Principal System Architect

LI-COR

. Define and maintain the target architecture, system boundaries, data models, integration patterns, and technical roadmap for connected products and cloud platforms .

Posted 11/4/2026full-timeRemote • Nebraska • United StatesLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in defining and maintaining architecture for cloud platforms and connected products, with a strong focus on backend engineering, API design, and data lifecycle management. Proven ability to lead architecture reviews, guide platform modernization, and ensure compliance with data access and privacy requirements.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Cloud Architecture OwnershipAWS Cloud Services ExpertiseBackend Engineering and API DesignCI/CD and Infrastructure as CodeData Modeling and Lifecycle Management

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Cloud ArchitectureBackend EngineeringAPI DesignData ModelingEvent Driven SystemsDistributed SystemsTechnical DocumentationObservabilityIncident ResponseData Lifecycle Management

Soft Skills

Strong CommunicationTechnical JudgmentSystems ThinkingLeadership Through InfluenceMentoring

Tools & Technologies

AWSContainersDatabasesNetworkingIdentity and Access ManagementObservability ToolsCI/CD ToolsInfrastructure as Code ToolsCloud IngestionTelemetry Systems

Certifications & Qualifications

Professional Level Cloud CertificationMaster's Degree Preferred

Industry Keywords

IoTConnected DevicesHigh Volume Data PlatformsRegulated SystemsValidated SystemsData PrivacyAuditabilityChange ControlMicroservicesPlatform Modernization

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSCloudDistributed SystemsIoT

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Define and maintain the target architecture, system boundaries, data models, integration patterns, and technical roadmap for connected products and cloud platforms
Lead architecture reviews for services, APIs, data pipelines, databases, identity, applications, deployment patterns, and device-to-cloud communication
Simplify the platform by identifying unnecessary coupling, duplicate processing, fragile patterns, and services that should be consolidated, redesigned, or retired
Guide platform modernization and the use of managed cloud services based on product needs, customer continuity, cost, portability, security, reliability, and operational burden
Maintain architecture decisions and documentation so LI-COR retains the knowledge, access, data portability, and technical control needed for future decisions
Guide how devices produce data and how cloud services receive, process, store, and present it, including schemas, batching, retries, deduplication, derived data, and retention
Partner with Firmware and Hardware Engineering to identify connectivity, scalability, reliability, support, and cost implications early in product development
Review new products and sensor integrations for downstream effects on cloud services, storage, analytics, applications, and cost-to-serve
Define end-to-end observability and nonfunctional requirements for availability, performance, security, privacy, scalability, recovery, and supportability
Partner with Engineering and IT and DevOps on CI/CD, infrastructure as code, release architecture, incident response, disaster recovery, vulnerability remediation, and operational readiness
Provide technical leadership during significant incidents and recurring performance or connectivity issues, driving root cause correction and durable improvement
Ensure platform designs support applicable validation, data separation, retention, privacy, auditability, and customer contractual requirements
Serve as a technical partner to the Software and Cloud leader and as an architecture authority across engineering, product, science, quality, and operations
Remain hands-on through backend design and implementation, prototypes, technical investigations, code reviews, and resolution of high risk production issues
Translate product intent into technically complete approaches and communicate tradeoffs, risks, costs, and recommendations to technical teams and business leaders
Mentor engineers and strengthen architecture capability across employees and partners
Act as LI-COR's technical counterpart with cloud, data, connectivity, and engineering partners
Other job related duties as assigned

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated experience
Typically 12 or more years of software and cloud engineering experience, including significant experience as a system, solution, platform, or principal architect for production systems
Demonstrated architecture ownership for a commercial IoT, connected device, industrial, scientific, telemetry, or other high volume data platform
Deep experience with AWS or a comparable public cloud, including compute, containers, networking, databases, storage, identity and access, observability, security, resiliency, and infrastructure as code
Strong backend engineering and API design skills, with hands-on proficiency in at least one modern backend language
Experience with event driven and distributed systems, device ingestion, message delivery, high volume time series data, data modeling, and data lifecycle management
Experience with CI/CD, automated testing, observability, incident response, and secure software delivery at production scale
Ability to connect architecture decisions to delivery effort, operational cost, product economics, and customer impact
Strong communication, technical judgment, systems thinking, and the ability to lead through influence across teams and external partners
Effective oral and written communication skills in English
Master's degree is preferred
Preferred: architecture spanning embedded devices or firmware, cellular or gateway connectivity, cloud ingestion, web or mobile applications, and analytics
Preferred: regulated, validated, or quality controlled systems with requirements for data access, retention, privacy, auditability, and change control
Preferred: platform modernization, microservice simplification, globally distributed teams, or blended employee and contractor delivery models
Preferred: professional level cloud certification or equivalent practical expertise

Benefits

Comp & perks

Periodic travel to LI-COR locations, partner sites, or team working sessions may be required