Principal Architect - Ontology & Semantic Layer

About this role:

Wells Fargo is seeking a Principal Architect to lead the design and implementation of an enterprise ontology and semantic layer that enables consistent, scalable, and intelligent data usage with automation using Agentic AI frameworks within the Digital Technology Innovation architecture team.

Learn more about the career areas and lines of business at wellsfargojobs.com.

In this role, you will:

• Act as an advisor to senior leadership to develop the architectural framework & delivery for highly complex business and technical needs across multiple groups

• Lead the strategy and resolution of highly complex and unique challenges requiring in-depth evaluation across multiple areas or the enterprise, delivering products and solutions that are long-term, large-scale, and require vision, creativity, innovation, advanced analytical and inductive thinking

• Provide vision, direction, and expertise to senior leadership on implementing the transformation strategy describing the current state, target state, and transition architecture

• Strategically engage with all levels of professionals and managers across the enterprise and serve as an architectural domain expert advisor to leadership 

• Ensure applications adhere to established Wells Fargo standards, policies, methodologies, and industry best practices as it transforms toward target state architecture

• Maintain knowledge of industry best practices and new technologies and recommends innovations that enhance operations or provide a competitive advantage to the organization and can influence internal and vendor roadmaps in a significant capacity

• Define and implement enterprise-wide ontology strategy and roadmap

• Design and build semantic data layer / knowledge graph architecture to unify enterprise data

• Develop canonical data models and business objects (Customer, Product, Risk, Finance, etc.)

• Create semantic abstraction layer over data platforms (data lake, warehouse, APIs)

• Architect and implement agentic AI frameworks leveraging enterprise ontology and semantic context

• Design autonomous AI agents capable of reasoning over structured and unstructured enterprise data

• Build multi-agent orchestration patterns for complex business workflows

• Integrate semantic models with LLMs and AI platforms to enhance reasoning, explainability and accuracy

• Enable AI-driven automation across critical use cases:

  • Risk and compliance monitoring

  • Customer insights and personalization

  • Operational efficiency and automation

  • Data quality and anomaly detection

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of architecture experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education

• 7+ years of data architecture experience

• 1+ years of Generative and Agentic AI, AI/ML experience.

• 1+ years of experience in Ontology modeling (OWL, RDF), Knowledge graphs and graph databases

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in OWL (Web Ontology Language)

• Knowledge in RDF (Resource Description Framework)

Job Expectations:

• Deliver reusable, governed architecture and collaborate with Business, Product, Technology architecture and engineering partners implementing various needs around Enterprise Ontology and Semantic layer requirements

• This position offers a hybrid work schedule

• Relocation assistance is not available for this position

• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Range
 

Reflected is the base pay range offered for this position. Pay may vary depending on factors including but not limited to demonstrated examples of prior performance, skills, experience, or work location. Employees may also be eligible for incentive opportunities.

$159,000.00 - $305,000.00

Posting End Date:

31 Jul 2026

*Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

We Value Equal Opportunity

Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit’s risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.

Applicants with Disabilities

To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

 

Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace.  Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more.

Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements:

a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo.

b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.