Green Card Principal Engineer Jobs
Principal Engineer roles qualify for EB-2 and EB-3 green card sponsorship through the PERM labor certification process, which requires your employer to document that no qualified U.S. worker is available for the position. Most Principal Engineer openings sit firmly in specialty occupation territory, making PERM-based sponsorship a realistic path to permanent residency.
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Get Access To All JobsGeneral 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.
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.
See all 33,831+ Green Card Principal Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship as a Principal Engineer
Document your specialized credentials before applying
Principal Engineer roles typically require a bachelor's degree in engineering plus progressive leadership experience. Gather transcripts, credential evaluations for foreign degrees, and written evidence of scope, patents, architecture decisions, or technical publications strengthen your PERM and I-140 petition significantly.
Target employers with established PERM filing history
Not every company sponsoring H-1B visa workers will commit to the multi-year PERM process. Search DOL PERM disclosure data to identify employers who have filed PERM applications for Principal Engineer or Staff Engineer titles recently, signaling they understand the timeline and costs involved.
Use Migrate Mate to find green card sponsoring roles
Filtering job postings by visa sponsorship type saves weeks of research. Migrate Mate surfaces Principal Engineer positions at companies with documented green card sponsorship history, so you spend your time on applications where PERM is actually on the table.
Clarify the EB-2 versus EB-3 track early in negotiations
Your employer chooses the category, but the choice affects your priority date and wait time. If your role requires a master's degree or you have a bachelor's plus five years of progressive experience, push for EB-2 classification during the offer stage, not after PERM is filed.
Understand the prevailing wage before your offer is finalized
PERM requires your employer to pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your job zone and location. Check the OFLC Wage Search for Principal Engineer wages in your metro area so you can identify whether an offer meets the DOL threshold before you accept.
Track your PERM audit risk during the recruitment phase
PERM requires your employer to run a compliant recruitment campaign. Roles with very narrow requirements or where your qualifications closely mirror the job description face higher audit scrutiny. USCIS and DOL both scrutinize cases where the posting appears tailored to a specific foreign worker.
Green Card Principal Engineer: Frequently Asked Questions
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B sponsorship for Principal Engineers?
H-1B sponsorship grants temporary work authorization, typically in three-year increments, and is subject to an annual lottery. PERM-based green card sponsorship leads to permanent residency with no renewal cycle and no cap lottery at the EB-3 level for most countries. The trade-off is timeline: PERM plus I-140 approval typically takes one to three years before you reach adjustment of status, and Indian and Chinese nationals face additional priority date backlogs at the EB-2 and EB-3 levels.
Does a Principal Engineer role qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 sponsorship?
Principal Engineer roles almost always qualify for EB-2 because the position routinely requires an advanced degree or a bachelor's degree plus substantial progressive experience in engineering. EB-3 remains an option if the employer prefers that track or if your qualifications fit the skilled worker category. The determining factors are the minimum requirements stated in the PERM job description and the credentials you hold, not the job title alone.
How do I find employers willing to sponsor a green card for a Principal Engineer position?
Migrate Mate filters job listings by employment-based green card sponsorship history, letting you identify companies that have already committed to PERM filings for engineering roles. Looking at an employer's past DOL PERM filings through public disclosure data also tells you whether they have a track record of following through on sponsorship commitments rather than withdrawing after an offer.
What does the PERM process require from a Principal Engineer candidate?
Your employer files the PERM application with DOL, but you'll need to supply academic credentials, a credential evaluation if your degree is from outside the United States, and documentation of any progressive experience that substitutes for a formal degree requirement. DOL audits are more common for senior engineering roles, so organizing employment verification letters, pay stubs, and project documentation early in the process reduces delays.
Can I switch employers during the PERM or green card process?
Changing employers restarts the PERM process because the sponsorship is tied to a specific employer and job description. However, once your I-140 petition is approved and your priority date is current or within 180 days of an adjustment of status application, you may be able to port to a similar role at a new employer under AC21 portability rules. Principal Engineer and Staff Engineer positions are generally close enough in scope to qualify for portability.