Chief Architect

Sierra Space•Centennial, CO

2d•$198,936 - $273,537

About The Position

The Chief Architect will provide technical vision and architectural leadership to a major program or programs, ensuring strategic design excellence and technical feasibility. The primary responsibility of this role is to define and maintain the technical architecture and standards across programs, establishing the foundational design that guides all engineering execution. This involves leading high-level system architecture decisions, developing long-term technology roadmaps, and determining what solutions best meet mission needs. The Chief Architect will act as a senior leader within the program team, providing expert architectural direction on complex multidisciplinary systems, ensuring what we design will work and exploring the art of the possible. This position requires deep systems architecture expertise and the ability to build and execute technical strategies that span multiple programs.

Requirements

Requires Bachelor's degree in a related field (or equivalent work experience in lieu of degree or Masters +14 yrs experience).
Typically requires 16+ years of related experience.
An active Top Secret with SCI eligibility U.S. Security Clearance is required
Deep systems architecture expertise with demonstrated ability to define and lead technical architecture across complex programs.
Demonstrated experience leading architectural design for significant projects, making high-level design decisions, and establishing technical standards across multiple disciplines.
Demonstrated use of first principles and architectural thinking to evaluate design alternatives and define optimal system architectures for program success.
Experience acting as a technical architect and strategic advisor, providing expert guidance on system design, technology selection, and architectural feasibility for complex engineering programs.
Upholds and models company values; ability to hold others accountable to values.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to articulate technical vision and architecture to diverse audiences.
In-depth knowledge of industry standards, architectural frameworks, design patterns, and best practices in systems architecture.
Able to build architectural strategy; identify and implement the steps needed to execute strategy across programs.

Nice To Haves

Master's or Ph.D. in engineering, aerospace, computer science, or a related discipline, providing a deeper understanding of complex architectural concepts and advanced system design skills.
Extensive experience in the aerospace industry or a closely related field, with a proven track record of successful architectural definition and technical vision leadership.
Demonstrated ability to drive innovation within architectural practices, staying current with emerging technologies, and defining cutting-edge system architectures to enhance mission performance and enable new capabilities.
Exceptional leadership abilities with a proven capacity to influence, inspire, and drive change within technical teams and across the organization. Ability to mentor and develop junior architects and engineers.
Solid experience in architectural governance, including planning, definition, and oversight of large-scale system architectures. Ability to establish standards, frameworks, and technology roadmaps effectively.
Strong strategic planning skills, with the ability to develop and implement long-term architectural strategies and technology roadmaps that align with organizational objectives.
Proven ability to work effectively with executive-level management, providing clear and concise architectural insights and recommendations. Experience presenting complex technical vision and design rationale to non-technical stakeholders.
Experience managing relationships with external stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and technology partners. Ability to represent the company in architectural discussions and strategic technology planning.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across different functions within the organization, including engineering, operations, and business development, to achieve common architectural and strategic goals.
A strong commitment to continuous innovation, with a proactive approach to identifying and implementing architectural patterns and best practices that advance the state of the art.
A history of technical publications, patents, or industry presentations that demonstrate thought leadership and contributions to the field of system architecture and advanced aerospace design.
Relevant professional certifications, such as Professional Engineer (PE) licensure, enterprise architecture certifications (e.g., TOGAF), or certifications in specific architectural domains relevant to the role.

Responsibilities

Provide architectural leadership and strategic technical vision to major programs, defining the overall system architecture and technical standards that govern program execution.
Establish architectural frameworks and design principles, making high-level decisions on system structure, technology selection, and integration approaches that address what architecture best meets mission needs and why.
Develop and maintain long-term technology roadmaps, identifying emerging technologies and innovative solutions that position programs for future success.
Work at the beginning of the program lifecycle to ensure that what we are designing will work, conducting architectural trade studies, evaluating technical feasibility, and validating that proposed designs can achieve mission objectives.
Serve as an advisor across all programs, providing architectural consultation and solving the most challenging design problems that span multiple initiatives.
Drive architectural innovation and standardization, establishing reusable design patterns and common technical approaches that enhance efficiency across programs.
Take an active role in program milestone meetings and early-phase proposals, partnering with program leadership to shape technical strategies and define architectural baselines.
Embody the company's culture and leadership values, acting as a catalyst for change by building architectural strategies that explore the art of the possible and identifying the steps needed to execute them across programs.
Translate technical vision into coherent architectures, making final decisions on architectural approaches and design direction, and ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
Uphold and model company values, holding others accountable to these standards while interacting with internal and external executive-level management.
Drive innovation in architectural practices, stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends, and contribute to the development of technical strategies and architectural roadmaps that support long-term organizational objectives.