Principal System Architect

CGI Njoyn; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

CGI Federal in Huntsville, AL seeks a Principal System Architect to provide technical leadership, architecture direction, and modernization strategy for a major federal transformation program. You will shape system-wide design, cloud alignment, and governance across engineering, security, migration, and DevSecOps teams.

This senior role requires hands-on experience with microservices, API design, and large-scale secure architectures, plus excellent communication to guide multiple workstreams and

Qualifications

• Active TS clearance and US citizenship required.
• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years in enterprise architecture, software engineering, or system design.
• Experience architecting large-scale, cloud-enabled systems.
• Expertise across application, integration, data, cloud, and security architecture.
• Hands-on with microservices, distributed systems, and API design.
• Strong DevSecOps, CI/CD and cloud platform engineering (AWS preferred).
• Excellent communication and leadership to guide multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Enterprise Architecture Leadership: Develop and lead the architecture vision, strategy, and roadmap for large-scale modernization.
• System Design & Modernization Strategy: Architect end-to-end solutions across application, data, security, and cloud layers.
• Technical Governance & Oversight: Establish architecture standards, guardrails, and decision frameworks for engineering teams.
• Cross-Workstream Collaboration: Partner with multiple engineering and product teams; support CI/CD, cloud deployments, and platform operations.
• Performance, Security & Compliance: Ensure designs meet security standards and compliance; drive performance optimization.
• Documentation & Technical Artifacts: Produce architecture diagrams, system models, and decision records; present guidance to leadership.

Skills

Top Secret Clearance

US Citizenship

Enterprise architecture

Cloud architecture

API design

DevSecOps

CI/CD

Leadership

Communication

Security

Education

Bachelor's degree

12+ years of experience in EA/SE/SD

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Job description

Job order - J0926-1037 - Permanent Full Time

Title Principal System Architect

Category Software Development/ Engineering

City Huntsville, Alabama, United States

Job Description

Principal System Architect

Position Description

CGI Federal is seeking a Principal System Architect to provide overarching technical leadership, architecture direction, and modernization strategy for a major federal transformation program. This senior-level role drives system-wide technical design, integration decisions, cloud alignment, modernization patterns, and enterprise architectural governance. The Principal System Architect partners across engineering, cloud, migration, DevSecOps, security, and product teams to architect resilient, scalable, and secure mission-critical systems.

Your future duties and responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Leadership

• Develop and lead the technical architecture vision, strategy, and roadmap for large-scale modernization
• Define system-wide patterns, standards, integration approaches, and modernization frameworks
• Ensure architectures align with cloud-native, microservice, and security-forward design principles

System Design & Modernization Strategy

• Architect end-to-end solutions across application, data, security, and cloud layers
• Guide refactoring efforts, legacy system decomposition, and modernization of mission workloads
• Lead development of API architectures, interface definitions, platform integration points, and service boundaries

Technical Governance & Oversight

• Establish architecture standards, guardrails, and decision frameworks for engineering teams
• Conduct design reviews, validate technical approaches, and ensure alignment across workstreams
• Provide authoritative direction for engineering decisions impacting scalability, performance, security, and reliability

Cross-Workstream Collaboration

• Partner with Full Stack Engineers, Cloud Engineers, Data Engineers, DevSecOps teams, QA Automation, and Product Leads
• Support integration with CI/CD pipelines, cloud deployments, and platform operations
• Provide technical leadership during sprint planning, backlog refinement, PI planning, and release readiness

Performance, Security & Compliance

• Ensure all system designs meet federal security standards, operational constraints, and compliance requirements
• Lead architectural risk identification and mitigation strategies
• Drive performance optimization efforts across system components and cloud infrastructures

Documentation & Technical Artifacts

• Produce architecture diagrams, system models, technical specifications, integration matrices, and decision records
• Maintain architecture documentation supporting audits, engineering continuity, and future enhancements
• Present architectural guidance to leadership and mission stakeholders

Required qualifications to be successful in this role

• Must have an Active Top Secret Security Clearance
• U.S. Citizenship
• Bachelor’s degree and 12+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, software engineering, or system design
• Extensive experience architecting large-scale, complex, cloud-enabled systems
• Expertise across application, integration, data, cloud, and security architecture domains
• Hands‑on experience with modern frameworks, microservices, distributed systems, and API design
• Strong understanding of DevSecOps, CI/CD, and cloud platform engineering (AWS preferred)
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills for guiding multi‑team technical direction

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal modernization or national‑security programs
• Deep knowledge of cloud‑native architectures, containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), or serverless
• Familiarity with large‑scale data pipelines, ETL frameworks, and legacy modernization patterns
• Experience producing technical approaches for program deliverables (Transition‑In, RTM, CVM, design artifacts)

Due to the nature of this government contract, US Citizenship is required.

Equity statement

Together, as owners, let’s turn meaningful insights into action.

Life at CGI is rooted in ownership, teamwork, respect and belonging. Here, you’ll reach your full potential because…

You are invited to be an owner from day 1 as we work together to bring our Dream to life. That’s why we call ourselves CGI Partners rather than employees. We benefit from our collective success and actively shape our company’s strategy and direction.

Your work creates value. You’ll develop innovative solutions and build relationships with teammates and clients while accessing global capabilities to scale your ideas, embrace new opportunities, and benefit from expansive industry and technology expertise.

You’ll shape your career by joining a company built to grow and last. You’ll be supported by leaders who care about your health and well‑being and provide you with opportunities to deepen your skills and broaden your horizons.

Come join our team—one of the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, sex, religion, creed, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, pregnancy, medical condition, military and veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, familial status or responsibilities, reproductive health decisions, political affiliation, genetic information, height, weight, or any other legally protected status or characteristics to the extent required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws where we do business.

CGI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation to apply for a job in the U.S., please email the CGI U.S. Employment Compliance mailbox at [e-mail] . You will need to reference the Position ID of the position in which you are interested. Your message will be routed to the appropriate recruiter who will assist you. Please note, this email address is only to be used for those individuals who need an accommodation to apply for a job. Emails for any other reason or those that do not include a Position ID will not be returned.

All CGI offers of employment in the U.S. are contingent upon the ability to successfully complete a background investigation. Background investigation components can vary dependent upon specific assignment and/or level of US government security clearance held. Dependent upon role and/or federal government security clearance requirements, and in accordance with applicable laws, some background investigations may include a credit check. CGI will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrests and conviction records in accordance with all local regulations and ordinances.

CGI will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with CGI’s legal duty to furnish information.

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