Chief Architect

Overview

REI Systems’ mission is to deliver reliable, innovative technology solutions that advance Federal clients' missions and exceed their expectations. Our technologists and consultants are passionate about solving complex challenges that impact millions of lives. We take a Mindful Modernization® approach in delivering our services, including application modernization, grants management, case management systems, government data analytics, and advisory services. This approach, the REI Way, ensures mission impact by aligning our clients' strategic objectives with measurable outcomes through people, processes, and technology. We offer the same commitment to our employees by providing professional development, meaningful projects, and flexibility to spend time with family and friends. We believe employees are at their best when fulfilled in both their professional careers and their personal lives. Learn more at Employees voted REI Systems a Washington Post Top Workplace in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025!

Responsibilities

Position Overview:

Looking for your next challenge? Enjoy solving complex business problems with today’s latest technologies? REI Systems (REI) is looking for innovative Entreprise Solutions Architect to craft compelling and compliant cloud-based solutions for REI's clients. Working with REI’s FDA Account Management and REI’s Leadership, successful candidates will support REI's growth strategy, application modernization endeavors, while ensuring solution excellence for our customers. The position enables REI to provide best-in-class thought-leadership and support to our Accounts. It also contributes toward REI's long-term strategy to organically acquire and retain customers and talent while expanding and deepening our portfolio of offerings.

REI Systems is seeking a highly experienced Chief Architect to provide overall technical leadership and architectural direction for large, complex federal programs and enterprise modernization initiatives.

The Chief Architect will own the overarching technical vision, ensure consistency across architecture domains, guide major technology decisions, and serve as a senior technical advisor to government and REI leadership. This role requires broad technical depth, executive-level communication skills, and demonstrated experience leading architecture across large-scale, mission-critical environments.

Responsibilities:

• Establish and communicate the overall technical vision, architecture strategy, and engineering direction for complex enterprise programs.
• Serve as the senior architecture authority across application, cloud, data, integration, infrastructure, security, DevSecOps, and AI domains.
• Lead and coordinate Enterprise Architects, Solution Architects, Cloud Architects, Data Architects, Security Architects, and technical leads.
• Define target-state architectures, modernization roadmaps, enterprise standards, reference architectures, and architectural principles.
• Ensure architectural consistency and interoperability across systems, products, platforms, and program workstreams.
• Chair or provide leadership to architecture review boards and technical governance forums.
• Evaluate and approve major architectural decisions, technology selections, integration approaches, and modernization strategies.
• Partner with program leadership to balance technical excellence with cost, schedule, performance, security, and mission priorities.
• Provide executive-level technical guidance to government stakeholders and senior REI leadership.
• Drive adoption of cloud-native technologies, APIs, microservices, DevSecOps, automation, modern data platforms, and reusable enterprise services.
• Establish an enterprise approach for AI and Generative AI adoption, including architecture, governance, security, responsible AI, and integration standards.
• Identify opportunities for AI-enabled modernization, intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and mission-focused innovation.
• Ensure technical solutions meet federal security, privacy, accessibility, compliance, scalability, performance, and availability requirements.
• Lead resolution of complex cross-program architectural and engineering challenges.
• Evaluate technology trends and determine their applicability to customer missions and REI strategy.
• Provide technical leadership for strategic proposals, solution development, oral presentations, technical volumes, and capture efforts.
• Build architecture capability across the organization by developing reusable patterns, technical accelerators, standards, and talent.
• Mentor senior architects and engineering leaders and promote strong engineering and architecture practices.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in enterprise technology, software engineering, systems engineering, or architecture.
• 10+ years of architecture leadership experience supporting large-scale enterprise systems.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a Chief Architect, Lead Architect, Enterprise Architect, or equivalent technical leader.
• Deep understanding of cloud computing, distributed systems, application architecture, data architecture, APIs, integration, cybersecurity, and DevSecOps.
• Experience leading modernization of large, complex, mission-critical technology environments.
• Strong understanding of AWS and/or Microsoft Azure.
• Experience establishing architectural governance, standards, and technology roadmaps.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence large multidisciplinary technical organizations.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage technical teams, program leadership, executives, and government stakeholders.

Educational Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Operations Management, or related field. 

Clearance: Eligible to obtain a public trust clearance.

Location: Hybrid (2 days per week or as needed in the REI Sterling Office)

EEO Statement: REI Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In our workplace, we seek, we welcome, and respect diversity in all of its forms.

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