Systems Architect

REQUIRED: Active TS/SCI with Full Scope Polygraph LOCATION: Full-time onsite in the Washington Metro area

We are seeking a Systems Architect who can lead enterprise architecture in complex, mission-driven environments. In this role, you will shape and mature an EA practice from the ground up—defining capability models, value streams, operating models, and investment frameworks that guide enterprise-wide decision-making. You’ll drive technology strategy, portfolio management, lifecycle planning, and modernization efforts while ensuring alignment with architecture principles, standards, patterns, and reference architectures.

Who We Are:

We offer advanced services in data science, data engineering, software engineering, AI solutions, cybersecurity, staff augmentation, and IT program management.

Passionate Integrity, Driven by Excellence

Ardent Principles offers a competitive salary range and a comprehensive, industry-leading benefits package designed to support long-term stability and employee well-being. We provide more than a position—we offer a workplace committed to excellence, integrity, and mission-focused impact. Our mission is to act as a bridge between satisfied clients and fulfilled employees, ensuring that your job and well-being are our top priorities because your satisfaction leads to the success of our clients.

Join us as we continue building the future of secure, high-impact solutions.

In this challenging yet rewarding role, you are an integral part of what brings our Company's mission to life. You must have the following required skills, certifications and demonstrated experience in and/or with:

• Enterprise architecture leadership in a complex, federated, regulated, or mission-oriented IT enterprise.
• Establishing or maturing an EA practice, preferably from a low-maturity or start-up condition.
• Business architecture skills, including capability modeling, value streams, operating models, stakeholder outcomes, and investment framing.
• Technology strategy, portfolio management, lifecycle planning, technical-debt analysis, road mapping, and modernization.
• Developing according to architecture principles, standards, patterns, reference architectures, and exception processes.
• Executive-level writing and briefing.
• Executive-level facilitation, negotiation, and stakeholder-influence skills.
• Distinguishing strategic enterprise architecture from solution architecture, technical architecture, engineering execution, cybersecurity authority, and operational authority.

Other skills and demonstrated experiences that are highly desired but not mandatory to perform the work, include:

• Producing decision-useful current-state, target-state, and transition architectures across multiple technology domains.
• Working knowledge of relevant architecture frameworks and modeling methods, such as DoDAF (Department of War Architecture Framework), UAF (Unclassified Architecture Framework), capability-based planning, and minimal viable architecture.
• Understanding Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of War (DoW) governance, cybersecurity, acquisition, lifecycle, and operational considerations.
• Developing according to Sponsor architecture principles, standards, reference architectures, and exception processes.

Other Relevant Technologies/Tools

Experience:

• Identifying cross-domain dependencies, gaps, redundancies, constraints, risks, and considerations across infrastructure, applications, data, security, identity, cloud, and network.
• Evaluating relevant technologies and trends; identifying mission-aligned use cases; framing expected value, risk, dependencies, and adoption considerations.
• Working in partnership with the Chief Architect on further iterations of this roadmap.
• Providing actionable adoption, sustainment, migration, consolidation, and retirement recommendations for hardware and software.
• Assessing OCA maturity, stakeholder demand, current architecture activities, and capability gaps.
• Developing and maintaining a prioritized list of proposed architecture initiatives with associated costs, intake process, work plan, methods, templates, repository structure, and performance measures.

SCHEDULE:

This is a full-time position with consultants expected to be available and working onsite in the Washington Metro area during core hours.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Join us and be part of a team dedicated to driving positive change through technology. Apply now with our easy 3-minute, mobile-friendly initial application process. Your future starts here!