Chief Architect

Aether Aerospace•Dayton, OH

5d•$157,089 - $196,962•Remote

About The Position

As Chief Architect, you will provide technical leadership across complex U.S. Air Force programs, guiding the integration of systems engineering, software delivery, cloud platforms, and digital engineering capabilities. You will establish the architectural vision, principles, standards, and technical roadmaps needed to connect mission needs with executable program solutions. Working across Government, contractor, and mission-partner organizations, you will shape architectures that support capability development from concept and requirements through design, integration, test, deployment, sustainment, and modernization. You will promote disciplined systems engineering, model-based approaches, modular open systems, secure software factories, and reusable digital infrastructure while balancing mission effectiveness, affordability, schedule, cybersecurity, interoperability, and technical risk. You will serve as a senior technical authority, align diverse engineering teams, resolve cross-domain architectural issues, and communicate complex technical decisions to program leadership, customers, and stakeholders.

Requirements

Clearance: Active TS/SCI
Bachelorâ€™s Degree in systems engineering, software engineering, computer science, engineering management, or a related technical discipline and 15+ years of relevant experience
Extensive experience supporting U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, or other national-security programs involving complex mission systems
Demonstrated success serving as a chief architect, lead architect, chief engineer, or senior technical authority for large, multi-team programs
Deep knowledge of systems engineering principles and lifecycle processes, including requirements, architecture, interfaces, integration, verification, validation, configuration management, and technical risk management
Experience developing and governing system, solution, platform, enterprise, or system-of-systems architectures
Ability to connect mission and operational needs to technical architecture, program roadmaps, engineering priorities, and implementation decisions
Experience with software-intensive systems, modern application architectures, APIs, microservices, event-driven integration, and cloud-native design patterns
Strong understanding of software factories, DevSecOps, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, automated testing, artifact management, observability, and secure software supply chains
Experience applying digital engineering or model-based systems engineering practices and integrating engineering tools into an authoritative digital environment
Working knowledge of Department of Defense cybersecurity, risk management, authorization, Zero Trust, and secure cloud or classified-environment considerations
Experience applying modular open systems approaches, interface standards, interoperability principles, and reuse strategies
Proven ability to lead architectural trade studies, assess alternatives, resolve complex technical issues, and document defensible decisions

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in systems engineering, software engineering, computer science, engineering management, or a related technical discipline
Experience with Air Force acquisition programs, capability development, test and evaluation, operational transition, and sustainment
Experience with DAF CloudWorks, Cloud One, Platform One, or comparable Department of Defense cloud and software-factory ecosystems
Experience establishing or modernizing enterprise software factories, platform engineering capabilities, or digital engineering environments
Familiarity with SysML, UML, DoDAF, UAF, MBSE platforms, requirements-management tools, modeling and simulation environments, or digital-thread integrations
Knowledge of continuous ATO, automated compliance evidence, policy as code, software bills of materials, and secure supply-chain practices

Responsibilities

Define and maintain the technical vision, reference architecture, architectural principles, and modernization roadmap for assigned Air Force programs
Translate operational mission needs, capability objectives, and program priorities into coherent system-of-systems architectures and executable technical strategies
Lead architecture development across mission systems, enterprise services, software applications, cloud environments, networks, cybersecurity, data, interfaces, and digital engineering toolchains
Apply disciplined systems engineering throughout the lifecycle, including requirements development, functional analysis, architecture definition, interface management, integration, verification, validation, deployment, and sustainment
Establish and govern technical baselines, architecture decision records, engineering standards, interface specifications, and reusable design patterns
Promote model-based systems engineering and authoritative sources of truth that connect requirements, architecture, design, analysis, test evidence, and configuration data
Guide the adoption and integration of digital engineering capabilities, including collaborative models, digital threads, digital twins, simulation environments, and automated engineering workflows
Provide architectural leadership for secure software factories, DevSecOps pipelines, platform services, continuous integration, continuous delivery, automated testing, and continuous authorization practices
Ensure software-factory and platform solutions align with Air Force enterprise services, approved cloud environments, cybersecurity requirements, and program-specific mission constraints
Champion modular open systems approaches, well-defined interfaces, interoperability, portability, reuse, and avoidance of unnecessary vendor or platform lock-in
Evaluate current-state systems and technical debt, identify gaps and constraints, and define practical transition plans toward target architectures
Identify cross-program architectural dependencies, integration risks, and technical issues; establish mitigation strategies and drive resolution across organizational boundaries
Review system designs, engineering artifacts, implementation plans, test strategies, and technical deliverables for consistency with approved architecture and program objectives