Engagement Lead Architect

Job Description

Job DescriptionProject Overview

Project Type: Secure software and platform implementation program
Security Context: Environment requiring support for FIPS 140-3 and alignment to NIST SP 800-171 / 800-172 expectations
Project Duration: Estimated 12-month engagement from kickoff through final delivery, validation, training, and closeout.

Technology Stack: Frontend --- Next.js, Backend --- Python and Java

Position Summary

We are seeking an Engagement Lead / Architect to lead delivery of a secure software and platform implementation from project initiation through closeout. This role combines client-facing program leadership, solution architecture, technical oversight, planning, risk management, and final acceptance accountability. The ideal candidate can align business goals, engineering execution, compliance expectations, and delivery governance while guiding a cross-functional team across architecture, development, testing, deployment readiness, and operational transition.


Key Responsibilities

· Lead end-to-end project delivery across discovery, design, build, validation, deployment readiness, training, and closeout.

· Own overall solution architecture and technical direction across application, platform, integration, security, and operational domains.

· Serve as the primary client-facing lead for planning, status reporting, milestone reviews, issue resolution, and executive communication.

· Translate business and operational requirements into phased delivery plans, technical workstreams, and team priorities.

· Establish project governance, delivery cadence, milestone acceptance criteria, and decision-making forums.

· Lead architecture reviews and technical decisions affecting scalability, resilience, access control, observability, and auditability.

· Coordinate engineering, QA, DevSecOps, security, and documentation functions to ensure aligned delivery.

· Identify project risks, mitigations, assumptions, and constraints and manage them throughout the engagement.

· Review major technical deliverables including architecture documents, implementation plans, runbooks, and validation evidence.

· Drive final project closeout, lessons learned, stakeholder acceptance, and transition readiness.


Required Qualifications

· Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.

· 8+ years of experience leading enterprise software or platform implementation projects.

· 5+ years of experience in solution architecture, technical program delivery, or enterprise systems design.

· Experience leading cross-functional teams across architecture, development, QA, security, and infrastructure.

· Working knowledge of FIPS 140-3 implications for system architecture and cryptographic component selection.

· Familiarity with NIST SP 800-171 security requirement families and protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

· Ability to lead architecture and delivery decisions that support traceability, auditability, least privilege, segmentation, and secure operational readiness.

· Strong client-facing communication, facilitation, and executive presentation skills.


Preferred Qualifications

· Experience supporting systems aligned to NIST SP 800-172 enhanced security requirements for higher-risk environments.

· Experience coordinating compliance-oriented documentation, control narratives, and implementation evidence.

· Experience with Kubernetes, DevSecOps, secure storage, encryption-adjacent controls, and enterprise integration patterns.

· PMP, Scrum, SAFe, TOGAF, or similar certification.


Success Profile

· Executive presence and technical credibility.

· Strong ownership mentality.

· Excellent judgment under ambiguity.

· Able to balance strategy and delivery detail.