Principal System Architect Jobs in California
Principal System Architect jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, and semiconductor design across one of the broadest seniority ranges in the field. The largest hiring activity clusters in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Northrop Grumman, Cisco, and Oracle maintain substantial engineering organizations and regularly seek architects at the principal level. Demand is especially strong in distributed systems design, cloud-native architecture, and embedded systems for defense applications. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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See related jobsCareer-defining. Life-changing.
At iRhythm, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your skills and your career while impacting the lives of people around the world. iRhythm is shaping a future where everyone, everywhere can access the best possible cardiac health solutions. Every day, we collaborate, create, and constantly reimagine what’s possible. We think big and move fast, driven by our commitment to put patients first and improve lives. We need builders like you. Curious and innovative problem solvers looking for the chance to meaningfully shape the future of cardiac health, our company, and your career
About This Role:
The Principal Architect is a senior individual‑contributor who defines, leads, and governs the software architecture vision across our device and digital ecosystem. This includes our on-device firmware, cloud services, analytics platforms, data pipelines, clinician and patient‑facing applications, AI/ML enablement platforms, and operational software systems.
This leader drives architectural excellence, technology strategy, and systems coherence across R&D, product, clinical, data science, and the intersection of our products with IT. The role ensures that the on-device and off device software ecosystem is secure, scalable, resilient, compliant, and aligned with product strategy and long-term business goals. Operating at an enterprise level, this role influences senior stakeholders across engineering, product, quality, regulatory, and security while maintaining deep technical credibility.
Key Responsibilities
Technology & Architecture Strategy
Define the multiyear architecture strategy for all product software systems, spanning cloud, application, data, integration, and ML/AI infrastructure.
Establish architectural principles, reference architectures, and guardrails that support reliability, performance, interoperability, maintainability, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure holistic systems thinking across software platforms, clinical workflows, device interactions, and data flows.
Evaluate emerging technologies and provide strategic recommendations for adoption, modernization, and platform evolution.
Architectural Leadership & Governance
Lead cross-functional architecture forums and governance processes, ensuring consistent patterns, shared services, and disciplined decision-making across teams.
Drive architectural clarity early in product development by guiding systems decomposition, API strategies, data models, and cloud architectures.
Review key technical proposals, high-impact design decisions, and fundamental platform changes across R&D teams.
Champion engineering quality standards for architecture, coding, testing, observability, and documentation.
Cross Functional Influence & Collaboration
Partner with product management to translate business needs into scalable technical strategies and architectural roadmaps.
Collaborate with security, privacy, regulatory, quality, and clinical teams to ensure designs meet medical device standards and software compliance requirements.
Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior leadership, articulating architectural options, trade-offs, risks, and business impacts.
Bridge off device and on device systems to ensure seamless end to end workflows, data flows, and system integrity.
Execution Support & Technical Leadership
Provide architectural oversight throughout the SDLC, guiding teams during concepting, detailed design, implementation, and release.
Drive standardization, reducing duplication and accelerating development velocity through clear architectural patterns.
Mentor engineering leads and architects across the organization through thought leadership, coaching, and technical review.
Lead technical investigation and resolution of complex systemic issues, spanning data, scalability, reliability, or workflow interactions.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering or architecture, with deep expertise in largescale distributed systems, cloud architectures, and modern application platforms.
Proven experience architecting regulated or high reliability systems (preferably within medical, health tech, or similar domains).
Mastery of architectural domains such as microservices, event driven systems, data pipelines, observability, DevOps/SRE practices, and cloud native technologies.
Ability to operate as a senior level individual contributor influencing executive teams without direct authority.
Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical concepts in clear, concise, and business relevant terms.
Demonstrated success partnering with cross functional leaders across product, security, quality, regulatory, data science, and infrastructure.
Preferred
Experience with FDA, EU MDR, IEC 62304, HIPAA, and related regulatory frameworks for software as part of medical systems.
Background supporting AI/ML platform architecture, model deployment, and clinical decision support software.
Experience designing architectures that integrate with medical devices, clinical systems, EHRs, or healthcare data standards (FHIR, HL7).
Prior leadership in organizations scaling complex multiproduct software ecosystems.
Location:
Remote - USActual compensation may vary depending on job-related factors including knowledge, skills, experience, and work location.
Estimated Pay Range
$198,000.00 - $258,000.00As a part of our core values, we ensure an inclusive workforce. We welcome and celebrate people of all backgrounds, experiences, skills, and perspectives. iRhythm Technologies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws.
iRhythm provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, including those who may have any difficulty using our online system. If you need such an accommodation, you may contact us at taops@irhythmtech.com
About iRhythm Technologies
iRhythm is a leading digital healthcare company that creates trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease. Combining wearable biosensors and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms, iRhythm distills data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. Through a relentless focus on patient care, iRhythm’s vision is to deliver better data, better insights, and better health for all.
Make iRhythm your path forward. Zio, the heart monitor that changed the game.
There have been instances where individuals not associated with iRhythm have impersonated iRhythm employees pretending to be involved in the iRhythm recruiting process, or created postings for positions that do not exist. Please note that all open positions will always be shown here on the iRhythm Careers page, and all communications regarding the application, interview and hiring process will come from a @irhythmtech.com email address. Please check any communications to be sure they come directly from @irhythmtech.com email address. If you believe you have been the victim of an imposter or want to confirm that the person you are communicating with is legitimate, please contact taops@irhythmtech.com. Written offers of employment will be extended in a formal offer letter from an @irhythmtech.com email address ONLY.
For more information, see https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/01/taking-ploy-out-employment-scams and https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2020/PSA200121
Career-defining. Life-changing.
At iRhythm, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your skills and your career while impacting the lives of people around the world. iRhythm is shaping a future where everyone, everywhere can access the best possible cardiac health solutions. Every day, we collaborate, create, and constantly reimagine what’s possible. We think big and move fast, driven by our commitment to put patients first and improve lives. We need builders like you. Curious and innovative problem solvers looking for the chance to meaningfully shape the future of cardiac health, our company, and your career
About This Role:
The Principal Architect is a senior individual‑contributor who defines, leads, and governs the software architecture vision across our device and digital ecosystem. This includes our on-device firmware, cloud services, analytics platforms, data pipelines, clinician and patient‑facing applications, AI/ML enablement platforms, and operational software systems.
This leader drives architectural excellence, technology strategy, and systems coherence across R&D, product, clinical, data science, and the intersection of our products with IT. The role ensures that the on-device and off device software ecosystem is secure, scalable, resilient, compliant, and aligned with product strategy and long-term business goals. Operating at an enterprise level, this role influences senior stakeholders across engineering, product, quality, regulatory, and security while maintaining deep technical credibility.
Key Responsibilities
Technology & Architecture Strategy
Define the multiyear architecture strategy for all product software systems, spanning cloud, application, data, integration, and ML/AI infrastructure.
Establish architectural principles, reference architectures, and guardrails that support reliability, performance, interoperability, maintainability, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure holistic systems thinking across software platforms, clinical workflows, device interactions, and data flows.
Evaluate emerging technologies and provide strategic recommendations for adoption, modernization, and platform evolution.
Architectural Leadership & Governance
Lead cross-functional architecture forums and governance processes, ensuring consistent patterns, shared services, and disciplined decision-making across teams.
Drive architectural clarity early in product development by guiding systems decomposition, API strategies, data models, and cloud architectures.
Review key technical proposals, high-impact design decisions, and fundamental platform changes across R&D teams.
Champion engineering quality standards for architecture, coding, testing, observability, and documentation.
Cross Functional Influence & Collaboration
Partner with product management to translate business needs into scalable technical strategies and architectural roadmaps.
Collaborate with security, privacy, regulatory, quality, and clinical teams to ensure designs meet medical device standards and software compliance requirements.
Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior leadership, articulating architectural options, trade-offs, risks, and business impacts.
Bridge off device and on device systems to ensure seamless end to end workflows, data flows, and system integrity.
Execution Support & Technical Leadership
Provide architectural oversight throughout the SDLC, guiding teams during concepting, detailed design, implementation, and release.
Drive standardization, reducing duplication and accelerating development velocity through clear architectural patterns.
Mentor engineering leads and architects across the organization through thought leadership, coaching, and technical review.
Lead technical investigation and resolution of complex systemic issues, spanning data, scalability, reliability, or workflow interactions.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering or architecture, with deep expertise in largescale distributed systems, cloud architectures, and modern application platforms.
Proven experience architecting regulated or high reliability systems (preferably within medical, health tech, or similar domains).
Mastery of architectural domains such as microservices, event driven systems, data pipelines, observability, DevOps/SRE practices, and cloud native technologies.
Ability to operate as a senior level individual contributor influencing executive teams without direct authority.
Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical concepts in clear, concise, and business relevant terms.
Demonstrated success partnering with cross functional leaders across product, security, quality, regulatory, data science, and infrastructure.
Preferred
Experience with FDA, EU MDR, IEC 62304, HIPAA, and related regulatory frameworks for software as part of medical systems.
Background supporting AI/ML platform architecture, model deployment, and clinical decision support software.
Experience designing architectures that integrate with medical devices, clinical systems, EHRs, or healthcare data standards (FHIR, HL7).
Prior leadership in organizations scaling complex multiproduct software ecosystems.
Location:
Remote - USActual compensation may vary depending on job-related factors including knowledge, skills, experience, and work location.
Estimated Pay Range
$198,000.00 - $258,000.00As a part of our core values, we ensure an inclusive workforce. We welcome and celebrate people of all backgrounds, experiences, skills, and perspectives. iRhythm Technologies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws.
iRhythm provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, including those who may have any difficulty using our online system. If you need such an accommodation, you may contact us at taops@irhythmtech.com
About iRhythm Technologies
iRhythm is a leading digital healthcare company that creates trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease. Combining wearable biosensors and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms, iRhythm distills data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. Through a relentless focus on patient care, iRhythm’s vision is to deliver better data, better insights, and better health for all.
Make iRhythm your path forward. Zio, the heart monitor that changed the game.
There have been instances where individuals not associated with iRhythm have impersonated iRhythm employees pretending to be involved in the iRhythm recruiting process, or created postings for positions that do not exist. Please note that all open positions will always be shown here on the iRhythm Careers page, and all communications regarding the application, interview and hiring process will come from a @irhythmtech.com email address. Please check any communications to be sure they come directly from @irhythmtech.com email address. If you believe you have been the victim of an imposter or want to confirm that the person you are communicating with is legitimate, please contact taops@irhythmtech.com. Written offers of employment will be extended in a formal offer letter from an @irhythmtech.com email address ONLY.
For more information, see https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/01/taking-ploy-out-employment-scams and https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2020/PSA200121
See All 5 Principal System Architect Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsPrincipal System Architect Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal System Architect Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Electronics & Hardware
- Law & Legal Services
- Artificial Intelligence
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal system architect jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, systems engineering, or a closely related field
- Ten or more years of progressively senior experience in systems architecture or engineering
- Proven experience leading architecture decisions across large-scale distributed or enterprise systems
- Deep expertise in at least one major cloud platform such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams including product, security, and infrastructure engineering
- Familiarity with California defense or aerospace program requirements, including relevant security clearance eligibility
Principal System Architect Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal system architect in California?
The path to a principal system architect role in California runs through a strong technical foundation, typically a bachelor's degree in computer science or systems engineering, followed by years of progressive architecture experience. California does not require a state-issued license for this role, but employers in aerospace and defense often require or prefer a federal security clearance. Building expertise in cloud platforms, distributed systems, or embedded design and demonstrating technical leadership on complex projects are the most consistent factors that advance candidates to the principal level.
How much do principal system architects make in California?
Principal system architects in California earn a median of about $158,870 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $97,070 for the lowest 10% to over $224,930 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire principal system architects in California?
Employers hiring principal system architects in California right now include NVIDIA, SanDisk, and iRhythm Technologies, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of defense contractors, cloud platform companies, and enterprise software firms means sustained demand across a wide range of industries and company sizes.
Which California cities have the most principal system architect jobs?
Fremont, Milpitas, and San Jose have the most principal system architect openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its density of cloud, enterprise software, and semiconductor companies, while Los Angeles and San Diego are driven by large aerospace and defense contractors, along with a growing base of technology and media companies that require senior architecture talent.
Are there remote principal system architect jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 33% of principal system architect openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how much of this work centers on design, documentation, and cross-team collaboration rather than hands-on hardware. The most remote-friendly segments are cloud architecture, enterprise platform design, and software systems roles, while defense and embedded systems positions more often require on-site presence due to security and hardware access requirements.
How can I get hired as a principal system architect in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a systems or software engineering role at a large California employer, moving laterally into architecture work as you demonstrate design judgment. Companies like Cisco, Northrop Grumman, and major Bay Area cloud firms run rotational engineering programs and associate architect tracks that give early-career candidates architecture exposure. Building a portfolio of system design work, earning a cloud certification such as AWS Solutions Architect, and targeting titles like associate architect or senior systems engineer in California's defense or cloud sectors are the concrete steps that open the door.
Where can I find and apply to principal system architect jobs in California?
You can find and apply to principal system architect jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 5 Principal System Architect Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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