The Aerospace Corporation

Data Architect

The Aerospace Corporation$155K — $233K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field (or equivalent work experience).
  • 7+ years of experience in data engineering, architecture, or operations.
  • Experience designing enterprise data architectures in complex organizations.
  • Strong knowledge in data modeling, integration, and governance.
  • Experience with modern data platforms (cloud data warehouses, data lakes, etc.).
  • Ability to produce architecture artifacts and technical standards.
  • Strong problem-solving skills with a strategic mindset.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain enterprise data architecture frameworks and standards.
  • Define target-state data architectures supporting various analytics and applications.
  • Assess current-state data environments and develop modernization roadmaps.
  • Design architecture for structured and unstructured data across diverse environments.
  • Support integration across legacy systems and business applications.
  • Ensure architecture decisions comply with governance and security requirements.
  • Facilitate architecture reviews and produce detailed architecture artifacts.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health care and wellness plans.
  • Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation.
  • Flexible work schedules, including telework options.
  • 401(k) Plan with company-paid benefits and matching contributions.
  • Professional growth and development programs.
  • Relocation assistance.
  • An inclusive work environment built on teamwork and respect.
Full Job Description

The Digital Innovation Division (DID) is accountable for generating and executing integrated strategies, providing governance, and managing internal investments that form the foundation of Aerospace’s digital transformation.

The Digital Innovation Division is seeking an experiencedData Architect to design, govern, and modernize enterprise data capabilities across a complex technical environment. This role willbe responsible fordeveloping scalable data architectures, improving data interoperability, enabling trusted analytics, and supporting the organization’s broader digital transformation goals.

Youwill work across mission, business, engineering, cybersecurity, and IT stakeholders to ensure that data is treated as a strategic asset. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical depth, practical implementation experience, and the ability to translate enterprise needs into durable data architecture patterns, standards, and solutions.

Work Model: 100% onsite; Chantilly, Colorado Springs, El Segundo.

WhatYou’llBe Doing

  • Develop andmaintainenterprise data architecture frameworks, reference architectures, design patterns, and standards.

  • Define target-state data architectures that support analytics, AI/ML, digital engineering, mission applications, and enterprise reporting.

  • Assess current-state data environments,identifygaps, and develop practical roadmaps for modernization.

  • Designarchitecturesfor structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data across cloud, on-premises, hybrid, andclassified networks

  • Design conceptual, logical, and physical data models for enterprise and mission systems.

  • Support integration across legacy systems, data platforms, software factories, analytics environments, and business applications.

  • Ensure architecture decisions align with governance, security, compliance, privacy, and mission requirements.

  • Advise on data platform capabilities, including data lakes, warehouses,lakehouses, catalogs, pipelines, streaming platforms, knowledge graphs, and API layers.

  • Architect data foundations that enable reliable AI/ML development, model training, retrieval-augmented generation, advanced analytics, and operational decision support.

  • Translate technical architecture concepts into clear guidance for executives, program leaders, engineers, analysts, and data owners.

  • Facilitate architecture reviews, working groups, and design sessions.

  • Produce clear architecture artifacts, including diagrams, roadmaps, standards, decision records, and implementation guidance.

What You Need to be Successful

MinimumRequirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Computer Engineering, SW Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).

  • 7+ years of experience in data engineering, data architecture, or data operations

  • Significant experiencedesigning enterprise data architectures in complex organizations.

  • Strong knowledge of data modeling, data integration, metadata management, data quality, and data governance.

  • Experience with modern data platforms such as cloud data warehouses, data lakes,lakehouses, relational databases, NoSQL stores, or distributed processing platforms.

  • Experience designing APIs, data pipelines, data exchange patterns, or integration architectures.

  • Working knowledge of security, access control, compliance, and data protection principles.

  • Demonstrated ability to produce architecture artifacts, technical standards, and implementation roadmaps.

  • Strong problem-solving skills, with a strategic mindset and the ability to design and evolve enterprise-scale data ecosystems.

  • Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proventrack recordof fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing across diverse teams.

  • Demonstrated ability for innovation, creativeness, resourcefulness, and initiative.

  • Position requires ability to obtain andmaintaina security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship isrequiredto obtain a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if youhaveone or more of these:

  • Advanced degree in STEM or other technical discipline.

  • 10+ years of increasingly responsible professional experience in data engineering, data architecture, or data operations, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role.

  • Certifications in cloud (AWS, Azure), DevOps, or security (CISSP, CISA).

  • Direct mission experience in the national space domain, missile defense, and/or remote sensing.

  • Experience with tools such as Databricks, Snowflake, PostgreSQL, Neo4j, Kafka, Airflow,dbt, Collibra, Alation, Informatica, or similar platforms.

  • Experience with AI/ML data preparation, feature stores, vector databases, knowledge graphs, or retrieval-augmented generation architectures.

  • Experience supporting classified, cross-domain, or multi-network environments.

  • Familiarity withDevSecOps,DataOps,GitOps, CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, and automated data quality testing.

  • Experience with enterprise architecture frameworks, architecture review boards, or technical governance bodies.

  • Current DoD TS and SSBI/SCI Clearance

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

$155,900.00 - $233,900.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

  • Operate Strategically
  • Lead Change
  • Engage with Impact
  • Foster Innovation
  • Deliver Results

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:

  • Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

  • Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

  • Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

  • 401(k) Plan 6 Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

  • Flexible spending accounts

  • Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

  • Relocation assistance

  • Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

  • Education assistance programs

  • An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each otherthe belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

About The Aerospace Corporation

The Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) headquartered in El Segundo, California. The corporation provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers. Aerospace also designs and develops spacecraft, sensors, and other systems in support of national security, civil, and commercial customers. The corporation has more than 4,000 employees and operates a number of laboratories and test facilities across the United States.
Learn more about The Aerospace Corporation
Size
4,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1960

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