Data Architect

Arlington, VA

We deliver essential technology services to our customers in support of their missions to sustain the national security and economic interests of our nation. SecuriGence is seeking an experienced Data Architect to support the SAGE Team’s architecture and modernization efforts within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Information Technology Directorate (ITD) environment.

The SAGE Team provides architectural support for on premises and multi-cloud enterprises operating across Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure environments, including Impact Level 4 (IL4) and Impact Level 6 (IL6) as well as SAP workloads. The environment currently includes relational database platforms, Microsoft SQL Server, and AWS Relational Database Service (RDS).

The Data Architect will lead the development and execution of a modern data architecture strategy that improves scalability, resiliency, security, automation, interoperability, and operational efficiency for both structured and unstructured data assets across the DARPA environment. A central focus of the role is guiding the transition from infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS)-based database deployments to secure, containerized and platform-oriented data solutions where operationally appropriate while also rationalizing and organizing disparate data sources (including legacy databases, file shares, and ad hoc research data stores) into governed, cataloged, and analytically usable forms. Help us solve problems with Innovation Through Intelligence.

• Develop and maintain the target-state data architecture, roadmap, standards, and reference patterns for DARPA ITD multi-cloud environments.
• Assess existing relational database platforms, including Microsoft SQL Server and AWS RDS as well as other data stores such as shared file systems and ad hoc research repositories, and develop modernization recommendations for performance, availability, security, lifecycle management, and cost optimization.
• Design secure, scalable, highly available, and resilient data solutions supporting AWS, Azure, IL4, and IL6 environments.
• Lead architecture decisions related to database modernization, containerized database platforms, managed database services, data replication, backup and recovery, disaster recovery, and cross-environment data integration including patterns for integrating data from legacy file shares and heterogeneous research data sources into enterprise data platforms.
• Define architectural patterns for transitioning appropriate database workloads from traditional IaaS deployments to container-based solutions, including Kubernetes-based platforms.
• Establish data architecture standards for database provisioning, configuration management, schema management, data lifecycle management, encryption, auditing, logging, monitoring, and operational support.
• Partners with cloud architects, cybersecurity personnel, infrastructure engineers, application teams, DevSecOps engineers, and program stakeholders to align data solutions with enterprise architecture and mission requirements.
• Ensure data platform designs support applicable DoW cybersecurity, risk-management, security-control, identity, access-control, logging, and continuous-monitoring requirements.
• Develop Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, and repeatable deployment patterns for database and data-platform services.
• Evaluate commercial cloud-native, open-source, and government-approved data technologies; prepare technical recommendations, trade studies, decision papers, and implementation plans.
• Support architecture reviews, technical design reviews, modernization of working groups, and senior-leader briefings.
• Develop technical documentation, including data models, logical and physical data architectures, interface specifications, operating procedures, reference architectures, and migration plans.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and administrators supporting database and data-platform operations.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Engineering, Data Management, or a related technical field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in data architecture, database engineering, database administration, cloud architecture, or related technical roles.
• 5+ years of experience designing, implementing, and supporting enterprise relational database solutions.
  • Demonstrated experience with AWS RDS and AWS-native database services.
  • Experience designing and supporting cloud-based data solutions in AWS and/or Microsoft Azure.
  • Experience with database modernization initiatives, including migration from legacy or IaaS-hosted databases to managed, cloud-native, or containerized platforms.
  • Experience with container technologies and orchestration platforms, such as Docker, Kubernetes, Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), OpenShift, or equivalent platforms.
  • Experience implementing DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code, and configuration-management practices in enterprise environments.
  • Experience consolidating and modernizing fragmented organizational data (e.g., legacy databases, file shares, document repositories, research data sets) into governed, cataloged, and analytically ready platforms (such as data warehouses, data lakes, or lake houses).
• Security certifications such as Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), CISSP, CCSP, or equivalent
• DoD Top Secret clearance with ability to obtain SCI

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DARPA, DoW, Intelligence Community, or other federal national-security environments.
• Experience supporting IL4, IL5, IL6, classified, or similarly controlled cloud environments.
• Experience with Azure SQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Amazon Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, or other modern data platforms.
• Experience implementing database platforms on Kubernetes using operators, Helm, GitOps, service meshes, and policy-as-code.
• Experience with Zero Trust Architecture, identity and access management, privileged access management, encryption key management, and security logging for enterprise data platforms.
• Experience with RMF processes, security-control implementation, authorization packages, vulnerability remediation, and continuous monitoring.
• Experience with data cataloging, metadata management, data governance, and enterprise data strategy.
• Experience conducting technology evaluations, migration assessments, cost analyses, and technical trade studies.
• Experience building databases leveraging AI, LLM and RAG solutions.
• The successful candidate is a technically credible architect who can balance modernization objectives with mission continuity, cybersecurity requirements, operational risk, and maintainability. The candidate should be comfortable working across engineering, cybersecurity, operations, and leadership teams; translating complex technical issues into clear decisions; and driving practical modernization in a sensitive, high-availability mission environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated expertise with Microsoft SQL Server, including high availability, backup and recovery, performance tuning, security, replication, and lifecycle management.
• Knowledge of data architecture principles, including logical and physical data modeling, metadata management, data governance, data integration, data quality, retention, and lifecycle management.
• Knowledge of high availability, disaster recovery, backup, restoration, replication, encryption, database auditing, and performance monitoring.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Ability to produce clear technical documentation, architecture diagrams, migration roadmaps, and decision-ready recommendations.
• Advanced knowledge of multi-cloud data architecture, with demonstrated skill in designing and implementing secure, scalable, and resilient data solutions across AWS and Azure, including for IL4 and IL6 environments.
• Expertise in database modernization strategies, including the ability to lead migrations from IaaS-hosted databases (e.g., SQL Server) to managed cloud-native services (e.g., AWS RDS) and containerized platforms like Kubernetes.
• Proven ability to develop and implement data governance frameworks, covering data modeling, metadata management, data quality, and lifecycle management to consolidate and organize disparate data sources into analytically usable forms.
• Skill in applying DevSecOps principles to data platforms, including the use of Infrastructure as Code (IaC), CI/CD pipelines, and automation to manage and deploy database services securely and efficiently.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to create clear technical documentation, present complex architectural decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and mentor engineering teams

How you’ll grow  

At Chenega MIOS, our professional development plan focuses on helping our team members at every level of their careers to identify and use their strengths to do their best work every day. From entry-level employees to senior leaders, we believe there’s always room to learn.  

We offer opportunities to help sharpen skills in addition to hands-on experience in the global, fast-changing business world. From on-the-job learning experiences to formal development programs, our professionals have a variety of opportunities to continue to grow throughout their careers.  

Benefits  

At Chenega MIOS, we know that great people make a great organization. We value our team members and offer them a broad range of benefits.  

Learn more about what working at Chenega MIOS can mean for you.