IT Architect; Remote

Overview

GovCIO seeks an IT Architect (Remote). This individual leads technical strategy and architectural design for software and data systems, supporting multiple stakeholders within the VA Health Services Portfolio. This position is 100% remote. Core

Hours:

Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm Eastern Time (ET).

• Establishes and maintains IT governance frameworks that align software engineering practices with VA enterprise standards.
• Leads Architectural Review Boards (ARB) to vet technical designs and ensure compliance with established organizational policies.
• Audits existing technical workflows to identify gaps in governance and proposes automated enforcement solutions.
• Designs end-to-end architectural solutions for complex software and data systems.
• Translates high-level business requirements into detailed technical specifications for engineering teams.
• Synthesizes complex technical challenges into executive-level briefings for management and non-technical stakeholders.
• Serves as the primary bridge between project leadership and deep-tier technical developers to ensure alignment.
• Leads the development of data models and software frameworks that align with VA enterprise standards.
• Collaborates with cybersecurity teams to ensure "Security by Design" across all architectural layers.
• Evaluates emerging technologies and provides proof-of-concept demonstrations for potential adoption.
• Drives technical roadmaps for software modernization and data migration efforts.
• Mentors senior developers and engineers on architectural best practices and design patterns.
• Oversees the integration of disparate data sources and middleware components across the portfolio.
• Conducts architectural reviews and approves technical design documents for major system components.
• Proactively identifies technical debt and proposes remediation strategies to leadership.
• Ensures scalability and performance optimization in cloud-native application designs.
• Facilitates technical workshops to resolve cross-functional engineering bottlenecks and design conflicts.
• Participates in the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) using Agile and Dev Sec Ops  methodologies.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of experience in software engineering and IT architecture (or commensurate experience).
• Deep expertise in IT governance frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ITIL) and their application within federal environments.
• Expertise in full-stack software development and enterprise data architecture principles.
• Proven ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and executive leadership.
• Significant experience with cloud-native architectures specifically within AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud environments.
• Hands-on experience with API management, microservices, and event-driven architecture.
• Demonstrated experience in a remote work environment managing deliverables across distributed teams.
• Strong understanding of SQL and No
  
  SQL databases, including enterprise data warehousing and ETL processes.
• Ability to lead technical discussions and drive consensus among diverse engineering groups and external vendors.
• Experience working within Agile/Scrum frameworks in a large-scale, high-visibility enterprise setting.
• Able to obtain Suitability/Public Trust Clearance.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with VA Veteran-Focused Integration Process (VIP) or other federal project management methodologies.
• Familiarity with health data standards such as HL7, FHIR, and VistA integration.
• Relevant professional certifications, such as CGEIT, AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional, or TOGAF.
• Experience migrating legacy monolithic systems to modern, containerized environments (Kubernetes/Docker).

Ability to obtain/maintain a suitability public trust VA clearance.

GovCIO is a team of transformers--people who are passionate about transforming government IT. Every day, we make a positive impact by delivering innovative IT services and solutions that improve how government agencies operate and serve our citizens.

But we can't do it alone. We need great people to help us do great things -…