Data Architect

T-Rex Solutions•Falls Church, VA

3h•$125,000 - $175,000

About The Position

T-Rex Solutions is seeking a Data Architect responsible for solutioning, developing, and maintaining enterprise data architecture across distributed projects and functions in partnership with Defense Health Agency (DHA) stakeholders. This role serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on data governance, the DHA Enterprise Data Catalog Inventory Management System, data dictionary deliverables, and metadata lifecycle processes. The Data Architect leads the identification and documentation of data assets across DHA and develops asset identification and onboarding guidelines that ensure consistency, compliance, and interoperability across federated DHA data ecosystems.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or enterprise data modeling.
Deep expertise in metadata management, metadata modeling, cataloging, and data governance within complex/federal environments.
Strong experience leading architecture and data governance efforts across distributed teams.
Experience designing metadata schemas, lineage models, and cross domain interoperability frameworks.
Familiarity with federal compliance frameworks (NIST SP 80053, FISMA, HIPAA, DHA security policies).
Strong communication skills—In-person and virtual facilitation, asynchronous writing, and distributed decision-making.
Experience using Agile tools (e.g., Jira).
U.S. Citizenship required; ability to obtain a clearance; active DoD security clearance preferred.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Business Administration, Data Management, or related field.
Experience with metadata automation, federated cataloging, crosswalk analysis, and data quality frameworks.
Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP) with emphasis on data services.
Data engineering, data architecture, or data governance certifications.
Enterprise or solution architecture certifications.
Agile certifications (Scrum, SAFe, Agile PM).

Responsibilities

Provide technical expertise to DHA and staff on the solutioning and development of the baseline data inventory and lead technical decisions.
Define, maintain, and communicate data architecture standards including data domains, naming conventions, metadata schemas, and logical data models to distributed teams.
Oversee documenting and maintaining end-to-end data flows (sources, transformations, lineage, storage, downstream use) using DHA approved collaboration platforms and tools.
Provide architecture guidance across projects via design sessions, reviews, and documentation.
Develop, standardize, and maintain collection instruments (metadata templates, instructions, validation rules) aligned to DOW, DHA, and NIST requirements.
Oversee identification and documentation of authoritative and secondary use data systems, ensuring access logistics, validation cycles, and proper use of DHA approved tools.
Lead metadata consolidation and standardization efforts across domains, ensuring consistency and traceability.
Design and implement the interim centralized repository structure—including folder standards, metadata fields, taxonomies—using DHA approved collaboration environments.
Guide teams in aligning repository metadata with DHA, DOW, and NIST standards to support the transition to the DHA Enterprise Data Catalog (DHA EDC).
Support federated catalog integration and synchronization with external systems (e.g., Advana) through workshops and test cycles.
Oversee QA/validation cycles using automated quality metrics, audit logs, anomaly detection, and sampling processes.
Generate catalog ready metadata and documentation through DHA approved tools.
Develop and maintain onboarding guidelines for new data assets, including standardized metadata requirements, quality checks, required documentation, and review workflows.
Support the DHA EDC Analysis of Alternatives by evaluating cataloging solutions against functional, technical, security, and interoperability criteria.
Participate in scenario-based evaluations, ETL simulations, schema-change detection tests, lineage assessments, and vendor remote demonstrations.
Provide architecture oversight across the data product lifecycle: ideation, design (data contracts), build, publish, monitoring, change control, deprecation.
Ensure lifecycle stages maintain metadata quality, lineage traceability, governance controls, and documentation accessible to distributed teams.
Establish a governance structure for data architecture activities, defining cadence, reporting, escalation, and audit requirements.