Principal Data Architect Contract Washington, DC W2

We’re hiring: Principal Data Architect – Contract Washington, DC

We are seeking a Principal Data Architect to lead the strategic design and evolution of a Labor Management Operations ecosystem for a major rail transportation organization. This is a high-impact leadership role requiring deep expertise in data architecture, legacy modernization, and real-time streaming systems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and implementation of enterprise information architecture aligned with security and performance standards

• Develop and maintain conceptual, logical, and physical data models, including event schemas and API contracts

• Drive modernization efforts by bridging legacy mainframe systems with modern streaming architectures

• Build high-performance pipelines for real-time data transformation and Change Data Capture (CDC)

• Perform advanced database tuning and ensure data integrity across complex systems

• Establish governance policies for database management, security, and enterprise data standards

• Mentor engineering teams and guide best practices in data architecture and design

Required Qualifications:

• 15+ years of experience in Data Management and Information Architecture

• Strong expertise in data modeling, relational and NoSQL databases

• Hands-on experience with streaming technologies such as Kafka and distributed systems

• Proven experience working with legacy mainframe environments and modernization strategies

• Strong understanding of enterprise data governance, security, and performance optimization

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in rail transportation or labor management systems

• Familiarity with Kafka Schema Registry and event-driven architectures

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Location: Washington, DC

Employment Type: Contract

If you’re a visionary data leader with the ability to modernize complex ecosystems and drive enterprise-scale data strategy, let’s connect.

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