Green Card Principal Jobs
Principal roles in U.S. school districts and educational organizations qualify for employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM labor certification process. Employers file on your behalf, and EB-2 or EB-3 classification depends on whether your role requires an advanced degree or a standard four-year credential with relevant experience.
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General Information
Location
Cary, North Carolina
Alternative Location(s)
* Posting Location: Tampa, Florida
Working Schedule
Full-Time
Work Arrangement
Hybrid
Travel Required
10%
Relocation Assistance Available
No
Grade
13T
Posted Date
14-Sep-2026
Job ID
19522
Description and Requirements
The Team You Will Join
When you join MetLife’s Global Technology team, you’ll be part of a forward-thinking group dedicated to shaping the future of digital solutions for customers worldwide. You’ll develop, maintain and support technology applications and delivery, leveraging AI, automation, and contemporary ways of working to enhance experiences and drive business outcomes. Your work will simplify complex processes, improve tech resiliency, and ensure high-performing, seamless solutions that power life’s most important moments. In this dynamic environment, you’ll collaborate with talented peers across teams and functions, expanding your skills in impactful ways. Ready to push boundaries and set new industry standards? Join us and help drive the future of technology forward.
The Opportunity
MetLife is seeking a Principal Architect – Finance Modernization & ERP Transformation to provide architectural leadership for the Finance Modernization Program, with primary responsibility for the Workday ERP implementation and supporting Finance ecosystem transformation.
This architect will serve as the lead architecture partner for the ERP Modernization Program, working closely with Finance stakeholders, ERP delivery teams, Enterprise Architecture, Data & Analytics teams, and governance bodies to define target-state architectures, integration patterns, data strategies, and implementation roadmaps.
The ideal candidate combines deep ERP and finance domain expertise with strong architecture leadership, enterprise integration experience, cloud-native architecture knowledge, and hands-on experience with modern data platforms, including Databricks.
Key Responsibilities
ERP & Finance Modernization Architecture:
- Serve as the lead architect supporting the Finance Modernization and ERP Transformation Program.
- Define and maintain target-state and transition-state architectures for Workday Financials and related finance platforms.
- Drive architectural consistency, standards, and governance across all ERP modernization workstreams.
- Partner with business and technology leaders to translate strategic objectives into architecture roadmaps and implementation plans.
- Ensure architecture decisions are documented, reviewed, and approved through established governance processes.
Workday Architecture Leadership:
- Lead architecture design for Workday Financials and associated finance capabilities.
- Define integration architecture patterns for Workday inbound and outbound integrations.
- Establish standards for API-based, event-driven, file-based, and middleware integrations.
- Provide architectural guidance on Workday capabilities, extensibility frameworks, reporting, security, and ecosystem integrations.
- Evaluate architecture tradeoffs and advise leadership on risks, dependencies, and technical debt.
Enterprise Data & Databricks Strategy:
- Define data architecture patterns supporting finance modernization initiatives.
- Partner with Enterprise Data, Data Governance, and Analytics teams to establish scalable data solutions.
- Drive adoption of Databricks as the strategic enterprise data and analytics platform.
- Define patterns for:
+ Data ingestion
+ Data transformation
+ Data products
+ Data governance
+ Data quality
+ Data lineage
AI and analytics enablement:
- Ensure alignment with enterprise data platforms, governance standards, and system-of-record principles.
- Work with D&A to define finance data product strategy, canonical finance data model, semantic layer, lineage, reconciliation controls, data quality rules, system-of-record boundaries, and reporting transition from PeopleSoft sources to Workday and strategic data platforms.
- Ensure Databricks usage is aligned to governed finance reporting, analytics, AI enablement, and operational data needs without duplicating Workday transaction-system responsibilities.
Integration & Enterprise Architecture:
- Define integration strategies between Workday, legacy ERP platforms, Enterprise Data Hub, HR, Tax, Treasury, Investments, and downstream reporting solutions.
- Create reusable reference architectures and integration patterns.
- Collaborate with Enterprise Architects, Solution Architects, and engineering teams to ensure enterprise alignment.
- Promote API-first, event-driven, and cloud-native architecture principles.
- Establish architecture guardrails that reduce duplication and encourage reuse of enterprise capabilities.
Architecture Governance:
- Lead architecture reviews through GARB, FRM ARB, AI ARB, and other governance forums.
- Develop and maintain ERP architecture patterns, standards, and reference architectures.
- Ensure solution architecture deliverables satisfy enterprise architecture requirements.
- Review vendor and implementation partner recommendations and ensure alignment with enterprise standards.
- Drive continuous improvement of architecture practices, patterns, and governance processes.
- Ensure architecture supports segregation of duties, least privilege, SOX/financial controls, auditability, sensitive data handling, retention/archival, encryption, monitoring, and third-party risk requirements.
- Partner with Security, Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, and Finance Control teams to validate that Workday and surrounding finance ecosystem changes preserve control effectiveness during transition and after go-live.
AI & Modernization:
- Identify opportunities to leverage AI and automation across Finance and ERP capabilities.
- Partner with enterprise AI teams to establish responsible AI architecture patterns.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend adoption strategies aligned with business priorities.
- Enable AI-powered insights through Workday, Databricks, and enterprise analytics platforms.
- Drive practical AI adoption across Finance modernization by identifying high-value use cases such as financial close support, financial close acceleration, anomaly detection, intelligent reconciliation, reconciliation assistance, automated controls monitoring, intelligent reporting, forecasting insights, reporting assistance, knowledge management, service operations, and knowledge-assist capabilities.
- Define responsible AI architecture patterns for Workday, Databricks, and enterprise AI platforms, including data grounding, prompt and output controls, prompt/output management, human-in-the-loop review, human review, model risk, privacy, security, access controls, explainability, auditability, monitoring, measurable value realization, and value measurement.
- Evaluate Workday-native AI capabilities, AI agents, Databricks AI/ML capabilities, and enterprise GenAI services for fit-for-purpose use within Finance modernization, while preventing fragmented or non-governed AI adoption.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical discipline.
- 10+ years of experience in enterprise application architecture.
- 5+ years operating as a Principal Architect, Enterprise Architect, or Lead Architect.
- 8+ years designing and implementing large-scale ERP, Finance, or Corporate Systems solutions.
- Deep understanding of finance business processes including:
+ General Ledger
+ Accounts Payable
+ Accounts Receivable
+ Fixed Assets
+ Financial Reporting
+ Planning and Forecasting
- Experience leading complex ERP transformation programs.
- Strong experience designing cloud-native enterprise application architectures.
- Strong understanding of application, integration, security, and data architecture domains.
- Experience with Azure Cloud technologies and enterprise integration platforms.
- Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate AI/GenAI opportunities within governed enterprise architecture, security, data, and risk frameworks.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience implementing or architecting Workday Financials.
- Experience with Workday integration technologies including:
+ Workday Studio
+ EIB
+ Workday Web Services
+ APIs
+ Workday Extend
- Experience with modern enterprise data platforms including Databricks.
- Experience architecting ERP modernization where legacy ERP platforms such as PeopleSoft transition to SaaS ERP platforms such as Workday, including integration remediation, data conversion, reconciliation, reporting migration, cutover, and decommissioning planning.
- Experience defining enterprise data lakehouse architectures.
- Experience with data governance technologies such as Unity Catalog, Collibra, and Ataccama.
- Experience supporting Finance Data Hub, Enterprise Data Hub, or large-scale reporting modernization programs.
- Insurance or Financial Services industry experience preferred.
Experience with Workday AI / platform innovation, enterprise GenAI services, AI governance, ML-enabled analytics, Databricks AI/ML capabilities, agentic workflow patterns, responsible AI controls, and AI value measurement in Finance, HR, or Corporate Systems contexts.
Location Expectation: This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in office.
The expected salary range for this position is $140,000 - $185,000. This role may also be eligible for annual short-term incentive compensation and stock-based long-term incentives. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.
Benefits We Offer
Our U.S. benefits address holistic well-being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no-cost short- and long-term disability. We also provide company-paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more! For more information regarding MetLife’s U.S. benefits, please click here.
About MetLife
Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies", Fortune World’s 25 Best Workplaces™, as well as the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®, MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
As part of our New Frontier strategy, MetLife is building an AI-enabled, people-centered future. We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset as we use AI to enhance how we serve customers, support communities, and evolve the way work gets done. At MetLife, AI is a responsible partner that supports human judgment, creativity, and continuous improvement while helping us build trust, inclusion, and long-term value.
Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by our core values - Win Together, Do the Right Thing, Deliver Impact Over Activity, and Think Ahead - we’re inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it’s #AllTogetherPossible. Join us!
MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”). If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at accommodations@metlife.com. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.
MetLife maintains a drug-free workplace.
This posting is for a current vacancy and is anticipated to remain open for at least 45 days from the listed posting date.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship in Principal
Translate your credentials before applying
Foreign teaching licenses, administrative certifications, and graduate degrees need official evaluation by a NACES-approved credential evaluator before PERM filing begins. Having equivalency documentation ready prevents delays when your sponsoring employer submits the labor certification.
Target districts with PERM filing history
Search Migrate Mate to identify school districts and charter networks that have previously sponsored Principal roles through the PERM process. Employers with a filing record have existing legal counsel and internal HR workflows, making sponsorship a realistic conversation.
Understand how EB-3 classification affects your timeline
Most Principal positions require a bachelor's degree plus experience, placing them in EB-3. For most countries except India and China, EB-3 priority dates are current or near-current, meaning your green card process can move faster than many professionals expect.
Verify your role qualifies as a specialty occupation
Pull the O*NET profile for Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School to confirm your job duties align with the standard definition. PERM filings must document that the position normally requires a specific degree field, not just any bachelor's credential.
Negotiate sponsorship commitment before accepting an offer
Ask the hiring district to confirm in writing that they'll initiate PERM within 90 days of your start date. Principals often change roles due to district restructuring, and a documented commitment protects you if leadership turnover delays the filing.
Use the OFLC Wage Search to benchmark your offered salary
DOL requires your employer to pay at least the prevailing wage for your location and job level during PERM. Run the OFLC Wage Search yourself before your offer letter is finalized so you can flag any shortfall before it creates a PERM deficiency.
Green Card Principal: Frequently Asked Questions
Can a U.S. school district sponsor a Principal for a green card?
Yes. Public and private school districts regularly file PERM labor certifications for Principal positions. The employer submits the application to DOL, demonstrating no qualified U.S. workers were available. Once PERM is certified, the district files an I-140 petition with USCIS, and you pursue adjustment of status or consular processing for lawful permanent residency.
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B sponsorship for a Principal role?
H-1B visa is a temporary work visa with an annual cap and a lottery for most applicants. A PERM-based green card leads to permanent residency with no annual quota at the EB-3 level for most nationalities. The process takes longer, typically two to four years, but the outcome is lawful permanent resident status rather than a visa you must renew.
Does a Principal role qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 classification?
Most Principal positions qualify under EB-3 because they require a bachelor's degree in education or a related field plus administrative experience. EB-2 applies if the role formally requires a master's degree or equivalent, which some districts specify for senior leadership positions. Your employer's attorney determines the correct classification based on the actual job requirements documented in the PERM application.
Where can I find school districts that sponsor Principal roles for green cards?
Migrate Mate lets you search Principal job listings filtered by employers with employment-based green card sponsorship history. Targeting districts that have previously filed PERM applications significantly improves your chances, since those employers already understand the process and have legal infrastructure in place to support your case.
What happens to my green card case if I change districts before PERM is approved?
If you leave the sponsoring district before the I-140 is approved, the PERM petition is generally abandoned and the process restarts with any new employer. Once an I-140 is approved and your priority date is current, AC21 portability rules allow you to change to a similar role without losing your place in the queue, provided your I-485 has been pending for at least 180 days.