OfferDrill.

Jobs › Northern Trust

Principal Cloud Architect

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $137,400–$233,600 a year · Full time

Posted Jul 28, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Northern Trust

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a cloud strategy decision you made that had a big business impact.

What they are checking: Whether they connect architecture choices to business goals and results.

Describe a time you mentored engineers through a hard architecture problem.

What they are checking: Whether they can guide technical teams, which the posting emphasizes.

What would you do

A team wants to use a new managed cloud service that has not been approved. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can evaluate new services quickly against security and compliance needs rather than just saying no.

The business wants to move a critical system to the cloud quickly. How would you plan it?

What they are checking: Whether they can plan a migration that moves fast while protecting stability and data.

About the work

How would you design a hybrid architecture where some systems must stay on-premise for regulatory reasons?

What they are checking: Whether they can design secure, reliable connections between cloud and on-premise systems.

What does a good landing zone look like for a large financial institution?

What they are checking: Whether they understand account structure, identity, networking and guardrails that make cloud safe at scale.

How would you design an application to stay available if a whole cloud region goes down?

What they are checking: Whether they understand resilience patterns and the cost of multi-region designs.

How do you control cloud costs without slowing down engineering teams?

What they are checking: Whether they know FinOps practices like tagging, budgets and right-sizing.

How would you build compliance requirements into the cloud platform automatically?

What they are checking: Whether they use policy as code and guardrails instead of manual reviews.

When would you choose a multi-cloud approach, and when would you avoid it?

What they are checking: Whether they can weigh vendor risk and regulatory concerns against added complexity.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northern Trust from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northern Trust.

About Northern Trust As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions. Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide. With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Northern Trust is seeking a visionary and highly experienced Principal Cloud Architect to lead the design, development, and implementation of scalable, secure, and resilient cloud solutions. This role is pivotal in shaping our cloud strategy, driving innovation, and ensuring alignment with business goals. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in cloud architecture, a strong understanding of enterprise IT, and a passion for mentoring and guiding technical teams. Key Responsibilities Architect and Design: Lead the design of cloud-native and hybrid architectures that meet business, security, and compliance requirements. Strategy & Roadmap: Define and evolve the enterprise cloud strategy, standards, and best practices. Leadership: Serve as a technical leader and advisor across multiple teams, influencing cloud adoption and modernization efforts. Innovation: Evaluate emerging technologies and trends to drive continuous improvement and innovation. Governance: Establish cloud governance frameworks, cost optimization strategies, and operational excellence. Collaboration: Work closely with engineering, security, DevOps, and business stakeholders to deliver end-to-end solutions. Mentorship: Coach and mentor architects, engineers, and developers on cloud best practices and architectural patterns. Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field. • 10+ years of experience in IT, with at least 5 years in cloud architecture roles. • Deep expertise in one or more major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP). • Strong knowledge of cloud security, networking, DevOps, and automation. • Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and serverless architectures. • Proven track record of leading large-scale cloud transformation initiatives. • Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills. Preferred Qualifications • Cloud certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect). • Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM, CloudFormation). • Familiarity with multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments. • Strong coding ability in languages such as Python, Go, Java, or similar, with the ability to contribute to infrastructure tooling, automation, or proof-of-concept development. • Background in regulated industries (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) is a plus Salary Range: $137,400 - 233,600 USD Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component. Work Authorization Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa). Working with Us As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities. Reasonable Accommodation Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

Apply at Northern Trust