Lead Application Architect

B&A•SUITLAND, MD

just now

About The Position

At B&A, we foster and embrace a distinct set of values that we live by and instill in all aspects of our organization: dedication, commitment, partnership, trust, and recognition. We have incorporated these values into successful delivery for our customers since 1988. B&A believes in ensuring its employees feel deeply connected to B&A, recognizing successes and hard work, and providing continuous opportunities to learn and grow. Our people are entrepreneurial thinkers that combine mindset, vision, and experience to drive value – not only to us as an organization, but to the clients we support. We promote a collaborative culture with our clients, and with each other, as one team working towards a common vision. We’d love for you to join our team! We are seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME)–level Lead Application Architect to design and define the overall structure and framework of applications within the U.S. Census Bureau’s Decennial Transformation and Application Modernization (DTAM) effort. This role provides technical and management leadership on major application architecture assignments, establishing standards, patterns, and types that prioritize interoperability, reliability, scalability, security, and other DevSecOps dimensions. The Lead Application Architect develops secure multi-cloud application architectures and ensures alignment with Decennial business and operations plans and governance. Decision-making and domain knowledge may have a critical impact on overall program implementation. May supervise others.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field
15+ years of experience providing technical and management leadership on major application architecture assignments (SME level)
Expert experience defining application architecture standards, patterns, and reference architectures
Demonstrated ability to design secure multi-cloud application architectures (microservices, IaC, serverless, containerization)
Strong background in API management — design, security, discovery, and governance
Experience aligning application lifecycle management with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
Experience developing Concepts of Operations and briefing architecture governance boards
U.S. Citizenship required

Nice To Haves

Certified Solutions Architect (AWS / Azure / Google Cloud Professional)
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
DevOps Certification
Experience with application FinOps cost optimization and automated monitoring
Familiarity with DevSecOps CI/CD and cloud-native best practices
Experience with large-scale federal modernization or System of Systems (SoS) programs
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive briefing to senior Government stakeholders

Responsibilities

Establish, document, and maintain application architecture standards, patterns, and types prioritizing interoperability, reliability, availability, performance, scalability, extensibility, and security
Develop and maintain tools, processes, documentation, and templates required to manage the Application Architecture
Develop, document, and maintain secure multi-cloud application architectures using microservices, infrastructure as code, serverless computing, and containerization
Perform business and solution architecture activities to model requirements in alignment with Decennial architecture goals
Create and maintain application architecture artifacts and brief governance boards as requested by the Government
Perform reviews and assessments of current and proposed application architecture and provide recommendations that meet business needs
Develop, document, and maintain Concepts of Operations based on business requirements by application
Develop, document, implement, and maintain API standards and best practices, including API management, discovery, security, and governance
Implement application lifecycle management practices aligned with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and API security requirements
Develop and maintain application architectures consistent with Decennial FinOps procedures, including automated cost monitoring and optimization
Participate in Engineering Working Group (EWG) reviews and other governance boards, providing technical recommendations

Benefits

Three robust individual and family medical plans
Health Savings Account (HSA) option
Two tiers of dental coverage
Vision insurance
Life & AD&D insurance
Disability insurance
Accident insurance
Hospital indemnity insurance
Critical illness insurance
Paid time off
B&A sponsored trainings and certifications
Pet insurance benefits
Commuter transit benefits
Free subscription to a virtual exercise platform (NEOU)
401(k) plan with company matching contribution
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Access to counseling, legal guidance, financial planning, and more