years of software development and architecture experience. It is essential they possess excellent communication skills and leadership qualities. Critical and creative thinking, as well as the ability to work under pressure, are also essential.
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National Average Salary
Principal architect salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.
The average U.S. salary for a Principal Architect is:
$140,780
Principal Architect Job Descriptions
Example 1
In this leadership role, you act as a figurehead for commercial clients in all senses: collaborate in project ideation, project review, align and define strategic pursuits based, mentoring, and client attraction and retention, as well as playing a role in defining and communicating the brand. Join an established and industry leader in architecture and design.
Ideal candidate attributes
- Leader in commercial architecture projects
- Business Development – track record of winning projects
- Highly organized, detail-driven, and conscientious
- Leadership quality and capability
- A proactive and positive attitude
- An outgoing personality with a team-focused approach
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Architecture from an accredited school
- 10-15+ years of architecture experience, with recent commercial architecture experience
- Architectural Registration
- LEED accreditation and/or WELL accreditation are strongly preferred
- Experience working with firms for thoughtful design solutions to complex, larger-scale client requirements.
- Track record of winning work through in-depth knowledge of commercial building trends in the area
- Genuine business development acumen
- Knowledge of political, social, and economic factors affecting commercial building in the local market
- An established network of influences/industry professionals who rely on you as much as you rely on them for ideas and information
- Strong ability to think strategically
- Leadership, collaboration, and team-building skills
- Compelling personal presence with strong oral, written, and graphic communications skills
Example 2
The primary responsibility of the Principal is for strategic vision, leadership, and inspiration for both the staff and for clients to ensure the annual plan is implemented. This individual will increase the awareness of firm’s architectural and engineering practice while contributing to the reputation of the firm
Qualifications:
- A Principal shall have a minimum of 10 years’ experience functioning as a lead on a variety of project scales and complexities.
- Have a proven track record of winning project pursuits and maintaining strong client relationships with a diverse portfolio of project types.
- Must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, along with leadership and mentoring skills.
- The ability to collaborate and integrate with existing team.
Responsibilities/Skills:
- To achieve success, the Principal will work directly with the business development group to develop relationships with target clients and pursue new relationships that fit within the strategic goals.
- Develop strategic sales goals and the plans to achieve those goals to meet the overall company goals for growth.
- Represent the company with direct client interaction and industry events.
- The pursuit of new work will be in a collaborative manner with in-house subject matter experts, technical leaders and national experts as required.
- This individual will oversee and direct the activities of personnel within the office including implementing annual plans, marketing strategies, public relations, financial planning and management, and other related matters.
- This position will be responsible for adherence to corporate policies, project contract financial fee and budget information in conjunction with Marketing and Project Management and establishment and/or maintenance of processes and procedures.
Example 3
The Principal Architect has a high level of authority for the decision-making, staffing, and budget for their functional area of responsibility, subject to approval regarding the most significant business and policy issues by the Senior Management.
The candidate is considered an architectural expert and a current leader in their industry. The incumbent has decision-making authority over their functional area. Works within clearly defined policies, principles, and specific objectives in consultation with departmental management. Provides policy and procedural recommendations with final approval from the Senior Management. They have an advanced understanding of architecture to manage designs and guide team members.
Responsibilities
- Oversees the research, development, and design of architecture projects.
- Provides resource balancing for project needs and optimizing time amongst team members.
- Prepares section budget requests and reviews project documents such as specifications, technical reports, design drawings and calculations, and 3D models.
- Recommends acceptance/concurrence of consultant/contractor findings.
- Approves general personnel duties involving subordinate employees, including interviewing, recommending hiring, conducting job performance evaluations of work unit supervisors, and documenting and pursuing disciplinary action.
- Supervises and schedules training of employees to increase their level of technical expertise.
- Manages all phases of in-house architecture work, including setting work priorities and assigning and scheduling section personnel, including architects and field staff.
- Provides in-house estimates for work effort and fees on consultant/contractor design projects.
- Reviews proposals and scopes of work submitted by consultants, and contractors, monitors work and recommends consultant payments to project leadership.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor of Architecture degree.
- Masters preferred.
- Must have a minimum of seventeen (17) years of related experience
- Must have a minimum of ten (10) years in a management or supervisory role and/or project manager role in a large, multi-faceted organization.
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
Competencies:
- Registered Architect (RA) required.
- Significant experience in tackling large-scale architectural issues for major construction projects or projects with highly complex systems is preferred.
- Substantial experience leading and managing designers, contractors, subcontractors, and/or vendors.
- Proven ability to collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders and drive project/program outcomes.
- Strong knowledge of the applicable industry codes and standards.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with stakeholders at all internal levels within the organization.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a high-profile, high-pressure environment effectively.
- Must have focus and ability to deliver on results, organizational effectiveness, and continuous improvement.
- Must be a proven leader as a change agent and creative/innovative thinker with the ability to align business goals with solutions to drive process improvements.
- Must possess excellent team building, listening, problem-solving, and prioritization skills.
- Alternate Delivery experience preferred.
- Proficiency in current design software and Microsoft Office are required.
- An attitude and commitment to actively participating in our employee culture is a must.
- Able to multi-task and be flexible/adapt to rapidly changing project requirements/timelines.
- Ability to work independently with minimal oversight.
How to Hire a Principal Architect
There are a number of important initial considerations when hiring a principal architect:
- Recruiting: Do you have the knowledge, tools, and resources to attract and screen candidates?
- Complexity: Do you need a senior professional, or will mid or junior-level skills and experience suffice?
- Duration: Are you hiring for a project or an ongoing need?
- Urgency: How soon does the opening need to be filled? What happens while it remains open?
- Headcount: Do you have the budget and approval for an internal employee, or should you consider alternate options?
Answering these questions will help determine the best course of action for your current hiring need. Fortunately, great options exist for every scenario. These are our recommendations:
1. Use a professional recruiting firm with relevant experience
When working with 4 Corner Resources, the heavy lifting is done for you. We source, screen, recruit and deliver only the most qualified candidate(s). This is the best route to take when:
- You need to fill the position quickly
- The position requires a highly specialized skillset or background
- You are hiring an employee as a direct placement but aren’t able to recruit effectively or efficiently with your internal staff.

2. Advertise directly on a job board
Your best option may be to advertise your opening on a proven job board. There are many widely used job sites out there that draw visits from qualified candidates. If you have someone internally who can dedicate the time and energy to sort through applications and screen individuals effectively, this can be a great choice.
We recommend using a job board when:
- Your internal recruiting team has the knowledge and experience to assess candidate qualifications
- You are hiring a direct employee and have time to manage the entire recruiting effort
- You have a process for receiving, screening, and tracking all resumes and applications
- You are prepared to respond to all applicants
There are many career sites out there. Here are the two we recommend for a principal architect opening:
LinkedIn is a social network for job seekers, professionals, and businesses. With this popular job site, you can enhance your brand and advertise your open position to a wide audience of motivated, qualified candidates. Job postings on LinkedIn are also extremely streamlined and user-friendly, making it even easier for candidates to apply. Additionally, applicants can use their LinkedIn profile instead of a resume to expedite the process.

CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder has been a trusted source for hiring since 1995. Reach 80+ million unique, diverse U.S. job seekers annually by posting your jobs through their talent acquisition channels. Through CareerBuilder, you can engage candidates and drive them into your sourcing pipeline. We recommend using CareerBuilder for hiring when you have the internal resources and processes to review, screen, and reply to all applicants.

3. Leverage your professional network
Gather a list of trusted industry peers who can maintain discretion while referring qualified candidates. We recommend this option when:
- You have a strong and loyal professional network
- You are not under a tight time constraint
- You do not need to maintain strict confidentiality
If you aren’t sure which path is best, schedule a discovery call today with our seasoned recruiting professionals. The 4 Corner team is on standby to help you find the best option for your unique hiring need.
Sample Interview Questions
- When did you have to make a difficult technical decision, and how did you decide?
- When working with stakeholders, including project managers, business analysts, and clients, how do you ensure that the final product meets their expectations?
- What are your strategies for resolving conflicts within a development team?
- How do you manage your time and prioritize tasks effectively to ensure that projects are delivered on time in a fast-paced development environment?
- Tell me about your favorite project you have ever been a part of. What part did you play?
- What is your experience working with different programming languages and platforms, and how do you select the most appropriate technology for a project?
- What challenges did you face while designing and developing a complex software system or application?
- Describe a time you received criticism from your supervisor. How did you respond to it?
- When it comes to project milestones, how do you motivate your development team to meet them?
- How do you ensure that your final product meets quality standards through software testing and quality assurance?