Chief Systems Engineer

IronArch Technology; Virginia, McLean (MN, VA); Remote; USD 160,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in Virginia seeks a Chief Systems Engineer to lead large-scale systems development and ensure alignment with customer mission objectives. The role requires expertise in SDLC frameworks, technical evaluation, and cloud architecture, particularly AWS. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in technical leadership and stakeholder engagement, driving innovation and project success.

Benefits

Medical, dental and vision benefits

401(k) retirement plan

20 days of PTO

11 paid holidays

Company-paid short- and long-term disability

Professional development reimbursement

Health club reimbursement

Pet insurance

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in relevant technical fields.
• At least 4 years of specialized experience in the specific subject matter area.

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale systems development ensuring technical robustness.
• Develop end-to-end project requirements for complex systems.
• Guide teams through large-scale systems integration.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Technical Evaluation

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

AWS

Salesforce

DevOps

MuleSoft

Job description

Description

Who We Are

Known for being a Best Place to Work and a People First company, IronArch Technology is an award-winning Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) specializing in providing innovative solutions and world class services to Federal Government clients.

Our employees have voted us as a 'Best Place to Work' 8 times and we are an INC 5000 recipient for being one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States.

Our Values: People First, Servant Leadership, Deliver and Inspire Excellence, Do the right thing!

What You'll Do

The Chief Systems Engineer plays a critical role in leading large-scale systems development, ensuring that solutions are both technically robust and aligned with customer mission objectives. With expertise in SDLC frameworks, technical evaluation, and VA-specific processes like Technical Reference Manual (TRM) approval, the individual ensures successful project execution and high-quality results. Their leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to drive innovation make them integral to the program's success, guiding teams through the complexities of large-scale systems integration while maintaining a focus on customer goals.

Primary Expectations

• Develop end-to-end project requirements for simple to moderately complex systems within designated subject matter domains
• Assist staff in developing, analyzing, and evaluating recommendations for system improvements, optimization, development, and/or maintenance
• Provide support across specialized technical areas, including information systems architecture, networking, telecommunications, automation, communications protocols, risk management/electronic analysis, software lifecycle management, software development methodologies, and modeling and simulation

Requirements

• Ability to obtain Public Trust Clearance
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in relevant technical fields
• At least 4 years of specialized experience in the specific subject matter area

Technical Competencies

Large-Scale Systems Development

• Ability to coordinate development and operations teams in collaboration with stakeholders
• Experience developing and deploying high-quality, integrated solutions that meet mission objectives

Technology Leadership

• Experience conducting technical evaluations of alternative technologies and tools aligned with mission needs
• Familiarity with VA TRM approval processes for tool selection and implementation

SDLC Optimization

• In-depth knowledge of SDLC frameworks
• Ability to tailor scalable SDLC models to meet customer-driven delivery goals and improve project outcomes

Cloud Architecture & Engineering (AWS)

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Professional or Associate) or equivalent experience
• Experience designing fault-tolerant, highly available architectures using services such as EC2, RDS, Lambda, S3, CloudFormation, CloudWatch, IAM, VPC, and Route 53
• Knowledge of GovCloud and FedRAMP-compliant deployments
• Ability to integrate AWS-native tools into CI/CD pipelines with DevSecOps methodologies
• Experience implementing cost optimization, auto-scaling, and disaster recovery strategies

Salesforce Platform Engineering

• Expertise in Salesforce architecture (Service Cloud, Experience Cloud, custom apps)
• Experience integrating Salesforce with external systems via REST/SOAP APIs, MuleSoft, Heroku, and other middleware tools
• Familiarity with Salesforce Multi-Org and Government Cloud environments
• Experience managing Salesforce DevOps workflows: metadata deployments, SFDX CLI, version control, sandbox management
• Knowledge of Salesforce security and role hierarchy best practices for government implementations

Enterprise Integration & Middleware

• Experience designing API gateways, data services, and event-driven architectures for real-time cross-platform integration
• Proficiency with tools like MuleSoft, Kafka, and AWS EventBridge for scalable integration
• Ability to synchronize data across Salesforce, legacy databases, and cloud environments

DevSecOps Leadership

• Hands-on experience designing and maintaining secure CI/CD pipelines supporting multi-cloud deployments (Salesforce and AWS)
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation) and automated testing tools
• Knowledge of embedding security tools like SonarQube, Checkmarx, and AWS Security Hub into development workflows
• Familiarity with FISMA and FedRAMP compliance standards
• Experience supporting continuous ATO and secure production release deployments

Architecture Governance & TRM Alignment

• Experience evaluating and supporting approval of new tools through federal processes
• Ability to develop Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) and support Architecture Review Boards
• Experience leading cloud and platform technology roadmap planning to align with mission priorities

Scaled Agile Program Execution

• Experience leading Agile/SAFe teams across AWS and Salesforce workstreams
• Ability to align testing and deployment timelines across platforms
• Experience facilitating PI Planning, Scrum of Scrums, and ongoing improvement cycles

Technical Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Ability to guide Salesforce developers, AWS engineers, and integration specialists
• Experience translating mission needs into scalable, interoperable technical solutions
• Experience engaging stakeholders on system design tradeoffs, tool evaluations, and compliance strategies

Tools & Technologies

• AWS: EC2, Lambda, CloudFormation, RDS, S3, CloudTrail, IAM, SNS, SQS
• Salesforce: Apex, Lightning Components, Flow, Salesforce DX, Experience Cloud
• DevOps: GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, Terraform, Artifactory, SonarQube
• Security: AWS Security Hub, GuardDuty, STIGs, Nessus, Splunk
• Integration: MuleSoft, Postman, Heroku, REST/SOAP APIs, Kafka
• Data: Snowflake, Redshift, Glue, Salesforce Connect, S3 Athena

#LI-remote

Why IronArch Technology?

• Awarded Best Place to Work 8 times!
• Competitive compensation and market-leading bonus opportunities
• Medical, dental and vision benefits where a significant portion of the premium is subsidized by IronArch. For qualifying high deductible health plans, IronArch also contributes towards a Health Reimbursement Account to cover eligible medical expenses
• Company-provided healthcare concierge assistance to help explain your coverage in plain language; help you find, choose, and schedule quality care; and address billing, benefit, or claims concerns, potentially saving hours of your time
• 401(k) retirement plan where the company contributes dollar for dollar up to 3 percent, and 50 cents on the dollar for the 4th and 5th percent with immediate entry and immediate vesting
• 20 days of PTO accumulated per calendar year
• 11 paid holidays
• Bereavement, jury duty, parental (maternity/paternity/adoption), and military leaves
• Sabbatical programs
• Company-paid short- and long-term disability
• Company-paid life insurance
• Voluntary life, accidental and indemnity income replacement benefits
• Professional development reimbursement
• Health club reimbursement
• Matching donation program and annual philanthropic activities
• Pet insurance
• And more!

Apply today to learn why IronArch Technology has been recognized as "Best Place to Work" for 8 years!

IronArch Technology is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law.

In alignment with applicable state and local pay transparency laws, IronArch includes a salary range in our job descriptions to support equity and transparency in our hiring process. The compensation range provided reflects what we reasonably expect to offer for this role, with the final offer determined by a variety of factors including skills, experience, and scope of responsibilities.

Salary Description

$160,000-$225,000