Program Systems Architect

Unissant, Inc. delivers innovative capabilities to the agencies that keep our nation healthy and safe. We apply our domain expertise, data acumen, and technology know-how to achieve breakthrough results for our clients. Working collaboratively, we advance missions and careers through a focus on honesty, integrity, and dependability. We continuously look for talent, excited to join that effort. To learn more about our exciting organization, please visit us at www.unissant.com.

We are seeking a Program Systems Architect to join our embedded team and support our federal customer.

Position Overview

The Program System Architect serves as the senior technical leader for existing and future programs, and is responsible for overseeing the overall technical vision, modernization roadmap, and enterprise architecture strategy. This position provides architectural governance and strategic technical oversight across applications, integration, cloud, data, and security domains to ensure programs remain aligned with CMS objectives, AWS modernization direction, and federal compliance requirements.

This role is intentionally scoped as a program-level architecture and governance function. It works alongside existing system and technical leaders including subcontractor technical leads, by setting technical direction, reviewing major architectural decisions, and ensuring integrated alignment across functional teams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Program System Architect is accountable for program-level architecture strategy, governance, and technical direction across the full lifecycle of the program(s) platform. The role focuses on alignment, future-state planning, and technical oversight.

Establish and maintain program-wide technical vision, architecture, and modernization roadmaps
Provide architectural governance across prime and subcontractor teams to ensure consistency with approved standards, technical principles, and CMS expectations
Review major technical designs, platform decisions, integration approaches, and modernization initiatives for alignment to enterprise architecture objectives
Research new tools for modernization and cost optimization
Serve as the senior technical point of coordination with CMS leadership, CMS technical teams, OIT, cloud stakeholders, and other program partners
Lead or support development of architecture artifacts, technical assessments, white papers, decision documents, and recommendations for CMS review
Guide long-range cloud and modernization strategy in AWS, including modularity, resiliency, scalability, automation, observability, and DevSecOps-aligned delivery practices
Support the evaluation of business Change Requests and propose new system Change Requests
Support release planning, and technical risk management by identifying system-wide impacts, dependencies, and future-state considerations
Promote technical alignment across program technical stakeholders
Ensure architecture direction supports CMS lifecycle expectations, security requirements, and applicable FISMA/NIST compliance obligations
Contribute to continuous improvement, transition planning, and technical knowledge transfer by maintaining clear architecture guidance and current documentation
Work Experience and Job Skills:

Required:

Minimum 12 years of experience in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, or senior technical leadership for large, complex IT programs
Demonstrated experience defining technical strategy and governing architecture across multi-vendor teams and mission-critical systems.
Strong knowledge of AWS-based architecture, cloud modernization, integration patterns, and DevSecOps practices
Experience supporting federal health, CMS, or similarly regulated government environments with formal architecture, change, and compliance processes
Strong experience in eliciting and understanding customer problems and driving solutions
Familiarity with FHIR, health information exchange patterns, and modern API gateway alternatives
Demonstrated experience working with ambiguous requirements
Preferred:

Prior experience supporting CMS, Medicare, healthcare interoperability, or related federal health platforms
Prior experience supporting various CMS centers such as CPI, CMMI, CCSQ, and OIT
Education:

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field is required
Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

Relevant certifications such as AWS Solutions Architect or similar enterprise architecture credentials are preferred
Communication Skills:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong communication skills with the ability to work with all levels of the organization on architecture decisions, risks, and recommendations.
Ability to convey technical information to non-technical individuals.
Demonstrated experience communicating effectively across internal and external organizations.
Travel:

This position is primarily remote with occasional on-site meetings in the Washington DC - Baltimore Area
Environmental Requirements:

Mainly sedentary; in an office environment.
May be required to lift up to ten pounds.
Flexible in working extended hours.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual or individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Unissant management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, where applicable and available, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this position.

Please note: Candidates will be required to go through pre-employment screening.

Unissant, Inc. is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE; M/F/Disability/Vets).