Today
Secret
Unspecified
Unspecified
(On-Site/Office)
Description
Position Summary
The Applications Lead Architect serves as the senior technical authority for enterprise application architecture, modernization, and integration in support of DoD mission systems. This role sets standards, defines roadmaps, and governs designs that deliver secure, scalable, and resilient applications across classified and unclassified environments. The Architect partners with cybersecurity, infrastructure, data, and delivery teams to implement Zero Trust-aligned, cloud native, and automation driven solutions that accelerate ATO/cATO and improve mission outcomes.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership:
Architecture & Design:
Security, Risk & Compliance
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.
Northern Technologies Group is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.
Travel
10%
Shift
Normal office hours that align with the core hours of the customer
NOTE
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.
The salary range listed represents a good faith estimate and is provided in compliance with applicable pay transparency laws. The final compensation offered will be determined based on a variety of factors, including your skills, experience, qualifications, internal equity, and market conditions.
Salary Description
$155,000 to $195,000
Position Summary
The Applications Lead Architect serves as the senior technical authority for enterprise application architecture, modernization, and integration in support of DoD mission systems. This role sets standards, defines roadmaps, and governs designs that deliver secure, scalable, and resilient applications across classified and unclassified environments. The Architect partners with cybersecurity, infrastructure, data, and delivery teams to implement Zero Trust-aligned, cloud native, and automation driven solutions that accelerate ATO/cATO and improve mission outcomes.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership:
- Own the enterprise application architecture roadmap, standards, and reference patterns aligned to Agency strategy, DoD guidance, and portfolio priorities.
- Chair/participate in Architecture Review Boards (ARB) and Change/Configuration Control Boards, ensuring design consistency and traceability (ADRs, ICDs, SADs).
- Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies (cloud services, serverless, microservices, event driven patterns, service mesh, API management, low code) with clear adoption criteria and risk posture.
Architecture & Design:
- Lead end to end solution architecture for complex systems: domain decomposition, non-functional requirements (performance, availability, DR/RTO/RPO), and capacity planning.
- Design cloud native solutions for AWS GovCloud (US), Azure Government, and DoD IL environments (e.g., IL4/5/6), including hybrid patterns and edge constraints.
- Define API and integration architectures (REST/GraphQL, events/streams, ESB/iPaaS), data exchange models, and service contracts/ICDs.
- Specify container and orchestration platforms (Kubernetes/OpenShift), service mesh (e.g., Istio), and runtime controls (resource limits, pod security, network policies).
Security, Risk & Compliance
- Architect to DoD RMF, NIST SP 800 53/37, DISA STIGs, NIST SSDF (SP 800 218), and Zero Trust strategy; embed controls into pipelines (policy as code).
- Support ATO/cATO by producing security architecture artifacts, control inheritance mappings, and SBOM/supply chain attestations (SCA/SBOM generation, provenance).
- Ensure use of FIPS 140 3 validated crypto and CAC/PIV integration; align identity and access to Entra ID/Azure AD, Ping, Okta, SAML/OIDC.
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)
- Active DoD Secret Clearance
- 10+ years in application/solution architecture for large-scale DoD/Federal or critical enterprise systems.
- DoD 8140-compliant certification (e.g., Security+).
- Deep expertise with cloud native and microservices architectures; containers (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes/OpenShift), and service mesh.
- Strong background in enterprise databases (Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL), caching, messaging/streaming (Kafka, RabbitMQ), and API management (Kong, Apigee, Azure API Management).
- Hands on with DevSecOps tooling, IaC, pipeline compliance gates, and release automation.
- Familiarity with DevSecOps pipelines, container platforms (Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift), and automation tools.
- Demonstrated fluency with DoD cybersecurity frameworks (RMF, DISA STIGs), Zero Trust principles, identity federation, and cross domain considerations.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to brief senior government stakeholders.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Top Secret/SCI Clearance
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or equivalent combination of education and experience (4 additional years of relevant experience may substitute for a degree).
- TOGAF, AWS/Azure Solutions Architect, CISSP, or equivalent advanced certifications.
- CKA/CKAD/CKS; Red Hat OpenShift Administrator (EX280).
- CCSP, GIAC GCSA (Cloud Security Automation), GCPN, GDSA (as applicable).
- ITIL or project management certifications (PMP, CAPM).
- Prior experience supporting the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) or other DoD environments.
- Expertise in service-oriented architectures, microservices, and cross-domain application integration.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.
Northern Technologies Group is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.
Travel
10%
Shift
Normal office hours that align with the core hours of the customer
NOTE
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.
The salary range listed represents a good faith estimate and is provided in compliance with applicable pay transparency laws. The final compensation offered will be determined based on a variety of factors, including your skills, experience, qualifications, internal equity, and market conditions.
Salary Description
$155,000 to $195,000
group id: 10432548
