OverviewTISTA is seeking a Solution System Architect to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Supply Chain Management DevSecOps program. This role will partner with VA stakeholders and Agile delivery teams to translate business needs into clear, actionable requirements supporting supply chain and logistics solutions.
The Solution System Architect / Engineer is the hands-on product architect for TISTA's prime contract performance on the Department of Veterans Affairs Supply Chain Management DevSecOps (SCMDSO) task order supporting VA's supply chain and logistics Product Line. Where the Enterprise/Solution System Architect sets the enterprise architecture, Architectural Runway, and integration standards, the Solution System Architect / Engineer applies them product by product. This position owns the product-specific architecture artifacts for assigned products, including As-Is and To-Be Architecture Models, DoDAF and UAF diagrams, Solution Architecture Packages, Solution-Level Roadmaps, Product-Specific Data Models, and Interface Control Documents, and works directly with product owners, Scrum Teams, and platform engineers to make sure what is designed is what gets built.
Responsibilities
- Conduct product discovery with stakeholders to translate operational needs into comprehensive As-Is and To-Be architecture models using standard frameworks like DoDAF and UAF.
- Develop detailed Solution Architecture Packages, multi-year product roadmaps, and standardized data models that align with the broader enterprise vision.
- Guide Agile delivery by defining solution-level epics with clear acceptance criteria, supporting early UI/technical prototypes, and identifying future technical challenges.
- Design system integrations and contract-first API specifications, strictly enforcing the enterprise rule to use a centralized integration platform rather than point-to-point connections.
- Manage interface approvals and documentation (ICDs) while partnering with security teams to establish Interconnection Security Agreements (ISAs) and SLAs.
- Document current and future infrastructure, networking, and cloud requirements to support cloud migrations, disaster recovery planning, and timely environment setups.
- Ensure all architectures comply with strict VA standards (e.g., TRM, Section 508, IPv6, ICAM/PIV) and supply the necessary diagrams to support security authorizations (ATO).
- Support overall program governance by contributing to the SAFe Architectural Runway, participating in quarterly PI Planning, and maintaining artifacts in a centralized repository.
- Drive business growth and corporate innovation by contributing to proposals, building reusable architecture templates, identifying AI-assisted workflow opportunities, and supporting quality audits.
Qualifications
- 8+ years in IT with at least 4 years serving as a solution or systems architect on federal IT programs.
- 3+ years of hands-on experience developing DoDAF/UAF architecture models, data flow diagrams, and complete Solution Architecture Packages.
- Extensive experience designing complex system integrations using REST/JSON APIs, HL7, FHIR, and event-driven messaging, including authoring Interface Control Documents.
- Proven ability to architect diverse technical environments spanning legacy systems (e.g., VistA/MUMPS), custom applications, SaaS platforms (ServiceNow, Nuvolo), and containerized cloud workloads.
- Strong background in Agile/SAFe frameworks, including contributing to the Architectural Runway, decomposing epics to features, and participating in PI Planning.
- Expertise in security and cloud architecture, including Zero Trust principles, ICAM/PIV integration, and supporting cloud migrations, disaster recovery, and ATO boundary documentation.
- Deep familiarity with VA OIT governance, including the Technical Reference Model (TRM), VIP Guide, PLM Transformation Playbook, and VA Enterprise Architecture.
- Highly preferred domain experience with VA supply chain and logistics products (e.g., IFCAP, Maximo), Oracle Health EHR integrations, and GS1/UDI master data standards.
- Strong core competencies in technical judgment, problem-solving, and communication, with a proven ability to lead customer-facing design reviews and manage cross-team dependencies.
Certifications:
- Certified SAFe Architect (ARCH), or SAFe Agilist (SA) with ARCH.
- Red Hat Certified Engineer in Cloud-Native Applications, or Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift.
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Systems Engineering, or related field.
- Master's degree preferred.
Clearance:
- Tier 2 / Moderate Risk Background Investigation; ability to obtain a VA PIV credential.
Location:
- Rockville, MD / Remote (CONUS).
- Travel: Up to 10%.
Pay Range:
- The suggested pay for this position ranges from $171,000 to $183,000.
- The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
- Also, certain positions are eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as bonuses.
- TISTA associates are eligible to participate in our comprehensive benefits plan! More information can be found here: https://tistatech.com/working-at-tista/