Expert Level Software Architect

Responsibilities

We are seeking an Expert Software Architect to lead the design and delivery of scalable, secure, and mission-driven software solutions across enterprise environments. This role is responsible for defining high-level architecture strategies, guiding technical standards, and driving innovation across cloud, platform, and application services.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise across enterprise architecture domains and plays a key role in shaping IT modernization efforts, supporting model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and aligning technical solutions with strategic mission objectives.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead the design and evolution of enterprise-level software architectures supporting complex systems and mission applications
• Develop and maintain enterprise architecture (EA) artifacts that define current and future state environments, including transition roadmaps
• Partner with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to define solution architectures, technical requirements, and development roadmaps
• Design and promote modern architectures, including microservices, APIs, and loosely coupled systems
• Establish and enforce architectural standards, best practices, and governance across development teams
• Drive cloud adoption and modernization efforts across SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS environments
• Build prototypes and integration models to validate emerging technologies and solutions
• Support DevSecOps practices, including CI/CD pipeline design, automation, and security integration (SAST, DAST, container scanning)
• Develop architecture artifacts that clearly communicate system structure, behavior, and workflows to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Conduct gap analyses between current and target architectures and define actionable transition strategies
• Support Agile development teams with architectural guidance across system integrations and cloud migration efforts
• Design and implement enterprise data visualization and reporting solutions for leadership and stakeholders
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for executive decision-makers
• Collaborate across programs to integrate architecture products and ensure alignment with enterprise goals
• Design and maintain graph database solutions (Neo4j), including data modeling, schema design, and performance optimization

Architecture Domains You’ll Support:

• Business Architecture: Define capabilities, value streams, and organizational alignment
• Data Architecture: Align data strategy with business needs and enterprise standards
• Application Architecture: Structure systems across user experience, business logic, and data layers
• Technical Architecture: Design infrastructure and system integrations that enable enterprise capabilities

Location: This position is fully onsite in Chantilly, VA

Qualifications

Peraton offers enhanced benefits to employees working on this critical National Security program, which include heavily subsidized employee benefits coverage for you and your dependents, 25 days of PTO accrued annually up to a generous PTO cap and eligible to participate in an attractive bonus plan.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, IT, or related STEM field
  • 18+ years of relevant Software Architecture experience can be considered in lieu of degree
• 18+ years' of experience across business, data, application, and technology architecture domains
• Proven experience designing enterprise architectures, including current/future state and technical roadmaps
• Strong background in cloud technologies, open-source solutions, and system integration
• Experience with modern architectures (microservices, APIs, service-oriented design) and DevSecOps practices
• Deep understanding of cloud service models (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS)

• Active TS/SCI clearance or ability to obtain SCI and pass a polygraph

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a related STEM field
• Experience with enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., DoDAF, TOGAF, FEAF)
• Hands-on experience with cloud-native development, containerization, and API-driven systems
• Familiarity with enterprise architecture modeling tools
• Experience supporting federal or NGA-related missions and systems
• Knowledge of graph databases (Neo4j), Cypher query language, and graph data science concepts
• Experience with AI/ML-enabled architectures or knowledge graph implementations