Remote Endpoint Engineering Senior Systems Architect (VA ESOM)

Kentro • UNAVAILABLE, UNAVAILABLE

22d • Remote

About The Position

Kentro is hiring a Senior Systems Architect to support the VA ESOM contract. This remote U.S.-based role supports Eastern Time working hours and provides enterprise-level architectural leadership for VA endpoint engineering across five divisions. The architect will help formalize a consistent, repeatable Enterprise Engineering planning process for evaluating, prioritizing, and integrating emerging technologies; define target-state architecture; guide investment and modernization decisions; and translate technical considerations into secure, scalable recommendations for executive and engineering stakeholders.

Working closely with the VA Endpoint Engineering Director and division stakeholders, the architect will assess existing endpoint capabilities, identify improvement and modernization opportunities, and recommend priorities, standards, and sequencing to sustain a secure, resilient, and supportable endpoint ecosystem. The role spans desktop and device engineering, endpoint management, mobile technology, macOS, endpoint security, application integration, virtual desktop, and enterprise printing services. It bridges executive decision-making and technical execution by assessing mission value, security, interoperability, scalability, lifecycle supportability, resource needs, risks, tradeoffs, and operational readiness.

The architect will develop and maintain an Endpoint Modernization Roadmap and Emerging Technology Assessment based on stakeholder needs, current-state findings, and documented capability gaps. These deliverables support coordinated planning across the five divisions, document recommendations and decision points, prioritize evaluations and pilots, and define considerations for moving approved capabilities into implementation and sustained operations. The role partners with engineering, security, and operational teams to reduce risk, protect sensitive Veteran information, and support the Veteran digital experience. The anticipated base salary range is $145,000–$185,000 annually. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and willing and able to obtain and maintain Public Trust Clearance.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• 12 or more years of progressive experience in systems architecture, endpoint engineering, infrastructure engineering, or a closely related discipline, including at least five years in enterprise architecture or a senior technical advisory capacity.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior leaders and translating complex technical issues, risks, and tradeoffs into clear recommendations and decision-ready materials.
• Deep knowledge of enterprise endpoint architecture across Windows, macOS, mobile, virtual desktop, identity, endpoint security, application delivery, and modern management platforms such as Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Configuration Manager, and Jamf Pro.
• Experience developing current-state and target-state architectures, modernization roadmaps, reference architectures, technical standards, and technology assessments for large, complex environments.
• Experience evaluating emerging technologies and leading structured proofs of concept, pilots, architecture reviews, or product-selection efforts.
• Strong understanding of cloud and hybrid architectures, Zero Trust, automation, configuration management, lifecycle management, interoperability, resilience, and operational sustainment.
• Working knowledge of federal cybersecurity and compliance requirements, including NIST 800-series guidance, NIST 800-53, DISA STIGs, and enterprise system-hardening practices.
• Ability to collaborate across cybersecurity, infrastructure, networking, identity, cloud, operations, acquisition, and service-management organizations.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief engineers, program leaders, and executive stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound technical judgment, and provide objective recommendations in a complex, highly governed environment.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (Green Card).
• Must be willing and able to obtain and maintain Public Trust Clearance.
• Must meet updated ID requirements or be willing and able to update current forms of ID in a timely manner to complete the suitability process.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Systems Engineering, Enterprise Architecture, or a related field.
• Experience supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs or another large federal agency.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience with federal enterprise architecture, technology governance, capital planning, acquisition support, or technical review boards.
• Familiarity with ServiceNow, configuration management databases, service catalogs, asset and configuration governance, and operational reporting.
• Experience applying architecture frameworks or structured methods such as TOGAF, Department of Defense Architecture Framework, or Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework.
• Experience with endpoint analytics, AI-enabled operations, digital employee experience, automation, cloud-native management, remote monitoring, or other emerging endpoint capabilities.
• Familiarity with ITIL practices and transitioning engineered capabilities into sustainable service operations.
• TOGAF, Certified Enterprise Architect, or comparable architecture certification.
• CISSP, GIAC, or another advanced cybersecurity certification.
• Microsoft certifications relevant to Azure, Microsoft 365, Intune, endpoint administration, or cybersecurity.
• Jamf certification or comparable macOS management credential.
• ITIL Foundation or higher.
• CompTIA Security+ or another certification meeting applicable federal baseline requirements.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical and strategic advisor to the VA Endpoint Engineering Director on endpoint architecture, modernization priorities, emerging technologies, investment decisions, and enterprise risk.
• Develop and maintain the Endpoint Modernization Roadmap and Emerging Technology Assessment, including an initial baseline, quarterly updates, and a comprehensive annual refresh.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve a consistent, repeatable Enterprise Engineering planning process for assessing, sustaining, and enhancing existing technologies and evaluating, prioritizing, and integrating emerging technologies across five divisions.
• Facilitate cross-division planning and prioritization sessions to surface changing demands, capability gaps, enterprise dependencies, and competing priorities for Director-level decisions.
• Monitor endpoint-industry trends, products, services, and architectural patterns, and translate their value, limitations, risks, dependencies, and implementation implications into recommendations.
• Assess existing endpoint technologies for performance, security, lifecycle status, supportability, and alignment with agency needs; recommend sustainment, enhancement, modernization, or retirement actions.
• Define current-state, transition-state, and target-state architectures for the enterprise endpoint ecosystem, including principles, standards, decision points, and sequencing guidance.
• Establish and govern a common evaluation framework for new capabilities, covering feasibility, cybersecurity and privacy, interoperability, scalability, accessibility, operational readiness, total cost, Veteran digital experience, and alignment with VA priorities.
• Advise on architecture and integration across Windows, macOS, mobile, virtual desktop, endpoint management, application packaging and delivery, enterprise printing, identity, security tooling, cloud services, and supporting infrastructure.
• Lead or facilitate architecture reviews for major initiatives, proposed solutions, pilots, and technology changes; document decisions, assumptions, risks, exceptions, and follow-up actions.
• Recommend and shape proofs of concept and pilots, including success criteria, evaluation measures, decision gates, transition-to-production requirements, and sustainment considerations.
• Assess dependencies across engineering workstreams and partner organizations, identifying conflicts, capability gaps, technical debt, and sequencing risks.
• Assess endpoint architectures against federal cybersecurity requirements, Zero Trust principles, NIST guidance, DISA STIGs, VA policies, enterprise architecture standards, and approved ports and protocols; identify gaps and coordinate reviews with designated VA authorities.
• Partner with cybersecurity, infrastructure, identity, networking, cloud, application, operations, acquisition, and service-management stakeholders to ensure proposed solutions are supportable and enterprise-ready.
• Develop executive briefings, decision papers, reference architectures, technology assessments, recommendation memoranda, and other materials for leadership decisions.
• Define measurable planning outcomes and maintain traceability from capability gaps and technology recommendations through prioritization, pilot decisions, integration planning, and operational adoption.
• Provide architectural guidance during complex technical escalations and high-impact initiatives, focusing on systemic causes, long-term remediation, and architectural consistency.
• Coach engineering leads and technical staff on architecture practices, design quality, documentation expectations, and translating strategic direction into executable engineering plans.
• Represent Endpoint Engineering in enterprise planning and governance forums, communicating architectural positions, operational impacts, and recommended courses of action.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Healthcare benefits
• Supplemental benefits
• 401(k) with employer match
• Discount perks
• Rewards
• Education reimbursement for certifications, degrees, or professional development
• Flexible opportunities to take courses, complete certifications, and pursue professional growth and networking
• Company-funded virtual and in-person activities, including happy hours, holiday events, fitness and wellness events, and annual celebrations

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior