Director, Cloud & Enterprise Architecture

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 16 years of experience in IT, with significant focus on enterprise and cloud architecture.
• Deep SME-level knowledge of enterprise IT architecture, hybrid cloud, cybersecurity, and systems integration.
• Demonstrated experience architecting and migrating solutions across two or more of the following platforms: AWS, GCP, Oracle Cloud.
• Demonstrated expertise in AWS Landing Zone / Control Tower architecture and enterprise-scale multi-account strategies.
• Hands-on experience with core AWS services: EC2, S3, VPC, IAM, Lambda, EKS, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, RDS, and networking constructs.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman, or equivalent.
• Expertise in IT compliance frameworks (NIST, FISMA, RMF, FedRAMP, customer/state security standards) and secure system design.
• Proficiency in cloud-native design patterns, microservices, containerization (Kubernetes, Docker), and DevSecOps practices.
• Experience supporting state or federal government IT programs, preferably within a managed services or large-scale IT contract environment.
• Proven ability to lead strategic IT architecture decisions at the program and enterprise level.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for both technical and executive audiences.
• Familiarity with state government IT governance and standards is highly desirable.

Clearance Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Ability to pass a state suitability/background investigation

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Active cloud certifications in one or more of the following:
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate or Professional
  • Google Professional Cloud Architect
  • Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional
• TOGAF 9 or 10 Certification
• Open Certified Architect (Open CA)
• Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)
• PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification
• ITIL v3 or v4 Foundation Certification
• Security+, CISSP, or equivalent cybersecurity certification
• Expertise in AI/ML and LLM deployment within secure or classified environments
• Experience with big data and analytics platforms
• Familiarity with container orchestration at scale in restricted environments
• Background in enterprise cost optimization delivering measurable savings
• Experience with cross-domain solutions and hybrid cloud networking
• Proficiency in Python for automation, scripting, and tooling development
• Track record of leading teams of 5+ engineers on complex cloud delivery programs
• Familiarity with FinOps principles and cloud cost management tools
• Prior experience supporting proposal development for large government IT contracts
• Ability to travel to customer and MSI supplier sites

Peraton is seeking a director-level Chief/Cloud Architect and Subject Matter Expert (SME) to provide strategic and hands‑on technical leadership for enterprise IT architecture, cloud modernization, and cybersecurity initiatives in support of state government customer.

This senior, director-level role combines deep cloud and enterprise architecture expertise with broad decision‑making authority, serving as the principal technical advisor to customer leadership and program executives. The successful candidate will lead architecture services, drive cloud adoption across multiple public cloud platforms, and deliver business solutions that enable the state government and its agencies to modernize, migrate, and optimize their IT environments — all within a multi-sourced service integration (MSI) environment.

This position will provide support in the following location(s): Richmond, VA (candidate must be able to commute to Richmond or be located in the area).

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal technical and strategic authority for enterprise IT architecture, cloud adoption, DevSecOps, cybersecurity, and system integration across the program.
• Lead enterprise architecture services ensuring alignment with customer standards, policies, compliance mandates (NIST, FISMA, customer policies), and strategic modernization objectives.
• Provide Business Solutions Management (BSM) to assess, plan, and execute application migrations to public cloud platforms, including:
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
  • Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
• Develop and maintain enterprise architecture artifacts including reference architectures, roadmaps, standards, and patterns to guide cloud adoption and modernization efforts program-wide.
• Oversee the development and implementation of innovative, secure, and cost-effective IT solutions, including hybrid cloud, networking, compute, and storage infrastructure.
• Evaluate existing on-premises and hybrid environments and develop migration strategies — including lift-and-shift, re-platforming, and re-architecting approaches.
• Provide technical direction and guidance across the program, influencing MSI suppliers, engineering teams, and operational staff.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to customer stakeholders and agencies, translating business requirements into scalable, secure, and cost-effective architecture solutions.
• Conduct technical assessments, risk analyses, and gap evaluations, delivering actionable recommendations to program leadership.
• Lead development of technical standards, architecture frameworks, and roadmaps to guide IT modernization and innovation.
• Respond to and resolve state customer service requests related to cloud and enterprise architecture, providing timely and actionable technical guidance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including security, networking, application development, and operations to ensure end-to-end solution integrity.
• Produce executive‑level briefings, white papers, and solution recommendations for stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Identify opportunities to reduce technical debt, optimize operations, consolidate systems/tools, and drive cost efficiency across the enterprise IT portfolio.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies, tools, and best practices to advance the enterprise IT environment.
• Act as the authoritative liaison between program, MSI suppliers, and Peraton leadership for all architectural and technical matters.
• Support proposal development activities, including technical volumes, solution narratives, staffing plans, and architecture diagrams.

Position is part of a proposal opportunity