Chief Architect

Chenega Corporation • Arlington, VA

17h • Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Architect serves as the Government’s primary architectural authority for the program and is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and governing the enterprise and solution architecture baseline. This role ensures architectural consistency, alignment with approved objectives, and the controlled evolution of the platform across heterogeneous environments. The Chief Architect leads architectural decision support activities, coordinates across stakeholders and integration partners, and ensures proposed solutions comply with enterprise standards, security requirements, and governance processes. This position is focused on architecture definition, governance, and decision enablement and does not perform system implementation or operational execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical field
• 5+ years of experience performing enterprise, system, or solution architecture for programs of comparable size, scope, and complexity.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and governing enterprise architecture baselines.
• Experience evaluating architectural trade-offs and enforcing architecture standards.
• Experience supporting Government decision-making through architecture governance and analysis.
• Experience working in heterogeneous, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments.
• Experience operating in complex, federated IT environments with multiple stakeholders, security domains, and integration partners.
• Experience applying DoD or Federal architecture frameworks (e.g., DoDAF or equivalent).
• Active Top Secret (TS) security clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Deep knowledge of enterprise architecture principles, governance, and framework implementation.
• Ability to establish architectural vision and drive alignment across large, federated organizations.
• Strong expertise in hybrid and multi-cloud architectures.
• Ability to evaluate complex technical trade-offs and present clear recommendations to senior leaders.
• Knowledge of Federal and DoD security, compliance, and architecture standards.
• Strong facilitation and leadership skills for architecture review and governance forums.
• Ability to influence without direct authority across multiple contractors and mission partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including development of architectural artifacts and executive briefings.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate mission objectives into architectural roadmaps.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
• Experience leading or advising architecture governance bodies (e.g., Architecture Review Boards, Technical Review Boards).
• Experience aligning security, data, and platform standards across federated or multi-cloud environments.
• Experience supporting data, analytics, artificial intelligence, or platform modernization initiatives in an architectural leadership capacity.
• Experience engaging with industry partners, vendors, and open-source communities to inform architectural direction.
• Relevant professional certifications in enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, or cloud architecture, such as: CISSP, AWS / Microsoft Azure / Google Cloud Professional Architect certifications, TOGAF or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary architectural authority for the program.
• Establish, maintain, and govern the enterprise and solution architecture baseline.
• Ensure architectural alignment with approved objectives and controlled evolution of the platform.
• Lead architectural decision support activities, including analysis of alternatives and architectural trade-off evaluations.
• Define and enforce enterprise architecture standards, policies, and governance processes.
• Ensure architectural compliance with security requirements, enterprise standards, and Federal/DoD guidance.
• Provide architectural recommendations to support Government decision-making.
• Coordinate across multiple stakeholders, security enclaves, mission partners, and integration providers.
• Apply appropriate Federal or DoD architecture frameworks to ensure traceability and governance.
• Support the integration of solutions across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.
• Lead the development and maintenance of architectural artifacts, roadmaps, and transition strategies.
• Participate in technical and program governance forums as the senior architectural authority.
• Provide architectural leadership and technical direction to architecture and engineering teams.
• Guide and influence solution architects and technical leads across multiple organizations and environments.
• Establish architectural review and approval processes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• professional development is embedded in their employer’s core culture
• opportunities to help sharpen skills in addition to hands-on experience in the global, fast-changing business world
• on-the-job learning experiences
• formal development programs
• well-being programs
• flexibility to make daily choices that can help them be healthy, centered, confident, and aware

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior