Enterprise Architect

Overview

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 Platform Operations.

Responsibilities

The Enterprise Architect/Chief of Platform Operations is responsible for the performance, reliability, and continuous delivery of the KM Platform across all environments and classifications. As the leader of the largest and most critical division within the platform organization, this role directs all operational activities that enable mission systems to run securely, reliably, and at scale.

Reporting to the Platform Program Manager, the Chief of Platform Operations leads a multi-disciplinary organization spanning cloud engineering, Kubernetes, DevSecOps, and Site Reliability Engineering across IL4/IL5, IL6, Secret, and future environments. This role ensures the platform operates as a cohesive, high-performing system where uptime, responsiveness, and user experience are never compromised.

The Chief of Platform Operations is both a visionary and an operator, driving proactive improvements to platform performance, scalability, and efficiency while maintaining the ability to lead decisively through high-pressure operational events. This role sets the standard for operational excellence, ensuring the platform remains trusted, resilient, and mission-ready at all times.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Platform Operations division, overseeing all personnel, branches, and environment-aligned teams responsible for platform delivery and performance
• Own platform-wide operational performance, including uptime, availability, latency, mean time to restore, pipeline reliability, and collaboration tool availability
• Establish and enforce operational standards, processes, and SLAs to ensure consistent, high-quality performance across all environments
• Direct 24/7 operational readiness and incident response, ensuring rapid, coordinated resolution of outages and mission-impacting issues
• Drive proactive platform improvements, including automation, scalability enhancements, workflow optimization, and adoption of new capabilities from Systems Engineering
• Ensure seamless onboarding and operational support for application teams, reducing friction and enabling rapid, reliable delivery to production
• Integrate cloud, Kubernetes, DevSecOps, and SRE practices into a unified operational model that supports continuous delivery and Day-2 excellence
• Partner with the Deputy and Technical Director to optimize technical architecture, tooling, and team performance while maintaining alignment with mission priorities
• Translate program priorities from the Platform PM into executable operational plans, ensuring alignment between strategy and execution
• Maintain accountability for platform observability, metrics, and reporting, providing clear, accurate, and timely insights to leadership and stakeholders
• Engage with Mission Capability Leads and external stakeholders to ensure platform performance, responsiveness, and user experience meet mission needs
• Continuously assess and improve team structure, workflows, and operational efficiency to scale with platform growth and complexity

Expected Outcomes

• The platform operates with consistently high availability and reliability, meeting or exceeding SLAs across all environments and services
• Incidents are rapidly detected, triaged, and resolved, with minimal mission impact and continuously improving response and recovery times
• Platform operations are proactive rather than reactive, with automation, monitoring, and process improvements preventing issues before they occur
• Application teams experience fast, frictionless onboarding and stable operational environments, enabling continuous delivery without disruption
• Operational workflows are streamlined, scalable, and efficient, reducing manual effort and increasing team productivity
• The platform maintains a unified, high-performing operational model across all classifications and environments, with no degradation in standards
• Metrics and reporting provide clear, actionable visibility into platform health, performance, and trends for leadership and stakeholders
• The operations team functions as a cohesive, mission-driven organization, aligned to priorities and executing with discipline and urgency
• The platform remains trusted, resilient, and desirable, delivering a high-quality user experience that drives adoption and mission success
• Operational capabilities continuously evolve to support increased scale, complexity, and mission demand without loss of performance

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Active Top Secret clearance
• Master's degree in relevant field of study from an accredited institution
• 12 years of relevant hands-on experience
• Proven experience leading large, multi‑disciplinary operations organizations (e.g., cloud engineering, SRE, DevSecOps, Kubernetes) responsible for high‑availability, mission‑critical platforms
• Demonstrated ability to manage and optimize platform‑wide operational performance, including availability, latency, incident response, MTTR, and pipeline reliability
• Hands‑on background establishing and enforcing operational standards, processes, SLAs, and 24/7 incident management practices across complex, multi‑classification environments
• Track record driving proactive operational improvements-such as automation, scalability enhancements, workflow optimization, and continuous delivery enablement
• Experience integrating cloud, Kubernetes, and DevSecOps/SRE practices into a cohesive operational model while engaging effectively with technical stakeholders and mission users