Application Architect

Job Title: Application Architect
Location: Bethesda, MD

Type: Contract To Hire 
Compensation: 170- 190K
Contractor Work Model: Hybrid (2 to 3 days on site in Bethesda MD)

The Senior Application Architect is responsible for developing and evolving application-layer architecture following the Agile Software Development Life Cycle. This role shapes the technical direction of the business applications by defining application design, domain models, REST API strategy, integration patterns, and code-level standards to ensure systems are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with business strategy.

This position is not an infrastructure or cloud platform architect role. While the Senior Application Architect partners closely with cloud, operations, data, and cybersecurity teams, the primary accountability is for application architecture and application design decisions, including ownership of RESTful services and application integration strategy from concept through implementation and long-term evolution.

The Senior Application Architect works closely with engineering teams, product owners, operations, and security to design and guide the implementation of modern, reliable, and well-integrated application solutions.

Responsibilities:
• Own the end-to-end application architecture for key business systems, including domain modeling, application decomposition, service boundaries, and integration patterns.
• Define and own API strategy, including RESTful API design standards, documentation, versioning, lifecycle management, and governance.
• Design and govern REST APIs and service contracts that enable reuse, scalability, and consistent integration across internal applications and external partners.
• Strong hands-on experience in .NET, C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server, REST APIs, domain modeling, and database schema design for enterprise applications.
• Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to translate strategic objectives and functional needs into application architecture, REST API designs, and implementation approaches.
• Develop and maintain technical and business feature roadmaps in consultation with stakeholders; identify risks, track progress, and communicate status updates to project sponsors.
• Lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure, and resilient enterprise application architectures, with a focus on maintainability, extensibility, and performance.
• Define and enforce application architecture standards, design patterns, and coding guidelines to ensure consistency and interoperability across development teams.
• Design and document software architectures using diagrams and models that guide development and support long-term system sustainability.
• Review application and API implementations to ensure adherence to architectural intent, clean code principles, and design patterns.
• Lead application modernization and refactoring efforts, including decomposition of legacy systems into modular or service-aligned architectures.
• Evaluate emerging technologies—including AI, ML, and application integration frameworks—through proofs of concept and pilot implementations, focusing on application-level feasibility and business value.
• Architect, prototype, and build hands-on components of AI-enabled application capabilities, such as generative AI.
• Partner with data engineering teams to design application-aligned data access patterns, pipelines, and governance supporting analytics and machine learning initiatives.
• Engage directly in complex solution development when needed, contributing application code, prototypes, and architectural exemplars.
• Integrate security, privacy, and compliance requirements into application and API design in alignment with governance standards.
• Engineer applications and APIs for reliability, scalability, and performance by proactively identifying and resolving architectural bottlenecks.
• Mentor developers and other architects, fostering a culture of hands-on learning, strong design discipline, and technical excellence.
• Lead vendor and product evaluations from an application and API architecture perspective, assessing extensibility, integration capability, and alignment with application roadmap.

Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field; advanced degree preferred
• Typically requires 10+ years of experience in software design and development, including at least 5 years of architecting enterprise-level applications
• Demonstrated experience designing and evolving application architecture, rather than primarily infrastructure, cloud, or data architecture
• Proven experience defining and implementing RESTful API strategies, including API design, versioning, documentation, security, and governance
• Experience making architectural decisions across application layers, including UI, backend services, REST APIs, and data access
• Skilled in database modeling, relationship design, and writing queries and stored procedures in support of application needs
• Working knowledge of cloud platforms and DevOps practices as they relate to application deployment and runtime concerns; this role does not own cloud infrastructure architecture
• Experience working in Agile delivery environments, collaborating across teams to deliver iterative, high-quality application solutions
• Strong understanding of application security and enterprise architecture, supported by hands-on leadership in large-scale application and API design
• Experience collaborating with data engineering teams to support application-driven analytics and data initiatives
• Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead through influence and adapt to evolving priorities
• Enterprise Architecture certification preferred
• Insurance or risk management industry experience a plus


System One, and its subsidiaries including Joulé, 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.

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Ref: #850-Rockville (ALTA IT)