Principal Architect - Finance Technology

Do you thrive where technology meets innovation? Are you passionate about transforming complex financial challenges into intelligent, AI-driven solutions? If the answer is yes, we want to speak with you here at Wells Fargo!

Wells Fargo is seeking a Principal Architect to lead transformative initiatives within our Corporate Finance Technology group. In this strategic role, you’ll architect end-to-end solutions that power the future of finance—leveraging AI, automation, and emerging technologies to drive innovation, efficiency, and competitive advantage.

As a Finance Principal Architect, you’ll report directly to the Chief Architect for Finance Technology and play a key role in shaping the architecture for mission-critical initiatives across Accounting, Capital and Financial Forecasting, Liquidity, Investment Portfolio, and Strategic Planning. You’ll lead the modernization of our financial systems, ensuring they are secure, scalable, and built for speed—while continuously evolving to meet the demands of a dynamic financial landscape.

This role requires a strong leader who can influence across Finance, Technology, and Strategy. You’ll work closely with senior executives and cross-functional teams to align on vision, drive execution, and deliver measurable impact. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in financial systems, a strong grasp of AI and emerging tech, and the executive presence to lead change in a complex, fast-paced environment.

What We’re Looking For

• A visionary architect with a passion for AI and FinTech

• Proven experience modernizing enterprise-scale financial systems

• A strategic thinker who can bridge business goals with technical execution

• A collaborative leader who thrives in cross-functional environments

• Executive-level communication skills and the ability to influence at all levels

In This Role, You Will

• Build alignment and support for architectural strategies and target-state visions with business and technology leaders

• Define actionable roadmaps by developing interim-state architectures that guide transformation

• Deliver secure, resilient, scalable, and highly available solution architectures

• Collaborate with developers, business stakeholders, and technology leadership to drive execution

• Lead complex technology assessments and provide architecture recommendations

• Offer deep technical consultation to internal clients and senior technical management

• Stay ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices

• Recommend innovations that enhance business capabilities and deliver competitive advantage

• Ensure compliance with risk management and regulatory requirements

• Contribute to internal architecture communities and forums to share knowledge and elevate standards

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of engineering experience, or equivalent demonstrated through work, training, military service, or education

• 7+ years of hands-on software development experience, with a focus on scalable systems architecture

• 5+ years of experience in Finance, with expertise in one or more of the following: Corporate Accounting, Financial and Capital Forecasting, Liquidity, Investment Portfolio, or Strategic Planning

Desired Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a large financial services organization

• Strong executive presence, facilitation skills, and a detail-oriented, results-driven mindset

• Excellent communication and presentation skills across technical and non-technical audiences

• Strategic problem-solving abilities with a proactive, innovation-focused approach

• Experience applying AI/ML to real-world corporate finance use cases

• Proven success in creating and executing technology roadmaps

• Demonstrated creativity, vision, and advanced analytical thinking

• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment

Job Expectations:

• Be Humble: You're smart yet always interested in learning from others.

• Work Transparently: You always deal in an honest, direct, and transparent way.

• Take Ownership: You embrace responsibility and find joy in having the answers

• Learn More: You regularly self-educate and improve your skill set.

• Show Gratitude: You show appreciation and respect to those you work with.

Compensation for this role ranges from $144,400 to $300,000 depending o