Microsoft

Senior Solution Architect - CTJ - TS/SCI

Microsoft • $101K — $193K *
Springfield, VA 22153In-Person
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's or Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, or related field with significant experience in architecture and technology solutions.
  • 4+ years experience in technology solutions, practice development, or consulting, with a focus on security aspects.
  • Proven track record in architecture design and deployment within multi-hybrid cloud environments.
  • Experience with DevSecOps methodologies and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
  • Strong understanding of secure networking protocols and practices.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with teams to define and document architecture, including requirements, constraints, and project approach.
  • Drive project/technical governance and oversee the implementation of solutions, ensuring adherence to cybersecurity principles.
  • Identify and communicate business and technical risks, while establishing risk mitigation strategies for the project.
  • Mentor junior team members in technical concepts and practices, enhancing team knowledge and capabilities.
  • Engage with government and internal stakeholders to validate mission-critical capabilities and ensure compliance with security regulations.

Benefits

  • Opportunity for professional growth and career advancement in a leading tech company.
  • Access to cutting-edge technology and participation in innovative projects.
  • Participation in external community events for networking and knowledge sharing.
  • Comprehensive training and mentorship programs to enhance skills and expertise.
  • Flexible work arrangements and a commitment to work-life balance.
Full Job Description
Overview

As a Solution Architect, you will provide technical leadership across multi-hybrid cloud environments with a strong focus on DevSecOps, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), secure networking, and automation. You will work closely with government and internal stakeholders to design, deploy, integrate, and validate mission-critical capabilities while ensuring security, compliance, and operational excellence.

Gathers and propagates customer/partner insights from a broad range of stakeholders. Works with customer/partner stakeholders and business sponsor to socialize both the business solution and the project approach to determine if changes are needed to the business solution. Defines and documents the architecture to communicate the value proposition of the business solution along with the project approach. Collaborates with the Project Manager to jointly drive project/technical governance of the design, build, and deployment into use of proof of concepts and pilots. Works with the business sponsor and customer/partner stakeholders to gather and ratify requirements and constraints. Collaborates with others to understand the business solution/problem. Identifies scenarios that could slow or impede pre-sales/delivery. Works in close collaboration with others to identify, categorize, and communicate business and technical risks. Generates new and/or improvements to existing intellectual property (IP). Develops a network of relationships to build influence in addressing problems/blockers. Uses evidence-based arguments that articulate complex concepts in a simple manner to respectfully challenge Microsoft and partners when a decision will not produce optimal results. Understands competitor solutions and identifies how customer business value can be driven through Microsoft's offerings. Acts a mentor to junior colleagues to educate them.

Responsibilities

Architecture Design and Deployment

  • Collaborates with the Account Team and/or Bid Team to understand the business solution/problem. Drives agreement, based on the customer's priorities, requirements/constraints, approach, principles, concepts, and expectations. Builds and documents a realistically costed Solution Approach with traceability of requirements, constraints, decisions, and tradeoffs that balances risk, technical credibility, and technical innovation to meet customer need, predominantly based on existing solution offerings and/or reference architecture. Creates clarity around responsibility and accountability for the cybersecurity of the solution. Follows SFI principles. Jointly leads the implementation in close partnership with the Project Manager, working with IDCL. Exercises oversight and governance and establishes quality practices and standards to realize the business solution. Uses a cohesive build methodology with an agreed release schedule and timeline so the solution can be transitioned to live operations. Ensures communication of and adherence to the pre-sales value proposition. Works with the Project Manager to highlight where assumptions have proven false. Uses change requests to modify the solution/project approach when needed. As needed, collaborates with Subject Matter Experts to receive specialized advice that can help define the solution and project approach and increase the time to value for the customer.
  • Leverages a structured SFI approach to architecture projects using existing methodologies (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, Iterative) that make use of existing reference architecture and established architectural styles and design patterns. Builds and maintains an architecture description document, an architecture decisions log, and a requirements/constraints traceability matrix to ensure the rationale for the business solution's Architecture is known and understood.
  • Collaborates with the Project Manager to jointly drive project/technical governance of the design, build, and deployment into use of proof of concepts (POCs) and pilots. Works with customers to understand and demonstrate business value (e.g., release of revenue, cost savings) that the business solution realizes.
  • Works in close collaboration with the Project Manager and Account Team to identify, categorize, and communicate business and technical risks (including security). Defines risk mitigation activities that are foundational to the project plan. Defines risk contingency plans for invocation should the risk occur. When appropriate, oversees a broad portfolio of accounts. Manages and ensures the all-up delivery of consulting engagements, as necessary. Maintains the risk log.
  • Defines and documents the SFI architecture through an architecture description document, an architecture decisions log, and a requirements/risk/constraints traceability matrix to communicate the value proposition of the business solution along with the project approach. Leads cost-based and technology-based discussions to explain the architecture in terms of its build, deployment, and ongoing operational use to determine customer appetite for the business solution. Uses a business-value approach that values return on investment (ROI) and customer costs-savings over technical ease of execution.
  • Identifies scenarios that could slow or impede pre-sales/delivery. Orchestrates the broader Microsoft team to address and record technical blockers and works with account/project team to resolve non-technical issues. Reports significant problems to Microsoft management and escalates when needed. Includes Security practitioners in early stages to cover customers CISO and CRO concerns as well as security and data privacy regulation. Plans a way forward in complex and ambiguous situations with an innovative approach and durable design. Delegates and uses specialist skills of others to drive technical alignment across internal/external teams. Coordinates disparate approaches into a single plan of action.
  • Works with the business sponsor and customer/partner stakeholders (e.g., Business users, Enterprise Architects, Security Team, Operations Team) to gather and ratify requirements and constraints. Manages and resolves ambiguity in the requirements and constraints (including legislative and regulatory) and documents assumptions and implications where it cannot be resolved. Maintains the requirements/constraints traceability matrix to prove that solution components have a rationale/justification for inclusion in the Architecture of the business solution. Drives development and execution of Test Plans by SMEs to prove that each requirement/constraint has been implemented as expected by the customer, and includes security features and controls in test plans. Where there are defects or risks, works in close collaboration with the Project Manager and Customer to redress, mitigate or accept and document the status of the test results.


Practice Development

  • Understands competitor solutions and identifies how customer business value can be driven through Microsoft's offerings. Steers the customer/partner conversations to the benefits of the solution rather than the features and functionalities. Understands how Microsoft supports similar customers through automation/AI.


Thought Leadership

  • Shares ideas, insight, and strategic, technical input with technical teams, internal communities across the field, and the larger virtual team across Microsoft using a thorough knowledge of specific Microsoft products and their context in the competitive landscape.
  • Participates in external architect community events (e.g., conferences, seminars, technical meetups, Webcasts, blogs, hackathons) and shares learnings with internal team. Acts a mentor to less experienced colleagues to educate them on technical and non-technical concepts.


Trusted Advisor

  • Uses evidence-based arguments that articulate complex concepts in a simple manner to respectfully challenge Microsoft and customers/partners when a decision or course of action will not produce optimal results. Serves as the "technical conscience" to challenge the status quo and unrealistic expectations. Proactively resolves conflicts and seeks resolution to balance the overall outcome. Drives consensus where possible and leads decisions to resolve conflict when needed.
  • Develops a network of internal/external relationships to build influence in addressing problems/ blockers and facilitating additional views on the matter of interest. Stays up to date on Microsoft's technologies, products, and services in order to communicate Microsoft's mission, strategy, and capabilities.
  • Understands competitor solutions and identifies how customer business value can be driven through Microsoft's offerings. Steers the customer/partner conversations to the benefits of the solution rather than the features and functionalities.


Understanding Customer/Partner Technical Environment

  • Uses evidence-based approach to function as customer advocate and shares insights with Product Engineering teams and the business with a view to improving Microsoft technologies, products, services, and offerings such that they can better meet customer/partner needs.
  • Works with customer/partner stakeholders (e.g., Enterprise Architects, Security Team, Development Team, Operations Team) and business sponsor to socialize both the business solution and the project approach to determine if changes are needed to the business solution. Where the cost of change is accepted by the customer, shares this feedback with the project team and the broader account team to make the necessary adjustments using mechanisms such as updating the solution approach and projected costs in presales and change requests in delivery. Engages in risk discussions bringing in Security SMEs to create clarity around who is responsible for cyber security around proposed solutioning.
  • Gathers and propagates customer/partner insights from a broad range of stakeholders as well as the main business sponsor that will help shape and form both the definition and ongoing execution of the project. Learns to Identify and evaluate industry trends (customer industry verticals, information technology [IT] industry). Recognizes and considers Microsoft's frameworks (e.g., Secure Architecture Framework) and customer risk appetites.


Additional Job Responsibilities
  • Develop and implement promotion patterns for configuration and deployment changes, including deployment plans and schedules.
  • Create, operate, and sustain development, test, and integration environments to reduce mission risk and deployment errors.
  • Establish delivery timelines, completion metrics, and technical execution plans for managed services and automation.
  • Validate capability deployments and integrations through testing, demonstrations, and documented results including connectivity, ATO status, and workload validation.
  • Design mission enclave architectures including virtual networking, network security groups, and peering automation to integrate with base services.
  • Develop and maintain architecture artifacts and operational documentation such as diagrams and performance dashboards.
  • Utilize solution accelerators and automation to streamline deployment and sustainment of mission enclaves.
  • Integrate program solutions with existing IT modernization and change management processes.
  • Assist with secure architecture, implementation, and use of Azure platform services when requested.
  • Expand and refine DevSecOps capabilities to enhance security posture, operational maturity, and developer experience.
  • Design and implement additional environments based on program schedules and resource availability.
  • Review hybrid architectures across all sites, including transport, identity, security services, access patterns, and edge infrastructure placement.
  • Provide subject-matter expertise supporting ICAM services and Azure-based data platforms.
  • Participate in security reviews with Security Control Assessors (SCA), remediate findings, and resubmit artifacts for approval.
  • Define use cases and success criteria for independent, integrated, functional, performance, and security testing.
  • Deliver architecture artifacts enabling non-program user access to program-accredited networks.
  • Maintain and update ATO artifacts and appendices supporting split-access and enclave isolation requirements.
  • Develop system architecture documentation suitable for Authorizing Official (AO) review.
  • Provide comprehensive hybrid architecture documentation.
  • Maintain requirements and design documentation in shared repositories such as Confluence.
  • Deliver architecture diagrams clearly illustrating enclave isolation and boundary enforcement.
  • Produce and maintain feature-level technical documentation.


Qualifications

Required Qualifications
  • Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security) OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security) OR equivalent experience.


Other Requirements

Security Clearance Requirements: Candidates must be able to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:

  • The successful candi

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

Microsoft Careers

Join Microsoft today and be part of a company that values innovation, leadership, and diversity in its workforce. As a global leader in technology and digital transformation, Microsoft offers unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career to new heights.

Explore Career Opportunities at Microsoft

Whether you're a seasoned professional looking for your next challenge or a recent graduate eager to start your career, Microsoft has a position that suits your skills and ambitions. We are committed to fostering a culture of growth and learning, where every team member is supported in expanding their horizons.

Internship Programs

Kickstart your career with a Microsoft internship. Our internships provide invaluable workplace experience and networking opportunities in a supportive and dynamic environment. You'll work on real projects, learn from industry leaders, and gain the skills necessary for a successful career in technology.

Employment Benefits

Choosing a career at Microsoft means more than just a job. Our employees enjoy a range of benefits designed to empower them both professionally and personally. These include comprehensive health benefits, flexible working conditions, and opportunities for career advancement through professional development and diversity training.

Inclusive Culture and Diversity

At Microsoft, we believe that innovation comes from diversity of thought and inclusion. We are committed to a workplace where everyone feels valued and inspired. Our leadership is dedicated to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives lead to breakthrough innovations and a competitive edge.

Grow with Us

Career growth at Microsoft is about more than climbing the corporate ladder; it's about continuous learning, expanding your skills, and improving your capabilities. With access to various leadership and training programs, you can evolve as a professional and make a significant impact within the company and on the global stage.

Hiring Process

Our hiring process is designed to identify true potential. Starting with a review of your resume, followed by interviews that assess your problem-solving abilities and cultural fit, we ensure that all candidates have a fair chance to demonstrate their strengths and potential to contribute to our team.

Networking and Professional Development

Microsoft is a place where you can build a professional network that spans the globe. Our employees benefit from connections with top-tier professionals and industry leaders, which opens doors to innovative projects and collaborative opportunities that are second to none.

Join Our Team

If you're ready to take on exciting challenges and make a difference in the world of technology, explore the job opportunities at Microsoft. Search for open positions that match your skills and interests, and prepare to embark on a rewarding career path filled with innovation and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest at Microsoft Careers by subscribing to our job alert emails. Get tailored content that aligns with your career preferences and discover the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Microsoft.

SEARCH MICROSOFT JOBS

At Microsoft, your future is limitless. Join us in our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Your journey with Microsoft starts here.
Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ
MSFT
* Ladders Estimates

Similar Jobs

Ad banner background

Get Ready For Your
Next Interview

More Jobs at Microsoft

More Information Technology Jobs

Find similar Senior Solution Architect - CTJ - TS/SCI jobs:

NationwideSpringfield, VA