Data Architect SME

Peraton•Bowie, MD

1d•$135,000 - $216,000•Onsite

About The Position

Join Peraton in advancing the safety, efficiency, and modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS) through the FAA’s Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) contract. As a trusted partner to the Federal Aviation Administration, Peraton helps deliver the systems and services that keep our nation’s skies safe and connected. We’re looking for innovative professionals who thrive in mission-critical environments and are passionate about shaping the future of air traffic management. This is your chance to make an impact on one of the world’s most vital transportation infrastructures, working alongside leaders in aviation, engineering, data science, and systems integration. At Peraton, you won’t just support the mission — you’ll define it. Join a team dedicated to protecting the safety and integrity of U.S. air travel. Peraton is seeking an Data Architect SME to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. The ideal candidate will define data models, governance frameworks, and integration standards to ensure the FAA’s data infrastructure supports secure, scalable, and mission-critical operations. You will ensure that FAA modernization initiatives, safety programs, and infrastructure projects are aligned with the unique operational and cultural needs of Alaska’s aviation ecosystem. Work Location: This position is required to be on-site, primarily located in Herndon, VA, with an alternate work location available in Bowie, MD. Candidates must be able to work on-site at one of these locations based on program requirements. In this position, you will: Design, develop, and maintain enterprise data architectures, models, and integration frameworks for FAA systems. Define and enforce data governance, quality, and lifecycle management standards. Collaborate with engineers and analysts to ensure data alignment across applications, cloud platforms, and enterprise systems. Lead efforts to migrate and modernize data environments, ensuring scalability, resiliency, and compliance. Establish and maintain data dictionaries, schemas, and metadata repositories. Provide technical guidance and architecture reviews for new and existing FAA programs. Design and implement data pipelines and integration solutions supporting analytics and operational systems. Support the development of data strategies, roadmaps, and enterprise data services aligned with FAA objectives. Ensure data solutions comply with FAA security policies, privacy regulations, and federal IT standards. Communicate architectural decisions, trade-offs, and recommendations to technical and executive stakeholders. Collaborate closely with systems engineers, software developers, cybersecurity professionals, and FAA leadership to architect data solutions that enable smarter decision-making and enhance aviation safety. Experience preparing audit-ready architecture documentation and technical reports. Ability to assess data interoperability, lineage, and quality across multiple systems. Proven experience leading cross-functional data modernization initiatives. Why This Role Matters As aviation and federal programs evolve, any weakness in underlying infrastructure can impact operations and service delivery on a national scale. As a Data Architect, you will play a vital role in ensuring that the FAA’s data systems are integrated, secure, and optimized for performance—supporting initiatives such as NextGen modernization, airspace optimization, and safety analytics that directly influence the future of U.S. aviation.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship Required.
Must have the ability to obtain / maintain a Public Trust clearance.
Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of experience or Masters degree and 10 years or Associate’s degree and 14 years experience or HS diploma/equivalent and 16 years experience.
Proficiency in data modeling, ETL/ELT design, and data integration frameworks.
Experience defining enterprise data standards and governance models.
Knowledge of SQL, data warehousing, and performance optimization.
Experience implementing data security and access control policies (NIST RMF, FISMA, FedRAMP).
Understanding of metadata management and data cataloging practices.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience working with or for the FAA, DOT, or state aviation authorities.
Familiarity with data visualization and analytics platforms (Tableau, Power BI, Databricks).
Knowledge of AI/ML data pipelines, streaming data, and predictive analytics architectures.
Experience applying Zero Trust data principles and data resiliency strategies.
Professional certifications such as AWS Data Analytics Specialty, Google Cloud Data Engineer, or CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional).
Familiarity with FAA acquisition, AMS standards, and federal data compliance frameworks.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain enterprise data architectures, models, and integration frameworks for FAA systems.
Define and enforce data governance, quality, and lifecycle management standards.
Collaborate with engineers and analysts to ensure data alignment across applications, cloud platforms, and enterprise systems.
Lead efforts to migrate and modernize data environments, ensuring scalability, resiliency, and compliance.
Establish and maintain data dictionaries, schemas, and metadata repositories.
Provide technical guidance and architecture reviews for new and existing FAA programs.
Design and implement data pipelines and integration solutions supporting analytics and operational systems.
Support the development of data strategies, roadmaps, and enterprise data services aligned with FAA objectives.
Ensure data solutions comply with FAA security policies, privacy regulations, and federal IT standards.
Communicate architectural decisions, trade-offs, and recommendations to technical and executive stakeholders.
Collaborate closely with systems engineers, software developers, cybersecurity professionals, and FAA leadership to architect data solutions that enable smarter decision-making and enhance aviation safety.
Prepare audit-ready architecture documentation and technical reports.
Assess data interoperability, lineage, and quality across multiple systems.
Lead cross-functional data modernization initiatives.