Data Architect

Ignite Digital•Chesapeake, VA

7h•$130,000

About The Position

Ignite Digital is seeking an experienced Data Architect to support the design and implementation of secure, governed data architectures for a U.S. Navy program in the Norfolk, Virginia region. The role develops Navy-aligned data models, designs integration patterns, selects compliant data-management technologies, and ensures mission data is stored and governed securely, consistently, and in alignment with enterprise policies. The successful candidate combines technical expertise with strong communication and collaboration skills, working with business stakeholders, program leadership, and data governance teams. The Data Architect helps design and implement enterprise data architectures that meet Navy governance, security, compliance, and operational requirements. The role develops scalable, governed data models; designs integrations that support quality, consistency, lineage, and traceability; and evaluates and implements technologies that advance governance, interoperability, and modernization. Architecture decisions must support mission needs and governance requirements, including ownership, stewardship, quality checks, taxonomy alignment, metadata completeness, standardized definitions, and auditability. The position also translates business requirements into data models, interfaces, governance rules, and integration patterns in collaboration with Navy mission stakeholders, program managers, and technical teams. An active DoW SECRET clearance is required. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in data architecture, including data modeling, data warehousing, integration design, and enterprise data governance.
Strong expertise in data-architecture principles, secure design, metadata standards, and modern cloud-native data platforms.
Experience designing governed ingestion, transformation, and consumption layers aligned with DoD data practices.
Strong communication skills and ability to convey technical decisions to business and mission audiences.
Ability to work independently and cross-functionally in fast-moving Navy environments.
Active DoW SECRET clearance required.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Relevant certifications in cloud platforms, data architecture, data modeling, or governance tools are preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist in designing and implementing enterprise data architectures that meet Navy governance, security, compliance, and operational requirements.
Develop scalable, governed data models that support data-governance policies, metadata standards, and business rules.
Ensure data architecture aligns with mission needs, enterprise data strategies, and operational workflows.
Design and implement data integration solutions that provide quality, consistency, lineage tracking, and traceability across systems.
Apply best-practice patterns for ingestion, validation, transformation, schema enforcement, and secure consumption layers.
Ensure integrations comply with Navy security requirements and follow IL5/IL6 authorized-environment procedures.
Evaluate, recommend, and implement data-management technologies that support governance, interoperability, and modernization goals.
Apply DoD-aligned design principles, including decoupled storage and compute, curated data layers, resilience, and semantic-model alignment.
Ensure architecture decisions support data governance requirements, including ownership, stewardship, quality checks, taxonomy alignment, and auditability.
Partner with governance teams to reinforce policy adherence, metadata completeness, lineage tracking, and standardized data definitions.
Collaborate with Navy mission stakeholders, program managers, and technical teams to ensure architectural fit with operational needs.
Translate business requirements into data models, interfaces, governance rules, and integration patterns.