Lead Software Solutions Architect - TS/SCI

Parsons; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a Lead Software Solutions Architect to design and deliver secure, data-intensive software for defense missions. You will work with engineers, data teams, and government stakeholders to translate mission needs into scalable architectures, designs, and deployable capabilities.

Role requires directing architectures, guiding product delivery in SAFe, and advising on technology choices while ensuring security and interoperability in challenging environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 15+ years of experience in software engineering, architecture, or related leadership roles.
• Experience delivering software solutions for defense/intelligence domains.
• Distributed systems, microservices, event-driven architectures.
• Hands-on with Cursor on Target, FMV/KLV, and JSON formats.
• Kafka experience (topics, producers/consumers, security).
• TAK ecosystem (TAK Server/WebTAK/ATAK).
• S3-compatible storage (MinIO/AWS S3).
• Zero Trust architecture and secure networking concepts.

Responsibilities

• Define end-to-end architectures for secure, distributed mission applications.
• Lead technical design, interface specs, data models, and implementation approaches.
• Architect integrations across systems using APIs, messaging, streaming and data services.
• Serve as Systems Engineering Product Owner Analyst in a SAFe environment.
• Advise leadership on software design, tech choices, and evolutions.
• Support agile PI planning, backlog refinement, and architecture reviews.
• Design for reliability, security, and operation in limited-bandwidth environments.
• Promote DevSecOps, automation, observability, and lab integration.

Job description

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next! At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what's possible.

Job Description

Parsons is seeking an exceptionally talented Lead Software Solutions Architect to join our team. In this role, you will serve as a senior technical leader responsible for designing and delivering secure, data-intensive software solutions for complex defense and intelligence missions. You will work closely with the Chief Engineer, Product Owners, software engineers, data engineers, analysts, and government stakeholders to translate mission needs into scalable architectures, technical designs, and deployable capabilities.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Define Software Solutions: Design end-to-end architectures for secure, distributed, event-driven, and data-intensive mission applications.
• Lead Technical Design: Develop software architecture views, interface specifications, data models, technical designs, and implementation approaches.
• Integrate Mission Systems: Architect integrations among applications, sensors, intelligence platforms, simulation environments, and operational systems using APIs, messaging, streaming, and shared data services.
• Guide Product Delivery: Act as the Systems Engineering Product Owner Analyst within a SAFe environment, helping translate mission objectives into capabilities, features, technical enablers, and user stories.
• Provide Technical Leadership: Advise the Chief Engineer, program leadership, Product Owners, and business partners on software design decisions, technology selection, system evolution, and mission alignment.
• Support Agile Execution: Participate in PI planning, backlog refinement, architecture reviews, demonstrations, retrospectives, and technical interchange meetings.
• Solve Mission-Critical Challenges: Design for reliability, scalability, cybersecurity, interoperability, and operation in disconnected, intermittent, and limited-bandwidth environments.
• Improve Engineering Practices: Promote effective software development, DevSecOps, automation, deployment, observability, and laboratory integration practices.
• Represent the Program: Present technical approaches and software solutions during customer engagements, technical reviews, stakeholder meetings, and industry events.

Required Clearance

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must possess an active TS/SCI clearance.

What Required Skills You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree and 15+ years of experience in software engineering, software architecture, solution architecture, or related technical leadership roles. Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Demonstrated expertise designing and delivering software solutions for multi-domain defense, intelligence, aerospace, or other mission-critical environments.
• Experience defining architectures for distributed systems, microservices, event-driven applications, real-time data pipelines, or tactical-edge platforms.
• Hands-on experience with military and intelligence data standards and formats, including Cursor on Target, FMV/KLV, and JSON.
• Strong experience with Apache Kafka, including topics, producers and consumers, security configuration, SASL/SCRAM, and TLS.
• Experience with the TAK ecosystem, including TAK Server, WebTAK, or ATAK.
• Experience integrating intelligence platforms and applications that use rich data models, including TRAX- or OMNI-compliant databases.
• Proficiency with S3-compatible storage, including MinIO or AWS S3, and experience designing object-storage-based solutions.
• Experience with microservices, APIs, network protocols, and service communication technologies, including TCP/IP and gRPC.
• Understanding of Zero Trust architecture and network access technologies, such as ZTNA, AppGate, or software-defined perimeter solutions.
• Demonstrated experience designing fault-tolerant software for disconnected, intermittent, and limited-bandwidth environments.
• Ability to communicate complex software architecture and technical decisions clearly to engineers, customers, executives, and mission stakeholders.

What Desired Skills You’ll Bring

• Experience with Kafka federation, multi-cluster messaging, or cross-domain event distribution.
• Advanced data modeling experience, including OMNI data models and lightweight tactical formats such as Cursor on Target.
• Experience with DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, containerization, and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience deploying and operating software in classified, disconnect