Application Architect

Koniag Government Services•Washington, DC

About The Position

Koniag Emerging Technologies, LLC, a Koniag Government Services company, is seeking an Application Architect with a Secret security clearance to support KET and its government customer in Washington, DC. The role defines and drives enterprise application architecture strategy across a complex portfolio of systems, teams, and modernization initiatives, working across architecture, engineering, security, and delivery. The architect ensures applications are scalable, maintainable, secure, and aligned with enterprise standards and mission outcomes, while guiding modernization, enforcing governance, and coordinating across vendors, technical teams, and stakeholders. The position balances long-term architectural vision with practical implementation, particularly as legacy systems transition to open-source and cloud-native platforms. The successful candidate will lead architecture for Department of State IT initiatives, translate mission requirements into technical solutions, and help teams apply secure, consistent design practices. The work includes hands-on troubleshooting and development, architecture documentation, evaluation of technologies, and adoption of AI coding assistants and agentic tools in everyday workflows. The role requires US citizenship and a Secret clearance or higher, at least 15 years of relevant hands-on experience, substantial coding experience, and a major cloud provider Solutions Architect certification. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan; paid time off; paid parental leave; life and disability insurance; flexible spending accounts; commuter benefits; and tuition reimbursement. This position may be filled before the posted deadline, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Requirements

US citizenship and a Secret security clearance or higher.
15 or more years of hands-on experience in application architecture, software engineering, or enterprise modernization initiatives.
At least 12 years of hands-on coding experience with three or more of: .NET; client- and server-side JavaScript/TypeScript (Angular, Node.js, React); Python; Oracle PL/SQL; T-SQL; and PowerShell.
At least 5 years of experience with Azure DevOps for CI/CD pipeline automation, including authoring and maintaining YAML-based pipeline configurations.
At least 5 years of experience with SAST tools such as Fortify to identify and remediate code-level vulnerabilities as part of secure SDLC.
1–2 or more years of hands-on experience incorporating AI coding assistants or agentic AI tooling into everyday development and architecture workflows.
Proven experience leading application architecture across large-scale, distributed systems environments.
Experience working in SAFe or scaled Agile delivery environments.
Experience with one or more of Azure, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, and serverless architectures.
Solutions Architect certification from a major cloud provider, such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert or AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate or Professional).

Nice To Haves

Ability to translate mission and business requirements into scalable architectures.
Ability to influence technical direction across teams and stakeholders.
Strong decision-making, balancing modernization goals with operational realities.
Effective communication across engineering, architecture, security, and executive stakeholders.
Experience contributing to or shaping enterprise architectural standards and reusable design patterns.
Familiarity with multi-cloud or hybrid-cloud environments, such as Azure and AWS, beyond a single platform.
Experience contributing to ATO documentation or working directly with ISSOs on security control implementation.
Working knowledge of Zero Trust principles and secure SDLC practices, and ability to apply them in solution design.
Experience integrating AI-assisted development tools into team workflows and coaching others on adoption.
Ongoing awareness of emerging application development trends, cloud services, and modernization approaches across the software development lifecycle.
Experience presenting technical recommendations to non-technical stakeholders or leadership.
Exposure to federated identity management, API gateway design, or enterprise data exchange standards.
Experience supporting Department of State or other federal agency IT modernization programs.
Familiarity with Department of State systems, data exchange standards, or identity management platforms.
Familiarity with State-specific security, ATO, or interoperability requirements, such as FISMA, iMatrix, or OpenNet.
Experience collaborating with State Department ISSOs, program offices, or other stakeholders.
Secure SDLC training, such as OWASP or NIST SSDF-aligned courses.
Infrastructure-as-code or DevSecOps training.

Responsibilities

Design and oversee enterprise application architectures aligned with Department of State IT strategy, security requirements, and interoperability standards.
Develop technical roadmaps and reference architectures for new applications, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and compliance with federal and Department IT policies.
Lead architectural reviews, establish standards, and enforce best practices and design patterns across development teams.
Collaborate with business stakeholders, ISSOs, and program managers to translate mission requirements into scalable technical solutions.
Enable DevSecOps through architecture supporting CI/CD automation, security validation, and infrastructure-as-code.
Ensure architecture aligns with federal security and compliance requirements, including NIST, FedRAMP, FISMA, Zero Trust, MFA, secure SDLC, and ATO support processes.
Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies, cloud platforms, and integration patterns to modernize Department applications and support digital transformation.
Conduct system integration analysis to ensure applications interoperate with existing Department systems, including data exchanges, APIs, and identity management.
Guide modernization of legacy, on-premises systems into modern, cloud-enabled applications.
Mentor developers and engineers on architectural principles, coding standards, and secure SDLC practices.
Produce and maintain architectural documentation, including interface diagrams, system diagrams, data flow models, and technical specifications.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex application and data issues with development and operations teams, diagnosing root causes and implementing fixes.
Maintain a deep understanding of technology stacks across UX, middle-tier, and database platforms, and working knowledge of software development methodologies and their trade-offs.
Engage in hands-on development, including writing scripts, steering and reviewing AI-generated code, building proofs of concept, and unblocking teams.
Incorporate coding assistants and agentic AI tooling into everyday workflows and promote adoption across teams.