Mission Software Architect - Clearance Required (DC)

Finch AI; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Finch AI is seeking a Senior/Lead Architect to define and own the technical architecture for mission software systems in a US government-focused environment. You will translate requirements into system designs, establish standards across engineering teams, and mentor staff to ensure scalable, secure solutions.

Candidates should have 6–15 years of relevant experience, a CS/Engineering degree (Master's preferred), and willingness to operate onsite in the DC metro area.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience architecting complex, distributed software systems.
• Strong background in software design patterns, API design, and data architecture.
• Experience with cloud-native and/or on-premise/classified network architectures.
• Experience supporting missions for DoW, DHS, FBI, or another national security agency.
• Willingness to work onsite in the DC metro area as required.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the technical architecture for mission software systems, ensuring scalability, security, and maintainability.
• Translate mission and business requirements into system designs and technical roadmaps.
• Establish coding standards, architectural patterns, and technology selection guidance across engineering teams.
• Conduct architecture reviews and provide technical mentorship to engineering staff.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies, frameworks, and tools.
• Partner with government stakeholders and program leadership on technical strategy.
• Ensure designs meet applicable security, compliance, and accreditation requirements (e.g., RMF, ATO).

Skills

Distributed architecture

Software design patterns

API design

Data architecture

Cloud-native / on-premise

RMF / ATO familiarity

Team mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering or related field

Master's degree a plus

Tools

Microservices

Event-driven architecture

Containerization

Job description

Finch AI is seeking a Senior/Lead Architect to define and own the technical architecture for mission software systems in a US government-focused environment. You will translate requirements into system designs, establish standards across engineering teams, and mentor staff to ensure scalable, secure solutions.

Candidates should have 6–15 years of relevant experience, a CS/Engineering degree (Master's preferred), and willingness to operate onsite in the DC metro area.