Cloud Architect

Overview About the Company VTG is a mission-focused defense contractor delivering modernization solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense and national security community. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, VTG provides advanced capabilities across C5ISR, naval engineering, cyber, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation. With a legacy of innovation and a commitment to service, VTG supports warfighters across all domains, land, sea, air, space, and cyber. About the Opportunity Join our team as we modernize a multimillion-dollar government data platform and transition it to a secure, scalable, and financially sustainable cost-sharing environment. As the Cloud Architect, you will define the multi-cloud target architecture, establish reusable technical standards, and guide implementation across widely used cloud providers, such as AWS and Azure. You will shape cloud governance, security, resiliency, automation, and FinOps capabilities while partnering with engineering, cybersecurity, and program teams to deliver an enterprise platform that meets mission, compliance, and cost objectives. What will you do? Reporting to the PMO's Project Lead, you will: Enterprise Cloud Architecture: Define and maintain the target-state architecture for a secure, scalable, multi-tenant platform spanning AWS and Azure Architecture Standards and Roadmap: Establish reference architectures, design patterns, technology standards, and a phased modernization roadmap aligned with mission and business priorities Security and Compliance: Embed Zero Trust principles and required controls into the architecture; ensure alignment with NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, RMF, STIGs, SCAP, and ATO requirements Resiliency and Performance: Design for high availability, disaster recovery, observability, scalability, and performance across classified and unclassified environments Cloud Governance and FinOps: Develop governance guardrails, tagging standards, account and subscription structures, and Technology Business Management practices that improve cost allocation, forecasting, and tenant-level billing transparency Platform and DevSecOps Enablement: Guide the design of secure, automated delivery capabilities that support consistent and repeatable platform delivery Architecture Review and Integration: Lead technical design reviews, evaluate tradeoffs, manage architectural risks, and ensure interoperability among cloud services, microservices, data platforms, identity, networking, and cybersecurity capabilities Stakeholder Leadership and Documentation: Translate complex technical decisions for government and program stakeholders; maintain architecture diagrams, decision records, standards, roadmaps, and engineering guidance; mentor delivery teams on cloud best practices Do you have what it takes? Required qualifications: U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain a Secret clearance Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience Substantial experience in cloud architecture, engineering, or a related technical discipline Demonstrated ability to design secure, scalable, and resilient enterprise cloud solutions Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure, security, networking, automation, performance, and cost management principles Experience developing architecture documentation, technical standards, and modernization roadmaps Familiarity with cloud-native platforms, automated delivery practices, and modern application architectures Working knowledge of government cybersecurity, compliance, and authorization requirements Strong analytical, problem-solving, written, and verbal communication skills Ability to present technical recommendations and tradeoffs to technical and non-technical stakeholders Preferred qualifications: Relevant cloud, architecture, cybersecurity, or technical certification Experience supporting multi-cloud or complex enterprise environments Experience with cloud governance, financial management, and resource optimization practices Experience with modern platform engineering, automation, and cloud-native delivery approaches Experience designing or modernizing enterprise applications, data platforms, or shared services Experience supporting government, defense, or other regulated environments Active security clearance and current industry-recognized security certification Desired qualifications: Strategic and Systems-Oriented: Connects mission objectives, business constraints, security requirements, and technical capabilities into coherent solutions Pragmatic Decision-Maker: Evaluates tradeoffs, reduces complexity, and recommends solutions that balance speed, risk, performance, and cost Collaborative Technical Leader: Builds alignment among infrastructure, application, data, cybersecurity, and program stakeholders without relying on direct authority Clear Communicator: Explains architecture decisions, risks, and recommendations to both engineering teams and senior leaders Disciplined and Proactive: Maintains high-quality documentation, anticipates architectural risks, and drives issues to resolution in an agile delivery environment VTG