Lead architecture and engineering for a large-scale government platform modernization, defining target-state cloud-native services, APIs, and integration patterns while guiding Agile teams and vendors through iterative delivery.
Compensation
Not disclosed
Location
US - VA, McLean
Work setup
Not specified
Seniority
Lead
Employment
Contract
Experience
Not specified
Category
Architecture
Posted
Skills
agentic-ai
agile
ai
api
api-design
api-gateway
automation
aws
aws-bedrock
azure
cassandra
certified-scrummaster
ci-cd
cloud
cloud-native
cloudwatch
containerization
data-governance
data-modeling
design-patterns
devops
devsecops
distributed-systems
docker
domain-driven-design
dynamodb
ecs
eks
event-driven-architecture
eventbridge
iam
infrastructure-as-code
java
jwt
kubernetes
lambda
llm
master-data-management
microservices
mongodb
nosql
oauth
observability
openid
oracle
postgresql
prompt-engineering
python
rag
rdbms
saml
scrum
sns
solution-design
spring
sql
sql-server
sqs
stakeholder-management
test-automation
togaf
vector-databases
zero-trust
Must have
Must obtain/maintain Public Trust clearance
Bachelor’s degree
6–8 years in software engineering, solution architecture, or related technical leadership
Java, Spring Boot, microservices, API design, enterprise app patterns
Integration/interoperability with legacy Java/Python, cloud-native, vendor platforms
Hands-on technical leadership across Agile teams, vendors, stakeholders
AI-powered coding assistants/agents integration and mentorship
Full description
Job Family:
Software Development & Support
Travel Required:
Up to 10%
Clearance Required:
Ability to Obtain Public Trust
Job Description Summary
The Technical Lead / Solution Architect will provide technical leadership, solution architecture, and engineering direction for a large-scale agile software development and platform modernization program supporting the GrantSolutions contract. This role is responsible for defining and guiding the modernization approach, including target-state architecture, integration patterns, API-enabled services, shared platform capabilities, technical standards, legacy coexistence, and incremental transition planning. The Technical Lead / Solution Architect will work closely with Product Owners, Scrum Masters, engineering teams, enterprise architects, vendors, executive leadership, and Federal stakeholders to ensure modernization outcomes are scalable, secure, maintainable, interoperable, and aligned to program objectives.
What You Will Do:
We are seeking a strong Technical Lead / Solution Architect to guide solution design and technical execution for a large-scale GrantSolutions platform modernization effort. This role will shape the technical vision, lead architecture and engineering decisions, and coordinate implementation across multiple workstreams, vendors, and Scrum teams while supporting continuity of the legacy system throughout the transition.
The Technical Lead / Solution Architect will own technical solution alignment, architecture decisions, implementation guidance, interface coordination, modernization trade-off analysis, and engineering standards in an iterative modernization environment. This individual will guide delivery of a modern integration layer that enables new vendor-delivered capabilities to interface with legacy components as the modernized platform is built out over time. The role requires strong technical judgment and collaboration with Product Owners, Scrum Masters, project managers, enterprise architects, vendors, executive leadership, and Federal stakeholders to align delivery with platform architecture, governance standards, release readiness, security expectations, and long-term modernization objectives.
Lead solution architecture and technical direction for a large-scale platform modernization program delivered through iterative agile execution.
Define and communicate the target-state architecture, modernization roadmap, technical design principles, integration patterns, and transition approach from legacy capabilities to modular, API-enabled services.
Guide modernization workstreams across the application development lifecycle, including integration-layer delivery, legacy coexistence, data exchange, testing, deployment, security alignment, and operational readiness.
Technical Lead/Solution Architect at Guidehouse (US - VA, McLean) — aijobsearch
Make and document key architecture decisions that balance long-term platform sustainability with near-term delivery needs, operational constraints, compliance requirements, and business priorities.
Establish and enforce technical standards, design patterns, interface guidelines, reusable components, shared services, and engineering best practices across internal and vendor delivery teams.
Lead technical design reviews, architecture review sessions, dependency discussions, and trade-off analyses to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, interoperable, maintainable, and aligned with enterprise architecture guidance.
Coordinate vendor-delivered capabilities to ensure alignment with shared platform standards, interface contracts, integration patterns, data governance expectations, release readiness criteria, and modernization priorities.
Provide hands-on technical guidance to development teams on APIs, data exchange patterns, shared services, workflow automation, system interoperability, cloud-aligned design, DevSecOps practices, and incremental migration strategies.
Identify, analyze, and drive resolution of technical risks related to legacy coexistence, system-of-record decisions, duplicate processing paths, data synchronization, performance, security, testing scope, and operational transition planning.
Serve as a trusted technical advisor to Federal stakeholders, program leadership, vendors, architects, and delivery teams to support coordinated modernization outcomes and long-term platform success.
What You Will Need:
Must be able to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN a Federal or DoD "PUBLIC TRUST"; candidates must obtain approved adjudication of their PUBLIC TRUST prior to onboarding with Guidehouse. Candidates with an ACTIVE PUBLIC TRUST or SUITABILITY are preferred.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of SIX (6) to EIGHT (8) years of experience in software engineering, solution architecture, systems integration, platform modernization, cloud-enabled application delivery, or related technical leadership roles.
Experience designing, delivering, and modernizing enterprise applications using Java, Spring Boot, microservices architecture, API design, and large-scale mission-critical application patterns.
Experience designing integration and interoperability architectures that connect legacy Java-based, Python-based, cloud-native, microservices-based, and vendor-delivered platforms using APIs, messaging, Enterprise Integration Patterns, and event-driven or asynchronous integration techniques.
Proven experience architecting and governing AWS-based cloud-native solutions leveraging services such as API Gateway, EventBridge, ECS/EKS, Lambda, SQS/SNS, DynamoDB, CloudWatch, and related integration capabilities.
Experience architecting containerized, scalable, resilient, and highly available distributed systems using Docker, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code, DevSecOps practices, observability, monitoring, logging, and operational support strategies.
Strong expertise in domain-driven design (DDD), including defining domain models, bounded contexts, service boundaries, software design patterns, and modular architecture for complex business systems.
Strong understanding of enterprise data architecture, system interoperability, data migration strategies, master data management, canonical data models, and relational database architectures, including Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, data modeling, performance tuning, and transaction management.
Experience designing scalable NoSQL data solutions using Amazon DynamoDB, MongoDB, Cassandra, or similar technologies, with a strong understanding of distributed data modeling patterns.
Deep understanding of enterprise security architecture, including OAuth2, OpenID Connect (OIDC), SAML, JWT, Zero Trust principles, modern identity and access management solutions, and alignment to enterprise security requirements.
Experience establishing and enforcing API standards, integration patterns, reference architectures, architecture decision records, interface specifications, non-functional requirements, and technical standards for security, scalability, resiliency, maintainability, and operational excellence.
Experience conducting architecture reviews, technology evaluations, solution assessments, modernization trade-off analyses, and technical risk analysis to support architecture governance, investment decisions, and release readiness.
Experience providing hands-on technical leadership, mentorship, architectural governance, and solution direction across multiple Agile teams, vendors, engineers, and stakeholder organizations.
Hands-on experience with AI-powered coding assistants and agents, including integrating AI coding agents into engineering workflows to improve developer productivity, code quality, and delivery velocity, while mentoring team members on responsible adoption, effective prompting, code review practices, and practical use of these tools within modern software delivery teams.
Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear architecture narratives, decision summaries, plans, risk summaries, trade-off recommendations, and stakeholder communications for executive leadership, business stakeholders, federal customers, and engineering teams.
Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills with a team-first mindset, solution-oriented approach, continuous improvement mindset, and ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, dynamic environments with minimal supervision.
Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to balance near-term delivery needs with long-term platform sustainability, compliance, maintainability, and program health.
What Would Be Nice To Have:
Experience leading platform modernization initiatives within enterprise or government environments.
Experience supporting federal or government IT programs involving legacy system modernization, shared services, interoperability, cloud adoption, data governance, or phased capability delivery.
Experience leading multi-vendor delivery within a common platform architecture, including alignment to shared standards, interface dependencies, release readiness, architecture governance, and technical decision forums.
Familiarity with API management, microservices, service-oriented architecture, event-driven design, containerization, cloud-native design patterns, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD pipelines, or automated testing practices.
Experience supporting projects with a focus on user experience, workflow simplification, operational continuity, adoption, and measurable business outcomes during modernization transitions.
Architecture, cloud, agile, or security certification preferred, such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional, AWS DevOps Engineer – Professional, AWS Securirty Specialty, Azure Solutions Architect, TOGAF, SAFe, Certified ScrumMaster, or similar credentials.
Experience designing AI-enabled applications using Amazon Bedrock or equivalent LLM platforms, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), AI agents, vector databases, prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, and responsible AI controls. Experience operating as a Forward Deployed Engineer partnering directly with mission users to rapidly prototype and operationalize AI-enabled capabilities.
What We Offer:
Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.
Benefits include:
Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
Parental Leave
401(k) Retirement Plan
Group Term Life and Travel Assistance
Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
Health Savings Account, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Transit and Parking Commuter Benefits
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development, Certifications & Learning Opportunities
Employee Referral Program
Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
Care.com annual membership
Employee Assistance Program
Supplemental Benefits via Corestream (Critical Care, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Assistance and ID theft protection, etc.)
Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
About Guidehouse
Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer–Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.
Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@guidehouse.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.
All communication regarding recruitment for a Guidehouse position will be sent from Guidehouse email domains including @guidehouse.com or guidehouse@myworkday.com. Correspondence received by an applicant from any other domain should be considered unauthorized and will not be honored by Guidehouse. Note that Guidehouse will never charge a fee or require a money transfer at any stage of the recruitment process and does not collect fees from educational institutions for participation in a recruitment event. Never provide your banking information to a third party purporting to need that information to proceed in the hiring process.
If any person or organization demands money related to a job opportunity with Guidehouse, please report the matter to Guidehouse’s Ethics Hotline. If you want to check the validity of correspondence you have received, please contact recruiting@guidehouse.com. Guidehouse is not responsible for losses incurred (monetary or otherwise) from an applicant’s dealings with unauthorized third parties.
Guidehouse does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Guidehouse and Guidehouse will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.