Chief Engineering Lead

Chief Engineering Lead
Location: Washington, D.C. Area (On-Site)
Clearance: Active or ability to obtain Public Trust Clearance (ship Required)
Job Description: GridIron IT is seeking a Chief Engineering Lead local to Washington, DC.
In this role you will 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.

Qualifications: 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.

Clearance: Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $130,000-$160,000 (Compensation is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, skills, education, certifications, seniority, and business needs. This range may be modified in the future.)
Benefits: Gridiron offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision insurance, HSA, FSA, 401(k), disability & ADD insurance, life and pet insurance to eligible employees. Full-time and part-time employees working at least 30 hours per week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in Gridiron s benefits programs.
Gridiron IT Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status or disability status. Gridiron IT is a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area that supports our clients' missions throughout the United States. Gridiron IT specializes in providing comprehensive IT services tailored to meet the needs of federal agencies. Our capabilities include IT Infrastructure & Cloud Services, Cyber Security, Software Integration & Development, Data Solution & AI, and Enterprise Applications. These capabilities are backed by Gridiron IT's experienced workforce and our commitment to ensuring we meet and exceed our clients' expectations.