Ignite IT logo

Solution & Systems Integration Architect SME

Ignite IT

Washington, DC, USFull-timePosted Aug 17, 2026

Job description

We are seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Solution & Systems Integration Architect to join our team supporting a large-scale federal modernization program. This role owns end-to-end solution architecture across complex, interdependent systems, translating mission and business requirements into secure, scalable, supportable technical designs, and carrying those designs through review, implementation, and operational transition.

This is a hands-on architecture role. You'll be expected to produce real architecture views and decision artifacts, not just set direction from a distance. This is a hybrid role based out of Washington, DC. Candidates must be U.S. citizens.

Key Responsibilities

  1. Solution Architecture & Design Translate mission and business requirements into secure, scalable, supportable architectures and technical baselines. Develop and review context, logical, physical, component, interface, deployment, integration, and transition views at the level required for decisions and implementation. Apply approved patterns, common services, reference architectures, and reusable design approaches.
  2. Design Reviews & Trade Studies Lead or participate in architecture compliance reviews, technical design reviews, and implementation-readiness reviews. Conduct trade studies and analyze alternatives involving cloud adoption, modernization, technical debt, rationalization, interoperability, resilience, and cost.
  3. Risk Identification Identify interface, dependency, performance, security, data, platform, network, and operational risks early in the design process. Flag lifecycle risks and dependencies before they affect delivery.
  4. Cross-Domain Coordination Coordinate engineers and specialists across platform, network, security, data, mobility, and ITSM teams to align architecture with delivery. Resolve cross-vendor and cross-organizational design conflicts under fixed milestones.
  5. Compliance & Rationalization Ensure designs align with enterprise architecture standards, governance, and compliance requirements. Support application rationalization and legacy modernization efforts.
  6. Transition & Documentation Support problem resolution during testing, deployment, transition, operations, and post-implementation stabilization. Maintain architecture decisions, deviations, assumptions, dependencies, diagrams, and interface records in approved repositories. Produce clear diagrams and decision artifacts, and explain tradeoffs to engineers, program managers, and executive stakeholders.

Requirements

12+ years of IT experience, including at least 5 years designing or governing complex enterprise solutions. Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline or equivalent relevant experience. Demonstrated architecture experience across at least three of the following domains: application, integration, data, cloud/platform, network, cybersecurity, endpoint/mobility, identity, ITSM, or operations.

Experience with interfaces/APIs, dependencies, nonfunctional requirements, security and operational constraints, technical reviews, and implementation readiness. Ability to create clear diagrams and decision artifacts and explain tradeoffs to engineers, program managers, and executives. U.S. Citizenship Required.

Nice to Have

Direct federal, government, or large-scale system-of-systems modernization experience. Experience with Sparx Enterprise Architect, Prolaborate, ArchiMate, UML, SysML, BPMN, or equivalent modeling tools/notations. Cloud, integration, architecture, or systems-engineering certifications. Experience with shared services, platform engineering, event/API integration, application rationalization, legacy modernization, and zero-trust-aligned designs.

Experience resolving cross-vendor or cross-organizational design conflicts under fixed milestones.

Benefits

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Flexible spending account Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Referral program Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance

More jobs at Ignite IT

See all openings at Ignite IT

More jobs in Washington

See all jobs in Washington