Chief Architect – Defense Systems & Digital Engineering

EXPANSIA; Dayton (OH); Remote; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

EXPANSIA is seeking a Chief Architect to lead technical vision across Air Force programs, guiding systems engineering, software delivery, and cloud platforms. The role focuses on architecture governance, modernization, and secure, reusable digital infrastructure across mission systems and enterprise services.

You will balance cost, schedule, cybersecurity, and interoperability while aligning teams, communicating complex decisions to leadership and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Experience leading architecture for Air Force programs.
• Strong background in systems engineering and architecture governance.
• Proven ability to translate operator needs into executable system architectures.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the technical vision, reference architecture, architectural principles, and modernization roadmap for assigned Air Force programs
• Translate operational mission needs, capability objectives, and program priorities into coherent system-of-systems architectures and executable technical strategies
• Lead architecture development across mission systems, enterprise services, software applications, cloud environments, networks, cybersecurity, data, interfaces, and digital engineering toolchains
• Apply disciplined systems engineering throughout the lifecycle, including requirements development, functional analysis, architecture definition, interface management, integration, verification, validation, deployment, and sustainment
• Establish and govern technical baselines, architecture decision records, engineering standards, interface specifications, and reusable design patterns
• Promote model-based systems engineering and authoritative sources of truth that connect requirements, architecture, design, analysis, test evidence, and configuration data
• Guide the adoption and integration of digital engineering capabilities, including collaborative models, digital threads, digital twins, simulation environments, and automated engineering workflows

Skills

Systems engineering

Architecture vision

Cloud platforms

Model-based systems engineering

Digital engineering

Job description

EXPANSIA is seeking a Chief Architect to lead technical vision across Air Force programs, guiding systems engineering, software delivery, and cloud platforms. The role focuses on architecture governance, modernization, and secure, reusable digital infrastructure across mission systems and enterprise services.

You will balance cost, schedule, cybersecurity, and interoperability while aligning teams, communicating complex decisions to leadership and stakeholders.