Senior Systems Architect & Integration Engineer

Terms of Employment

• Full-Time, Permanent
• This position requires an Active TS/SCI.
• This position is onsite at Arlington, VA

Overview & Responsibilities

Join our client as a Senior Systems Architect & Integration Engineer supporting the Department of Defense (DoD) and Air Force at the heart of national security. In this long-term role, you won’t just maintain systems – you will bridge the gap between complex Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data and the warfighter. You will design, integrate, and secure the next generation of targeting and collection management solutions using modern DevSecOps and cloud-native architectures.

You will…

• Lead the high-level solution architecture for complex ISR and Targeting systems, ensuring they are scalable, resilient, and aligned with Air Force mission objectives.
• Design and implement robust, secure API-based integrations to connect disparate DoD data sources, ensuring seamless interoperability across the enterprise.
• Architect and manage diverse data environments, utilizing both RDBMS and Polyglot (NoSQL) database solutions to handle high-velocity mission data.
• Oversee the deployment and orchestration of containerized applications using Kubernetes, ensuring a secure and automated CI/CD pipeline from development to production.
• Proactively identify and remediate vulnerabilities using tools like Fortify; ensure all solutions meet rigorous DoD cybersecurity standards and Risk Management Framework (RMF) requirements.
• Apply Design Thinking and agile methodologies to lead technical workstreams, translate mission requirements into engineering specifications, and mentor junior staff.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI/ML (including Gemini and LLMs) to automate collection management and enhance decision-making for ISR analysts.

Required Qualifications

• Must have an active TS/SCI clearance.
• 10+ years of post-degree, paid professional engineering experience (excluding internships).
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Physics, or Chemistry.
• Expertise in Object-Oriented Design (OOD) and System Integration.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes and DevSecOps workflows.
• Deep knowledge of SQL and at least one NoSQL database platform (i.e. MongoDB Enterprise, Couchbase Server, MarkLogic, Apache Cassandra / DataStax, Apache HBase, ScyllaDB, Redis, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Neptune, Neo4j, Elasticsearch (ELK Stack), ArangoDB).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite for technical reporting and briefings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in the US Armed Forces (any rank/branch).
• Specific domain knowledge in ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), Targeting, or Collection Management.
• Familiarity with Cyber Scan tools like Fortify.