Principal Architect – Investment Services

USAA

. Lead the technology direction for USAA's Investments Services line of business .

Posted 11/9/2026full-timeUnited StatesLead💰 $164,780 - $314,960 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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

Demonstrates extensive experience in architecting and designing technology solutions for investment services, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance and risk management. Proven ability to lead technology direction, collaborate with stakeholders, and mentor teams in a complex enterprise environment.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Architecture StandardsRegulatory ComplianceTechnology Vendor EvaluationInvestment Operations SolutionsRisk Management Practices

ATS Keywords

Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills

Architecture DesignMicroservicesEvent-Driven ArchitectureSecure APIsData-Centric IntegrationApplication ContainerizationSaaS PlatformsFraud PreventionTechnical Architecture PrinciplesRisk Assessment Methodologies

Soft Skills

CollaborationMentoringInfluencingCommunicationStrategic Thinking

Industry Keywords

Investment ServicesBrokerageFinancial PlanningWealth ManagementManaged Accounts529 College Savings PlansAdvisory OfferingsIntroducing BrokerFully Disclosed Broker-DealerCompliance Policies

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

MicroservicesOpen Source

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the technology direction for USAA's Investments Services line of business
Research and advance the Investments technology stack
Design core business applications using app containerization, microservices, event-driven architectures, data/analytics-driven design, secure APIs, and architectural resiliency
Design for regulatory compliance demands of the retail investments industry
Lead projects involving vendor technology acquisition and integration, member experience and process design, fraud guardrails, application future-proofing, and data-centric integration
Partner with senior business and technology leaders to establish architecture standards and platform roadmaps
Collaborate with business and IT stakeholders to finalize strategy, requirements, measures, risks, and controls across multiple domains
Coordinate with domain architects to create technology decisions and architecture artifacts
Develop evolutionary strategies and roadmaps to accelerate capabilities across business functions and IT domains
Influence priority, funding, and execution of architecture solutions across domains and portfolios
Review domain applications to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and risks
Advise executive-level business owners on proposed courses of action
Provide assessment summary content to the CTO for board presentation
Define and document architecture standards, principles, and policies
Draft, evaluate, and approve or reject waivers to architecture standards using risk assessment methodologies
Participate in Program Increment planning and troubleshoot Availability Command Center incidents
Mentor architects, engineers, and IT colleagues
Lead technical design and definition of systems, services, and dataflows
Execute architecture practices and processes and sponsor enhancements
Maintain relationships with industry organizations, government boards, and technology vendors
Pursue external eminence through certifications, conference presentations, technical papers, open source, or patents
Identify, measure, monitor, and control risks in accordance with risk and compliance policies

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree; OR 4 years of relevant education and/or experience
10 years of experience in Information Technology, including 4 years hands-on development of architecture and design for large scale enterprise applications
Extensive experience in technology application development and operational implementation
Deep understanding and application of technical architecture standards, principles, and policies
Extensive knowledge of applicable regulations and risk management practices
Deep knowledge and experience architecting and designing technology solutions that enable brokerage, financial planning, and wealth management services, including managed accounts, 529 college savings plans, advisory offerings, and related investment products
Experience architecting and designing technology solutions within Introducing Broker and Fully Disclosed Broker-Dealer operating models
Experience designing applications, platforms, and integrations that support investment operations, regulatory compliance, and business objectives
Extensive experience partnering with business executives, product owners, and product management teams to evaluate business strategies, identify capability gaps, create and assess technology solution options and tradeoffs, and provide effort and complexity comparisons
Experience leading technology vendor evaluations and due diligence efforts
Assessment of technical capabilities, architectural fit, integration approaches, security and operational requirements, solution gaps and risks, and contractual requirements
Extensive experience architecting and implementing solutions across multiple SaaS platforms
Demonstrated technical breadth across at least 2 technology domains, including but not limited to fraud and payments/money movement
Demonstrated ability to incorporate enterprise-level strategies, objectives, and requirements into technology decisions
Extensive experience explaining and influencing complex technology decisions to technical and non-technical audiences
Must not require immigration support now or in the future; USAA does not provide visa sponsorship

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexible work environment
Relocation assistance
Pay incentives based on overall corporate and individual performance, at the discretion of the USAA Board of Directors
Comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans
401(k)
Pension
Life insurance
Parental benefits
Adoption assistance
Paid time off program
Paid holidays
16 paid volunteer hours
Various wellness programs
Career path planning
Continuing education