Senior AWS Cloud Systems Architect
Position Overview
IgniteAction is seeking a senior AWS-certified Systems Architect to lead the design and governance of complex, multi-team modernization initiatives involving legacy application refactoring, cloud-native transformation, and system-of-systems integration.
This is not a traditional infrastructure architect role. The position requires architectural leadership across interconnected applications, data pipelines, integration layers, and shared services. The Architect will guide legacy-to-cloud transformations, apply structured migration sequencing (7 Rs framework), and embed DevSecOps and automated validation into the architecture from inception.
The Architect serves as the technical authority responsible for defining scalable, secure, and compliant target-state architectures across multiple delivery teams.
Key Responsibilities:
1. System-of-Systems Architecture Leadership
- Lead end-to-end architecture across interdependent systems and workflows.
- Define target-state architectures across presentation, application, data, and integration layers.
- Ensure integration consistency across upstream and downstream systems in data-intensive environments.
- Produce and maintain architecture artifacts including:
- Logical, physical, data, and deployment views
- Interface Control Documents (ICDs)
- Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
- Conduct architecture reviews and provide authoritative technical guidance to engineering teams.
- Define and enforce architecture standards and reusable design patterns across multiple teams.
2. Legacy Modernization & Refactoring Strategy
- Define architectural approach for refactoring legacy statistical and data-intensive systems.
- Establish modular design patterns that preserve:
- Weighting logic
- Variance estimation
- Margin of Error (MOE) calculations
- Statistical reproducibility
- Design architectures that improve maintainability, scalability, observability, and performance.
- Establish parallel validation and regression testing frameworks to ensure equivalence between legacy and modernized systems.
- Provide architectural leadership for refactor, replatform, and migration initiatives.
3. 7 Rs Migration Framework Governance
- Apply and govern the 7 Rs migration framework (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Relocate, Retain, Retire).
- Classify systems based on complexity, risk, dependency centrality, and operational constraints.
- Define phased migration waves aligned to production cycles and environment onboarding timelines.
- Prevent hybrid cloud/on-premises thrashing through disciplined sequencing and guardrails.
- Develop portfolio-level migration plans and modernization roadmaps.
4. Cloud-Native AWS Architecture
- Architect AWS-based solutions leveraging services such as:
- Lambda, Step Functions
- ECS / EKS / Fargate (when justified)
- Glue, Aurora/PostgreSQL, S3, Batch
- CloudWatch, IAM, KMS, Secrets Manager
- Design highly available, fault-tolerant, and secure architectures.
- Define Infrastructure-as-Code standards for repeatable, auditable deployments.
- Establish secure-by-design patterns aligned with Zero Trust, NIST RMF, and FedRAMP-style controls.
- Apply cloud security architecture principles (IAM, encryption, network security, logging, compliance).
- Identify and resolve system-level architectural, integration, and performance issues.
5. DevSecOps & Automated Validation Architecture
- Define CI/CD architecture standards across delivery teams.
- Integrate automated regression testing and statistical validation into pipelines.
- Guide containerization and serverless implementation patterns based on workload characteristics.
- Establish logging, monitoring, and observability standards.
- Ensure DevSecOps processes are embedded and consistently implemented.
6. MVP / Prototype Architecture Leadership
- Define architecture for initial modernization MVP.
- Select representative modernization slices for proof-of-concept validation.
- Ensure prototype artifacts are reusable and scalable across subsequent phases.
- Validate performance, scalability, and statistical equivalency prior to broader rollout.
7. Governance & Compliance Alignment
- Support architecture reviews and governance boards.
- Prepare required architecture artifacts for approvals.
- Support ATO readiness and continuous monitoring.
- Ensure compliance with Information Usage Security (IUS), Section 508, and enterprise standards.
- Align architecture with both Agile and structured delivery models.
Requirements
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting federal government modernization programs.
- Experience with statistical, analytical, or high-volume data processing systems.
- Experience operating in regulated or governance-heavy environments.
- Experience designing hybrid and multi-cloud architecture.
- Experience leading architecture across multiple concurrent workstreams.
Core Competencies
- Systems-level thinking across interdependent architectures.
- Ability to evaluate tradeoffs and document decisions clearly.
- Strong problem-solving and architectural judgment.
- Ability to mentor engineers and enforce architectural consistency.
- Ability to balance innovation with operational stability.
Work Location
Hybrid role with required onsite presence in Suitland, Maryland 2–5 days per week.
Benefits
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance