Deputy Chief Engineer

Job Title: Deputy Chief Engineer
Per Federal contract requirement U.S. Citizenship required
Location: Washington, D.C. Area (100% On-Site)
Must be able to pass federal background check
Clearance: Active or ability to obtain Public Trust Clearance
Type: Contract
Compensation: $83.92 - $95.00 hourly W2 ONLY

Position Overview:
We are seeking a Deputy Chief Engineer to provide hands-on technical leadership and oversight in support of a large-scale IT operations and modernization program for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This is a key on-site position responsible for driving engineering quality, systems integration, and the technical execution of services spanning infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, application platforms, and enterprise architecture.
This role is ideal for a senior-level engineer or architect who thrives in technically complex environments, can lead multidisciplinary teams, and understands how to balance innovation, stability, and compliance in a mission-critical federal setting.

Key Responsibilities:
Engineering Leadership & Technical Execution

• Serve as a senior technical authority across the program, providing direction and oversight for systems design, integration, and implementation activities.
• Ensure engineering approaches are aligned with the customer's enterprise architecture, security posture, and operational requirements.
• Lead technical planning and execution for modernization initiatives, including cloud adoption, DevSecOps integration, automation, and zero-trust architecture implementation.
• Collaborate with government engineers to define technical strategy, conduct architecture reviews, and support decision-making for new capabilities.
• Drive consistency and best practices across domains including networking, cloud, application development, cybersecurity, and endpoint services.

Cross-Functional Technical Coordination

• Coordinate with service leads and SMEs to ensure end-to-end solution integrity and technical coherence across services.
• Support the design and validation of new systems, tools, and platforms to be transitioned into operations.
• Lead or support system engineering life cycle (SELC) activities, including requirements development, design, testing, and deployment planning.
• Ensure timely delivery of technical deliverables, documentation, and engineering artifacts.

Engineering Governance & Risk Management

• Monitor and enforce adherence to technical standards, security controls, and compliance requirements (e.g., NIST, FISMA).
• Identify and manage technical risks, dependencies, and impacts across engineering efforts.
• Support root cause analysis of complex technical issues and provide resolution strategies.
• Contribute to configuration management, change control, and versioning processes for critical systems.
• Documentation & Technical Deliverables
• Oversee the preparation and quality of all engineering documentation, including:
  • Architecture diagrams, integration plans, and as-built documentation
  • SELC artifacts such as technical specifications, test plans, and implementation guides
  • Security documents: risk assessments, waivers, POA&Ms, and interconnection agreements
  • Concepts of operations (CONOPS), use cases, SOPs, and support models
• Ensure deliverables meet established technical standards and contractual quality expectations.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 7 years of hands-on technical experience in engineering leadership roles within complex IT environments.
• Demonstrated experience supporting federal or enterprise-level IT programs involving multiple technical disciplines (cloud, cyber, networking, app dev, etc.).
• Experience with IT modernization efforts including DevSecOps, infrastructure as code (IaC), automation, and cloud-native platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform).

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Deep understanding of enterprise systems engineering, integration, and technical delivery practices.
• Familiarity with government security and compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST RMF, FedRAMP, FISMA).
• Excellent analytical, architectural, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead and influence technical teams and collaborate across disciplines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience delivering technical briefings and documentation to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Additional Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
• On-site presence required in Washington, D.C.
• Minimal travel required (up to 10%).

Preferred Qualifications (Nice to Have):

• Master's degree in a technical field.
• Certifications such as AWS/Azure Architect, CISSP, ITIL, PMP, or SAFe.
• Experience with federal SELC or SDLC frameworks.
• Familiarity with ServiceNow, JIRA, Confluence, or other collaborative engineering platforms.

System One, and its subsidiaries including Joul, ALTA IT Services, and Mountain Ltd., are leaders in delivering outsourced services and workforce solutions across North America. We help clients get work done more efficiently and economically, without compromising quality. System One not only serves as a valued partner for our clients, but we offer eligible employees health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, voluntary plans, as well as participation in a 401(k) plan.

System One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

System One, and its subsidiaries including Joul, ALTA IT Services, TeamPeople, and Mountain Ltd., are leaders in delivering outsourced services and workforce solutions across North America. We help clients get work done more efficiently and economically, without compromising quality. System One not only serves as a valued partner for our clients, but we offer eligible employees health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, voluntary plans, as well as participation in a 401(k) plan.

System One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.