Senior Principal Architect

Peraton; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 176,000 - 282,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton seeks a Senior Principal Architect in Reston, VA to lead enterprise-scale solutions for large federal civilian pursuits, from capture through proposals. You will design architectures across cloud, cybersecurity, data/AI, and IT operations, guiding partners and SMEs to deliver winning, compliant solutions.

Ideal candidates bring 5+ years in senior architecture roles, strong federal acumen, and a track record presenting to executives. Travel to customer sites may be required.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain Public Trust clearance.
• 5+ years as a solution architect on large enterprise pursuits with end-to-end design responsibility.
• Experience across at least four domains: cloud, app modernization, cybersecurity/zero trust, data/AI-ML, IT ops, DevSecOps, enterprise platforms, etc.
• Experience presenting architectures to executive leadership, gate review panels, and federal customers.
• Strong understanding of federal acquisition processes, evaluation methodologies, and compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST, CMMC).

Responsibilities

• Serve as Senior Principal Architect on large federal civilian pursuits ($75M-$1B+), owning solution architecture from capture through proposal submission.
• Design enterprise architectures spanning cloud, application modernization, cybersecurity, data, AI, IT operations, and managed services tailored to customer missions.
• Develop forward-looking architectures with evolutionary pathways for emerging technologies (AI/ML, zero trust, PQC, AIOps, edge computing, etc).
• Lead technical solutioning sessions with capture teams, partners, and SMEs; develop and present solution briefings for gate reviews and executive leadership.
• Author and review technical proposal volumes - ensuring content is compelling, compliant, and discriminating against evaluation criteria.
• Conduct competitive technical analysis and articulate discriminators that create measurable separation from competitors.
• Develop deep understanding of assigned customer missions, technology environments, and strategic direction; engage directly with federal customers as a trusted advisor.
• Evaluate Peraton Labs capabilities and partner technologies for inclusion in solutions; contribute reusable frameworks and reference architectures.

Skills

Cloud architecture

Cybersecurity

App modernization

Data analytics/AI

IT operations

Managed services

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

High School diploma

Tools

AWS SA Professional

Azure SA Expert

CISSP

TOGAF

SAFe Architect

Job description

Senior Principal Architect

Job Locations

US-VA-Reston

Job Details

• Requisition ID: 2026-168201
• Position Category: Growth
• Clearance: Public Trust

Responsibilities

Peraton is seeking an experienced Senior Principal Architect to serve as the technical lead and solution authority for large, strategic Federal Civilian pursuits. This individual will be responsible for developing innovative, mission-focused technical solutions for opportunities ranging from $75M to $1B+ in total contract value. The Senior Principal Architect will partner closely with Capture Managers, Proposal Managers, Business Development teams, Subject Matter Experts, and executive leadership to shape winning solutions that align with customer missions, technical requirements, and strategic objectives.

The ideal candidate will possess deep experience designing enterprise-scale solutions across cloud, cybersecurity, application modernization, data analytics, artificial intelligence, IT operations, and managed services environments within the federal government sector.

Location: Reston, Virginia. Flexibility with travel to customer sites as needed.

Day to Day Roles and Responsibilities

• Serve as Senior Principal Architect on large federal civilian pursuits ($75M-$1B+), owning solution architecture from capture through proposal submission.
• Design enterprise architectures spanning cloud, application modernization, cybersecurity, data, AI, IT operations, and managed services tailored to customer missions.
• Develop forward-looking architectures with evolutionary pathways for emerging technologies (AI/ML, zero trust, PQC, AIOps, edge computing, etc).
• Lead technical solutioning sessions with capture teams, partners, and SMEs; develop and present solution briefings for gate reviews and executive leadership.
• Author and review technical proposal volumes - ensuring content is compelling, compliant, and discriminating against evaluation criteria.
• Conduct competitive technical analysis and articulate discriminators that create measurable separation from competitors.
• Develop deep understanding of assigned customer missions, technology environments, and strategic direction; engage directly with federal customers as a trusted advisor.
• Evaluate Peraton Labs capabilities and partner technologies for inclusion in solutions; contribute reusable frameworks and reference architectures.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors degree and 16 years of experience or a Masters degree and 14 years of experience or a High School diploma/equivalent and 20 years of experience.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen; must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance
• 5+ years as a solution architect or similar role on large enterprise-level pursuits ($100M+ TCV) with end-to-end solution design responsibility.
• Demonstrated architecture experience across at least four domains: cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP/OCI), app modernization, cybersecurity/zero trust, data/AI-ML, IT ops, DevSecOps, enterprise platforms, etc.
• Proven track record winning large competitive proposals - translating complex requirements into deliverable, discriminating solutions.
• Experience presenting architectures to executive leadership, gate review panels, and federal customers including oral presentations.
• Strong understanding of federal acquisition processes, evaluation methodologies, and compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST, CMMC).
• Excellent technical writing and communication skills for both technical and executive audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Masters degree in CS, Engineering, IT, or related field, and 10+ years in enterprise IT solution architecture or technical leadership preferred.
• Experience with federal civilian agencies.
• Professional certifications: AWS SA Professional, Azure SA Expert, CISSP, TOGAF, or SAFe Architect, etc.
• Experience with generative AI, agentic AI, post-quantum cryptography, AIOps, and other emerging technologies in enterprise architectures.
• Background in ITIL, Agile/SAFe delivery, DevSecOps CI/CD, and price-to-win analysis.

Peraton Overview

Peraton is a next‑generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can't be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we're keeping people around the world safe and secure.

Target Salary Range

$176,000 - $282,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.