Lead Application Architect / DTAM / (Hybrid) [Contingent]

Title: Lead Application Architect

Location: Remote / Hybrid (On site-visits to the DMV location as required by contract)

iWorks Corporation, founded in 2005, is a leading provider of information technology and professional services to the federal government. We are a recognized leader in personnel security and vetting solutions, Agile, DevOps, DevSecOps, data analytics, and cloud solutions. Our continuous process improvement approach, combined with our business and technology expertise, results in innovative solutions.

We offer exceptional comprehensive benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability); 401(k); Health and Wellness Benefits; and Paid Sick Time, Vacation Time, and Holiday Time. Employees are eligible for bonuses throughout the year as part of our incentive program for innovation and business development. All employees are also considered for an annual raise, commensurate with performance and company commitment.

About this position: 

The Lead Application Architect technical and management leadership across major program tasks supporting the U.S. Census Bureau's Decennial Transformation and Application Modernization (DTAM) initiative. This role serves as the primary technical owner for application architecture standards, software delivery patterns, CI/CD architecture, and modernization strategies across DTAM.

The position will define architectural direction for mission-critical applications, establish scalable application design patterns, guide cloud-native modernization efforts, and ensure development teams implement secure, reliable, and maintainable solutions aligned with federal technology standards.

*This position is contingent upon contract award.

Salary Range: $145K – $180K - commensurate with the candidate's skills, experience, location, and qualifications.

On a day-to-day basis, you will:

1. Serve as the primary technical authority for enterprise application architecture, modernization strategies, and application engineering standards.


2. Define application architecture principles, patterns, and best practices supporting scalable, secure, and cloud-enabled solutions.


3. Lead application modernization efforts including migration from legacy platforms to modern architectures, microservices-based solutions, and cloud-native application patterns.


4. Establish and govern DevSecOps architecture practices including:
   
   
   
   1. CI/CD pipeline architecture
   
   
   2. GitLab strategy and repository standards
   
   
   3. Branching and merge strategies
   
   
   4. Automated deployment patterns
   
   
   5. Application release processes
   
   
   
   


5. Define application delivery standards utilizing modern software engineering practices and automation frameworks.


6. Provide architectural guidance for:
   
   
   
   1. Microservices architectures
   
   
   2. API-based integrations
   
   
   3. Enterprise application frameworks
   
   
   4. Containerized applications
   
   
   5. Cloud application deployments
   
   
   
   


7. Partner with Lead Application Developers to ensure implementation aligns with approved architecture standards and engineering practices.


8. Provide technical oversight for application development activities including design, coding practices, integration, testing, deployment, and operational readiness.


9. Ensure application solutions align with security, performance, scalability, reliability, and maintainability requirements.


10. Support integration across application, data, infrastructure, and cybersecurity domains.


11. Collaborate with the Lead Security Engineer to ensure secure software development practices, including:
    
    
    
    1. Secure coding standards
    
    
    2. SAST/DAST integration
    
    
    3. Dependency scanning
    
    
    4. Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) requirements
    
    
    5. RMF and FedRAMP-aligned development practices
    
    
    
    


12. Collaborate with the Lead Systems Engineer on application deployment automation, container orchestration, and production operational readiness.


13. Support Agile delivery practices, technical planning, architecture reviews, and sprint-level technical decision-making.


14. Develop and maintain architecture documentation, technical standards, design artifacts, and engineering guidelines.


15. Present technical strategies, architecture decisions, and modernization approaches to government stakeholders and senior leadership.

Required Education/Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related technical field.


• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, application architecture, enterprise systems design, or related disciplines.


• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise application modernization initiatives.


• Experience defining architecture standards and technical direction for large-scale application environments.


• Experience supporting federal, enterprise, or mission-critical technology programs.


• Experience working with senior technical leaders, government stakeholders, and cross-functional engineering teams.

Required Experience:

• Leading enterprise application architecture and modernization efforts.


• Designing and implementing scalable software architectures.


• Defining application development standards, patterns, and engineering practices.


• Supporting DevSecOps transformations and CI/CD adoption.


• Designing or overseeing microservices, API-driven, and cloud-native applications.


• Working with software development teams to implement architecture standards.


• Supporting transition of applications from development environments into production operations.


• Providing technical leadership across application development, integration, and deployment activities.


• Creating architecture documentation, technical roadmaps, and engineering standards.

Required Skills:

• Enterprise application architecture


• Software architecture and design patterns


• Application modernization strategies


• Microservices and API architecture


• DevSecOps architecture and CI/CD practices


• GitLab SCM and pipeline architecture


• Cloud-native application development


• Containerized application architectures


• Docker and Kubernetes concepts


• Infrastructure-as-Code integration concepts


• Java and Python application environments


• Agile software delivery methodologies


• Technical leadership and architecture governance


• Strong documentation and presentation skills


• Ability to translate mission requirements into scalable technical solutions

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications:
  
  
  
  • Certified Solutions Architect (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Professional)
  
  
  • Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
  
  
  • DevOps or DevSecOps certifications
  
  
  
  


• Experience supporting federal statistical, census, or large-scale public sector data programs


• Background in cloud modernization initiatives at enterprise scale


• Experience with Agile delivery frameworks and DevSecOps transformations


• Prior experience supporting mission-critical government systems with high availability and scalability requirements

Please Note: We maintain an on-camera policy for all virtual company meetings to foster engagement and collaboration. Reasonable exceptions may be granted with prior approval from Human Resources and/or the applicable manager or client.

FLSA & EMPLOYMENT STATUS: FLSA EXEMPT AND FULL-TIME POSITION

iWorks Corporation is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran status, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristic.

iWorks is committed to maintaining a safe and productive work environment for all employees and ensuring the security and well-being of our clients. As part of our standard hiring process, we may conduct background checks and drug screenings on potential candidates to assess their suitability for employment.