Computer Systems Architect - Mid to Experienced Level (MD, TX)

National Security Agency Inc; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

National Security Agency, Fort Meade, seeks Computer Systems Architects to design, develop, and optimize computer systems and computing platforms using a mix of commercial and government hardware, software, networking, and security products.

The role involves modernizing IT architecture, evaluating emerging technologies, mapping data models, ensuring security and regulatory compliance, documenting designs, and mentoring engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Modernize IT architecture through analysis of research and introducing changes based on evolving project requirements by designing, developing, and optimizing the structure and performance of computer systems and computing platforms
• Integrate industry trends, by evaluating and selecting emerging technologies to improve system performance, scalability, reliability, and efficiency through technologies and standards and new vendor features
• Evaluate emerging technologies, standards and new vendor features, while supporting research and development efforts for new technologies, networking solutions, virtualization, cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities
• Collaborate with experts in technical and application teams to identify, evaluate and recommend technical solutions to support project requirements
• Produce compliance results for established project requirements and IT architecture while ensuring systems architecture meet security, reliability, availability and regulatory compliance requirements
• Define and analyze data requirements, mapping legacy data stores and formats to logical and physical data models, review technical designs providing guidance on architectural best practices
• Propose standard ways for information transport between IT systems and stored within corporate knowledge databases
• Perform architectural alignment of the enterprise logical data model and physical data models, while supporting capacity planning and long‑term infrastructure strategy to accommodate organizational growth
• Create technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and design specifications for stakeholders and development teams
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams

Job description

Responsibilities

Computer Systems Architects at NSA use commercial and government-developed hardware, software, networking, and security products to design, develop, and optimize the structure and performance of computer systems and computing platforms.

• Modernize IT architecture through analysis of research and introducing changes based on evolving project requirements by designing, developing, and optimizing the structure and performance of computer systems and computing platforms
• Integrate industry trends, by evaluating and selecting emerging technologies to improve system performance, scalability, reliability, and efficiency through technologies and standards and new vendor features
• Evaluate emerging technologies, standards and new vendor features, while supporting research and development efforts for new technologies, networking solutions, virtualization, cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities
• Collaborate with experts in technical and application teams to identify, evaluate and recommend technical solutions to support project requirements
• Produce compliance results for established project requirements and IT architecture while ensuring systems architecture meet security, reliability, availability and regulatory compliance requirements
• Define and analyze data requirements, mapping legacy data stores and formats to logical and physical data models, review technical designs providing guidance on architectural best practices
• Propose standard ways for information transport between IT systems and stored within corporate knowledge databases
• Perform architectural alignment of the enterprise logical data model and physical data models, while supporting capacity planning and long‑term infrastructure strategy to accommodate organizational growth
• Create technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and design specifications for stakeholders and development teams
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams

Multiple opportunities are available in the following Areas of Specialization (AOS): AOS: Environment Maintenance and Sustainment (EMS) The selectee will be responsible for the maintenance and sustainment of advanced computing systems, ensuring their continuous operation and optimal performance. This role focuses on the upkeep and enhancement of existing systems rather than architectural design. The selectee will perform routine maintenance tasks to ensure the stability and performance of advanced computing systems, staying up‑to‑date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices related to system maintenance and sustainment. They will work with technical teams to identify, configure, and assess system upgrades and patches, articulating and mitigating issues as needed. The selectee will implement system updates, patches, and enhancements to ensure the continuous operation of advanced computing systems, provide technical guidance and support to other team members and organizational units as needed, and troubleshoot and resolve system‑related issues. Additionally, they will conduct routine audits and vulnerability analyses to ensure the security and integrity of advanced computing systems, integrate and configure hardware and software components to meet maintenance and performance requirements, monitor system health and status, and ensure compliance with relevant security policies, standards, and regulations. AOS: Enterprise IT Architecture (EIA) The selectee will be responsible for providing robust and secure services that manage and protect the identities, credentials, and access permissions of users and systems within the NSA enterprise, while also serving the IC and DOW communities. This role involves developing and implementing encryption as a service and key management as a service for users across the agency and the Intelligence Community (IC). The selectee will manage digital rights management, and enterprise encryption libraries, ensuring continuous availability and optimal performance of these systems. They will collaborate with stakeholders to define system requirements and develop detailed technical specifications, providing technical guidance and support to other team members and organizational units as needed. The selectee will also be responsible for conducting risk assessments and vulnerability analyses to ensure the security and integrity of encryption services and key management systems. Additionally, they will troubleshoot and resolve issues related to these services, develop and maintain documentation for system configurations, processes, and procedures, and ensure compliance with relevant security policies, standards, and regulations. AOS: Advanced Computing Systems (ACS) The selectee will be responsible for researching and evaluating next‑generation cross‑domain technologies. This presents an opportunity to work with commercial vendors to assess new tools that will shape the enterprise by identifying and configuring innovative solutions to facilitate secure data transfer across security domains. This role requires a strong understanding of operating systems, product evaluation, security protocols, network architecture, and systems integration to support cross‑domain technologies, cloud computing, and virtualization technologies. The selectee will be responsible for conducting risk assessments and vulnerability analyses to ensure the security and integrity of cross‑domain data transfers. They will integrate hardware and software component configurations to meet security and performance requirements. Additionally, the candidate will monitor and maintain cross‑domain infrastructure, ensuring high availability and optimal performance, and ensure compliance with relevant security policies, standards, and regulations.

Responsibilities

Computer Systems Architects at NSA use commercial and government-developed hardware, software, networking, and security products to design, develop, and optimize the structure and performance of computer systems and computing platforms.

• Modernize IT architecture through analysis of research and introducing changes based on evolving project requirements by designing, developing, and optimizing the structure and performance of computer systems and computing platforms
• Integrate industry trends, by evaluating and selecting emerging technologies to improve system performance, scalability, reliability, and efficiency through technologies and standards and new vendor features
• Evaluate emerging technologies, standards and new vendor features, while supporting research and development efforts for new technologies, networking solutions, virtualization, cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities
• Collaborate with experts in technical and application teams to identify, evaluate and recommend technical solutions to support project requirements
• Produce compliance results for established project requirements and IT architecture while ensuring systems architecture meet security, reliability, availability and regulatory compliance requirements
• Define and analyze data requirements, mapping legacy data stores and formats to logical and physical data models, review technical designs providing guidance on architectural best practices
• Propose standard ways for information transport between IT systems and stored within corporate knowledge databases
• Perform architectural alignment of the enterprise logical data model and physical data models, while supporting capacity planning and long‑term infrastructure strategy to accommodate organizational growth
• Create technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and design specifications for stakeholders and development teams
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams

Multiple opportunities are available in the following Areas of Specialization (AOS): AOS: Environment Maintenance and Sustainment (EMS) The selectee will be responsible for the maintenance and sustainment of advanced computing systems, ensuring their continuous operation and optimal performance. This role focuses on the upkeep and enhancement of existing systems rather than architectural design. The selectee will perform routine maintenance tasks to ensure the stability and performance of advanced computing systems, staying up‑to‑date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices related to system maintenance and sustainment. They will work with technical teams to identify, configure, and assess system upgrades and patches, articulating and mitigating issues as needed. The selectee will implement system updates, patches, and enhancements to ensure the continuous operation of advanced computing systems, provide technical guidance and support to other team members and organizational units as needed, and troubleshoot and resolve system‑related issues. Additionally, they will conduct routine audits and vulnerability analyses to ensure the security and integrity of advanced computing systems, integrate and configure hardware and software components to meet maintenance and performance requirements, monitor system health and status, and ensure compliance with relevant security policies, standards, and regulations. AOS: Enterprise IT Architecture (EIA) The selectee will be responsible for providing robust and secure services that manage and protect the identities, credentials, and access permissions of users and systems within the NSA enterprise, while also serving the IC and DOW communities. This role involves developing and implementing encryption as a service and key management as a service for users across the agency and the Intelligence Community (IC). The selectee will manage digital rights management, and enterprise encryption libraries, ensuring continuous availability and optimal performance of these systems. They will collaborate with stakeholders to define system requirements and develop detailed technical