Enterprise Cloud Architect (IT System Architect - Senior Principal II)

BAE Systems•Falls Church, VA

7d•$149,603 - $254,317•Hybrid

About The Position

BAE Systems is seeking an Enterprise Cloud Architect (IT System Architect - Senior Principal II) to serve as a senior technical authority and architecture leader for enterprise cloud transformation, application modernization, digital engineering, automation, and modern software delivery. This influential individual-contributor role leads architecture for major, complex, and strategically important technology initiatives, including the enterprise Move-to-Cloud transformation. The architect translates business objectives and knowledge of the technology landscape into an executable architecture strategy, migration approach, technical roadmap, and target-state architecture. The role combines enterprise architecture perspective with hands-on cloud engineering and software development expertise. It defines enterprise cloud standards and reference architectures, works with executives and program leaders, assesses application dependencies and data flows, mentors Solution Architects, and applies Infrastructure as Code and AI-assisted engineering to accelerate delivery. The architect collaborates across Enterprise Architecture, PMO, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, Network, Data, Application Development, Operations, business stakeholders, and external partners, leading through influence rather than formal authority. The architect owns and evolves enterprise cloud patterns, standards, principles, reference architectures, implementation guidance, and reusable IaC. The role also advances DevSecOps, automation, digital and citizen-development architecture; applies governed AI-assisted engineering; contributes to the enterprise architecture practice; leads architecture reviews and governance; and supports the transition of solutions into operations. It provides senior technical leadership and mentorship, including architecture support for Commercial, CRM, and Customer-Facing capabilities and platforms such as Salesforce. The position requires a bachelor's degree in a related technical discipline or equivalent relevant professional experience, and 12 or more years of progressive experience across software engineering, cloud engineering, solution architecture, and/or enterprise architecture. The role is based on a full-time salary range of $149,603 to $254,317. BAE Systems describes itself as a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical discipline; equivalent relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
12 or more years of progressive experience across software engineering, cloud engineering, solution architecture, and/or enterprise architecture, including substantial experience leading architecture for large, complex enterprise initiatives.
Experience as lead architect or senior technical authority for a major enterprise transformation, cloud migration, or similarly complex multi-system program.
Deep architecture and engineering expertise in public cloud environments such as Azure and/or AWS, including IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, hybrid architecture, and cloud-native design.
Significant hands-on experience designing and implementing IaC, cloud landing zones, cloud resource structures, compute services, automated provisioning, and reusable cloud services.
Strong software development background and demonstrated understanding of modern software engineering practices.
Deep knowledge of DevOps/DevSecOps, CI/CD, source control, automated testing, deployment automation, observability, and contemporary SDLC/PDLC practices.
Experience creating enterprise architecture patterns, standards, reference architectures, and technical roadmaps and driving adoption across multiple teams.
Strong knowledge of integration architecture, application dependencies, APIs, data flows, and distributed application environments.
Demonstrated proficiency with an enterprise architecture modeling or repository tool.
Advanced architecture visualization skills, including cloud/platform views, application interaction and data-flow diagrams, solution-sequencing diagrams, transition architectures, capability maps, and roadmaps.
Working knowledge of TOGAF, Agile, iterative/incremental delivery, and Waterfall, with the judgment to apply them pragmatically.
Experience using AI to accelerate architecture, software engineering, DevSecOps, or complex technology delivery.
Experience designing architecture and governance for automation, digital, and citizen-development/low-code platforms.
Working knowledge of Salesforce and enterprise CRM/customer-facing application ecosystems.
Strong understanding of cybersecurity, Zero Trust, and secure-by-design architecture.
Exceptional verbal, written, and visual communication skills and ability to lead through influence in a matrixed enterprise.

Nice To Haves

TOGAF certification.
Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business, or a related discipline.
Azure, AWS, and/or other major cloud architecture certifications.
15 or more years of combined software engineering, cloud engineering, and architecture experience.
Experience architecting cloud transformation within aerospace, defense, manufacturing, or another large regulated enterprise.
Experience with controlled-data and defense-aligned environments, including CUI, ITAR/EAR, NIST 800-171/53, DFARS, RMF, and/or CMMC.
Deep Salesforce/CRM architecture experience and knowledge of customer-facing digital ecosystems.
Experience with AI platforms, AI-assisted engineering, agentic development approaches, and enterprise AI-enabled delivery governance.

Responsibilities

Lead architecture for the enterprise Move-to-Cloud program from current-state discovery through target-state design, migration sequencing, implementation, and operational readiness.
Establish cloud transformation architecture aligned with business outcomes, cybersecurity requirements, operational constraints, cost, schedule, and enterprise technology strategy.
Identify application dependencies, interfaces, integrations, data entities, risks, and sequencing needs, while advancing work amid incomplete information and surfacing material unknowns.
Integrate architecture activities, decisions, dependencies, risks, and deliverables into the transformation plan with PMO and program leadership.
Provide senior technical recommendations and escalation support for complex cloud decisions.
Own and evolve cloud patterns, standards, principles, reference architectures, and guidance across IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, cloud-native, hybrid-cloud, and applicable multi-cloud environments.
Establish reusable architectures for landing zones, subscriptions or accounts, resource organization, compute, identity, platform services, observability, resiliency, data protection, deployment, and cloud operations.
Work with Network Architecture and Cybersecurity teams to incorporate approved connectivity, segmentation, secure access, identity, encryption, monitoring, and automated controls into cloud architectures.
Translate cloud strategy into technical guidance that architects, engineers, developers, security and infrastructure teams, and delivery partners can implement.
Design and develop IaC for cloud environments, shared services, platform resources, and security controls; establish reusable modules, templates, automation, and engineering patterns.
Apply software engineering disciplines to cloud architecture, including source control, peer review, CI/CD, automated testing, configuration management, observability, release management, and lifecycle management.
Define practical, governed uses of AI-assisted and agentic engineering for discovery, dependency analysis, documentation, migration planning, artifact generation, IaC development, technical analysis, testing, and knowledge capture.
Mentor architects and engineers in responsible AI use, with appropriate cybersecurity, data protection, quality, human oversight, and accountability.
Define enterprise DevSecOps frameworks, patterns, standards, and reference implementations for delivery pipelines, security integration, artifacts, quality gates, environment promotion, observability, release management, and deployment automation.
Establish reusable automated-testing architecture patterns, including unit, integration, regression, security, and performance testing.
Develop architecture frameworks and standards for automation and digital solutions, and establish technical guardrails for citizen-development and low-code/no-code platforms.
Define citizen-development patterns for connectors, integrations, identity, security, data management, environment strategy, ALM, DevSecOps, monitoring, supportability, and pathways to supported applications.
Advance the enterprise architecture practice through standards, reference architectures, principles, decision records, reusable patterns, transition architectures, and roadmaps.
Use an enterprise architecture modeling or repository platform to maintain relationships among business capabilities, applications, technology, infrastructure, integrations, data, and transformation roadmaps.
Create decision-oriented architecture visualizations, including platform views, data-flow diagrams, application and integration views, sequencing diagrams, transition-state architectures, capability maps, and roadmaps.
Apply TOGAF and Agile, iterative/incremental, and Waterfall methods pragmatically; lead architecture and design reviews and governance discussions for significant initiatives.
Bridge business stakeholders and technical teams by communicating business rationale, outcomes, impact, alternatives, costs, risks, and technical recommendations.
Validate interfaces, data flows, integration points, assumptions, and design quality with engineering teams before implementation.
Lead through partnership and influence, enabling teams to execute within clear architecture guardrails and communicating decisions to audiences ranging from engineers to executives.
Own the architecture-to-operations transition and partner with engineering and operations teams to ensure solutions are ready for operation, maintainable, scalable, and resilient.
Coach and mentor Enterprise, Business, and Solution Architects without requiring formal reporting relationships.
Provide architecture partnership for Commercial, CRM, and Customer-Facing capabilities, including Salesforce and other customer-facing platforms and their integration with enterprise capabilities.
Develop reusable approaches that elevate other architects' technical capability and allow knowledge and decision-making to scale.