Professional Services Technical Architect

aptiv; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Wind RiverX (WRX) is a mission-driven software company focused on secure, resilient solutions for defense and national security missions. The Professional Services Technical Architect role combines hands-on technical delivery with customer-facing consulting and pre-sales involvement, leading architecture across the Wind River portfolio.

You will mentor engineers, support dynamic WRX priorities, and ensure extensive product expertise in VxWorks, Helix Platform, and other Wind River products.

Qualifications

• US Citizenship and ability to obtain SECRET clearance.
• Minimum 7–10 years of experience with Wind River products.
• Experience delivering technical solutions in federal/safety-critical contexts.
• Familiarity with safety/security standards (DO-178C, FACE, IEC61508, IEC62304, ISO26262).
• Strong communication skills for working with technical and program stakeholders.
• Ability to deliver complex engineering solutions and mentor teams.
• Willingness to travel ~10% and operate in a FOCI-mitigated environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and integration efforts across the Wind River portfolio.
• Mentor engineers and support dynamic WRX priorities.
• Engage with customer engineering teams to align requirements with feasible designs.
• Develop integration strategies, roadmaps, and concepts.
• Identify risks and drive mitigation and resolution.
• Produce technical artifacts, diagrams, and guides.
• Contribute to pre-sales activities, scoping, and SOWs.

Skills

US Citizenship

SECRET clearance

Wind River products

Federal experience

Safety/security standards

Communication skills

Complex engineering delivery

FOCI-mitigated environment

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Job description

ABOUT WIND RIVERX

Wind RiverX (WRX) is a mission-driven software company focused on delivering advanced, secure, and resilient solutions that support U.S. defense and national security missions. As a subsidiary of Wind River, a global leader in intelligent systems software with over four decades of proven success in aerospace and defense, WRX builds upon a trusted legacy of innovation, reliability, and mission assurance.

Wind River's software has powered some of the world's most critical systems - from the Mars rovers and commercial aircraft to advanced military platforms and autonomous defense technologies. Building on this heritage, WRX extends that technical excellence to accelerate innovation at the edge, combining agility, security, and modern software practices tailored to the unique needs of defense customers.

At WRX, we partner closely with government, defense, and industry leaders to provide secure and reliable systems to the most critical missions, enhance interoperability, and strengthen digital resilience. Our team brings deep expertise in systems integration, open architecture, customer needs, and software-defined solutions that empower our warfighters and critical partners across air, land, sea, and cyber domains.

We are a fast-growing organization that values collaboration, integrity, and technical mastery. Our culture is rooted in innovation and purpose - we move quickly, think boldly, and take pride in delivering solutions that matter. If you believe you would be an asset to a high-powered team with an energetic culture where you will contribute to reducing the definition of impossible, we would like to talk to you.

YOUR ROLE

The Professional Services Technical Architect is a senior-level hybrid role combining hands-on technical delivery with customer-facing consulting and pre‑sales involvement. You will lead architecture and integration efforts across the Wind River portfolio, shape deals, mentor engineers, and support dynamic, emerging WRX priorities. Technical delivery is the majority focus, and the role requires extensive Wind River product expertise.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead Technical Delivery for Mission‑Critical Projects
• Serve as the senior technical contributor across architecture, implementation, integration, and troubleshooting.
• Work directly with customer engineering teams to align mission requirements with achievable system designs.
• Develop integration strategies, operating concepts, and technical roadmaps.
• Identify technical risks early, define mitigation strategies, and drive resolution.
• Produce technical artifacts including integration plans, diagrams, and configuration guides.
• Support multiple active engagements with flexibility for shifting customer priorities.
• Support Pre‑Sales & Scoping
• Collaborate with WRX leadership to scope engagements, define architectural approaches, and estimate technical effort.
• Participate in customer calls to present technical concepts and validate requirements.
• Contribute to Statements of Work (SOWs), proposals, resource estimates, and feasibility assessments.
• Mentor and Elevate Technical Talent
• As WRX scales, the Technical Architect may also support mentoring, coaching, and elevating technical contributors across the team.
• Core Wind River Product Expertise (Required)
• VxWorks
• Helix Virtualization Platform (HVP) / Helix Suite
• Additional Wind River Products (Supported as Needed)
• Support pre‑sales and delivery engagements involving additional Wind River products such as WRLinux/eLxR, WRCP, Simics, BSPs, DevOps pipelines, and related tools.

WHAT YOU BRING

Required Qualifications

• US Citizenship (mandatory).
• SECRET clearance or ability to obtain and maintain.
• Minimum 7-10 years of experience with Wind River products.
• Federal experience delivering technical solutions.
• Experience with safety- or security-critical standards such as DO-178C, FACE, IEC61508, IEC62304, ISO26262.
• Strong communication skills with confidence engaging technical and program stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver complex engineering solutions.
• Ability to work within a FOCI-mitigated operational environment and comply with associated controls.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
• Ability to support multiple priorities including delivery and pre‑sales activities.
• Willingness to travel approximately 10% (may vary based on customer program requirements).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience mentoring or guiding engineers.
• Experience working in high-security or FOCI-mitigated environments.
• Experience supporting DoD or Intelligence Community programs.

Why Join WRX?

WRX is a high-trust, U.S.-only Professional Services organization backed by a global technology leader. You will directly impact mission-critical customer programs, shape WRX's technical delivery standards, and contribute to building a premier U.S.-only team. WRX blends startup agility with the stability of