Enterprise Architect

Systems Planning and Analysis

12d

About The Position

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, we are known for continuous innovation for our government customers, in both the US and abroad. Our exceptionally talented team is highly collaborative in spirit and practice, producing Results that Matter. Come work with the best! We offer opportunity, unique challenges, and clear-sighted commitment to the mission. SPA: Objective. Responsive. Trusted. The Space and Intelligence Division provides professional services to the US Space Force, Combatant Commands, Intelligence Community, and NASA. Our work includes enterprise architectural assessments, systems engineering and integration, test, planning and execution, cost estimating and analysis, acquisition support, and cybersecurity. We are trusted partners developing approaches and concepts to meet emerging high priority needs, assessing cutting-edge technologies, and supporting capabilities for our National Defense. Come join the fastest growing Division at Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc.! The Space Systems Group (SSG), part of SPA’s Space and Intelligence Division, provides timely and objective assessments and recommendations integrating technical, operational, programmatic, policy and business analysis. We focus on our key clients in the Space community including the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command (USSF/SSC), one of the three designated Field Commands under USSF. We work tirelessly to provide integrated solutions based on information and communications throughout the chain of command. We provide clear and consistent analysis and recommendations which are aligned to strategic and leadership goals while balancing the ability to execute on time and on budget within the technical communities. Come join an organization responsible for being a key enabler of Spacepower! SPA has an immediate need for a Enterprise Architect/Chief Engineer.

Requirements

Active Top Secret clearance
20 years of relevant hands-on experience
Extensive experience serving as a senior technical authority or chief architect, owning system or platform‑level architecture across multiple environments or classifications
Demonstrated ability to define, govern, and enforce engineering standards, technical patterns, and design principles for large, integrated systems
Proven track record making major technical decisions grounded in data, trade analysis, and mission or business requirements, with the ability to defend decisions to diverse stakeholders
Hands‑on experience applying rigorous systems engineering practices—including requirements management, V&V, trade studies, configuration control, and platform‑level testing
Experience leading multi‑disciplinary engineering organizations, driving modernization and innovation while maintaining system stability, security, performance, and operational readiness

Responsibilities

Lead and manage the Systems Engineering Division, overseeing all branches responsible for architecture, testing, cybersecurity, configuration, and platform-level services
Own and maintain the platform’s architectural vision, including both current-state and future-state design across all environments and classifications
Establish and enforce engineering standards, technical patterns, and design principles to ensure consistency, scalability, and interoperability across the platform
Balance and optimize system qualities (e.g., security, performance, reliability, scalability, usability, maintainability), ensuring no single attribute is advanced at the expense of overall system integrity without justified trade analysis
Serve as the final technical authority for major design decisions, changes, and deviations, ensuring alignment with mission requirements and operational constraints
Ensure all engineering efforts adhere to disciplined systems engineering practices, including requirements management, trade studies, verification and validation, and configuration control
Drive innovation and continuous modernization of the platform while ensuring new capabilities are mature, supportable, and do not introduce unacceptable risk to operations
Partner closely with Platform Operations to ensure all architectural decisions are executable, supportable, and do not degrade performance, reliability, or user experience
Oversee platform testing and validation strategies to ensure capabilities are production-ready, resilient, and aligned with mission use cases
Govern configuration and data management practices to maintain integrity, traceability, and control of the platform baseline
Collaborate with external stakeholders, including government leadership, aerospace partners, enterprise engineering organizations, and mission users, to align technical direction with mission needs
Defend and communicate technical decisions with clarity, rigor, and evidence, ensuring stakeholder confidence and alignment
Translate program priorities into a coherent technical roadmap that sustains platform relevance, capability, and mission value over time