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AFS is seeking a Principal Cloud Architect to serve as the senior technical authority for our secure cloud platform organization. This role owns the architectural vision, technical strategy, and engineering direction that enables ~70 personnel across multiple mission areas to design, build, and deliver secure cloud capabilities for government customers operating in some of the most demanding environments in the world.
This is not a back-office architecture role. The Principal Architect operates at the intersection of deep technical expertise and mission-facing leadership - translating government requirements into actionable technical strategies, representing the program's technical posture to senior government stakeholders and mission partners, and driving the engineering culture that determines whether this organization delivers good work or exceptional work. You will be the technical voice in rooms where decisions shape multi-year program trajectories.
The ideal candidate combines hands-on cloud architecture depth with the executive presence, communication range, and strategic thinking to operate as a peer to the Program Manager in mission delivery. You understand that architecture is a leadership discipline-not just a technical one-and you are energized by building both systems and the people who build them.
What you'll do: - Technical Vision & Architecture Leadership: Shape and communicate cloud architecture strategy, lead the Architecture Review Board, maintain reference architectures, drive technology evaluation, and integrate MBSE with cloud delivery.
- Mission Partner & Stakeholder Engagement: Represent program architecture to government stakeholders, translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences, participate in reviews and briefings, build advisory relationships, and inform business development strategies.
- Engineering Culture & Talent Development: Provide technical leadership and mentorship, define growth paths, set engineering standards, and promote knowledge sharing.
- Delivery Operations & Mission Support: Align technical execution with program commitments, guide planning and release management, lead risk mitigation, and support incident response.
- Security, Compliance & Governance: Ensure compliance with government security standards, architect solutions for required impact levels, support audits and ATO processes, and drive Zero Trust adoption.
Here's what you need: - 7 years of progressive cloud engineering and architecture experience
- Prior experience as the primary technical authority or lead architect on programs of significant scale and complexity in classified or regulated environments
- Direct experience engaging leadership on technical strategy, architecture decisions, and/or capability roadmaps
- Hands-on experience designing and implementing secure cloud architectures on AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or equivalent classified cloud platforms
Bonus points if you have:- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related STEM field (Master's preferred)
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or equivalent advanced cloud platform certification
- CISSP, CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+), or equivalent IAT/IASAE Level III certification per DoD 8140
- Experience with SAFe, Scrum, or equivalent agile delivery frameworks
- SAFe certifications (SAFe Architect, SPC, SA) strongly preferred; multiple certifications valued
- Experience with MBSE tools and practices (Cameo Systems Modeler, IBM DOORS Next, Teamwork Cloud) integrated with DevSecOps delivery
- TOGAF certification or equivalent enterprise architecture framework experience
- Experience with earned value management (EVM) and program financial performance at the architecture level
- Background in multi-network or SAP-classified environment operations with cross-domain solution experience
- Experience supporting ATO processes, RMF packages, and direct engagement with Authorizing Officials
- Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA), Kubernetes certifications (CKA/CKAD), or CCSP
- Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority in matrixed organizations across contractor and government teams
- Experience scaling engineering organizations-building processes, standards, and culture that work at 50 people and still work at 150
Clearance:
Must have an active Top Secret clearance
As required by local law, Accenture Federal Services provides reasonable ranges of compensation for hired roles based on labor costs in the states of
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, and the city of Cleveland. The base pay range for this position in these locations is shown below. Compensation for roles at Accenture Federal Services varies depending on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Accenture Federal Services offers a wide variety of benefits. You can find more information on benefits here. We accept applications on an on-going basis and there is no fixed deadline to apply.
The pay range for the states of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, and the city of Cleveland is:
$100,200-$203,400 USD
What We Believe As a company wholly dedicated to serving the US federal government, we bring together the best talent to help reinvent how federal agencies operate and deliver greater value for their mission and the American people. We have an unwavering commitment to creating a culture in which all our people are respected, feel a sense of belonging, and have equal opportunity. As a business imperative, every person at Accenture Federal Services has the responsibility to create and sustain a culture where everyone feels welcomed and included. This is grounded in our core values and our experience that hiring and developing great people who reflect different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds is key to driving innovation and delivering the results that our clients and the country count on.
Equal Employment Opportunity StatementWe believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities. For details, view a copy of the Accenture Federal Services Equal Opportunity Policy Statement.
Accenture Federal Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Additionally, as an Affirmative Action Employer for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women.
Requesting An Accommodation Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture Federal Services and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired.
If youare being considered for employment opportunities with Accenture Federal Services and need an accommodation for a disability or religious observance during the interview process or for the job you are interviewing for, please speak with your recruiter.
Other Employment Statements Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.
Candidates who are currently employed by a client of Accenture Federal Services or an affiliated Accenture business may not be eligible for consideration.
Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process.
The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Additionally, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company's legal duty to furnish information.
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