Solutions Architect SME

Leidos; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking an experienced Solutions Architect SME to lead the Chinook Program for an IC application. You will serve as the senior technical authority across architecture, cloud, data, security, and infrastructure to deliver secure, scalable mission capabilities.

The role demands strategic and hands-on leadership, with the ability to influence multiple teams, translate complex requirements into practical engineering solutions, and communicate risks and tradeoffs to program leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, CS, or related field.
• 12+ years as a Solutions Architect or equivalent.
• Experience designing complex enterprise or mission-critical apps.
• Strong cloud, APIs, data, and security architecture skills.
• Ability to lead across multiple teams and communicate to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define end-to-end solution architecture across application, cloud, data, integration, security, and infrastructure domains.
• Translate requirements into secure, scalable, resilient technical solutions.
• Develop architecture strategies, roadmaps, and design patterns with trade studies.
• Provide technical direction, review designs, and resolve cross-team issues.
• Lead cloud and DevSecOps architecture efforts including CI/CD, IaC, observability, and DR.
• Embed security and risk management into architecture decisions from the start.
• Support Agile/SAFe execution through PI Planning and backlog refinement.
• Define and govern integration strategies and API standards across components.
• Communicate architecture decisions and risks to leadership and stakeholders.
• Mentor engineers and promote modernization while reducing technical debt.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Agile

DevSecOps

Python

C++

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering or related field

Master's degree in a technical field

Tools

AWS

Terraform

AWS CloudFormation

Azure Resource Manager

Ansible

Chef

Puppet

CI/CD tools

Job description

Description

Build What Matters. Architect What's Next.

Are you ready to shape the technology behind mission-critical capabilities? Leidos is seeking an exceptional Solutions Architect Subject Matter Expert (SME) to join the Chinook Program supporting an application for an Intelligence Community (IC) customer. This is an accomplished architect and technical leader to take on complex engineering challenges, influence solution strategy, and help deliver secure, scalable, high-performing capabilities that directly support an important mission.

As a Solutions Architect SME, you'll serve as the senior technical authority for the Chinook Program, providing architecture leadership for the application and its supporting technical ecosystem. The Solutions Architect will work across software engineering, systems engineering, DevSecOps, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, testing, and program leadership to ensure the application evolves through cohesive, scalable, secure, and sustainable architecture.

The position requires a highly experienced technical leader who can operate at both the strategic and hands-on levels establishing architectural direction while working closely with engineering teams to solve difficult technical problems and deliver mission capabilities.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable influencing technical decisions across multiple teams, communicating architecture to senior stakeholders, and translating complex mission requirements into practical engineering solutions.

Position may be performed in the following locations below.

• Tucson, AZ
• Gaithersburg, MD
• Alexandria, VA
• Chantilly, VA
• Englewood, CO
• St. Louis, MO

Clearance Level Required:

Active Top Secret/SCI with the ability to successfully pass a Polygraph examination.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as the senior technical authority for the application, defining and evolving end-to-end solution architecture across application, cloud, data, integration, security, and infrastructure domains.
• Translate mission, business, operational, functional, and non-functional requirements into secure, scalable, resilient, and maintainable technical solutions.
• Develop architecture strategies, roadmaps, reference architectures, and design patterns, and lead trade studies to recommend solutions based on mission value, feasibility, risk, cost, performance, and maintainability.
• Provide technical direction to engineering teams, review designs, resolve cross-team technical issues, and ensure implementation aligns with approved architecture and standards.
• Lead cloud and DevSecOps architecture efforts, including cloud-native design, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, automated deployment, observability, resiliency, and disaster recovery.
• Integrate security and mission assurance into architecture decisions from the start of the development lifecycle, including risk identification and mitigation.
• Support Agile and SAFe execution through PI Planning, backlog refinement, architecture runway development, dependency management, and release readiness activities.
• Define and govern integration strategies, API and interface standards, and interoperability approaches across application components and external systems.
• Communicate architecture decisions, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations to program leadership, customer stakeholders, and technical teams in terms of mission and business impact.
• Mentor engineers and technical leaders, promote engineering excellence and continuous improvement, and drive modernization and reduction of technical debt.

Basic Qualifications:

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Master's with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience. May possess a Doctorate in a technical domain.
• 12+ years of progressive experience as a Solutions Architect, Enterprise Architect, Systems Architect, Software Architect, or equivalent senior technical role.
• Significant experience designing and implementing complex enterprise or mission-critical applications.
• Strong experience with software architecture, distributed systems, system integration, APIs, data, and cloud technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex requirements into executable technical solutions.
• Experience collaborating across software engineering, systems engineering, DevSecOps, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and testing organizations.
• Strong understanding of modern cloud and software engineering practices.
• Experience with technical architecture documentation, design reviews, architecture decision records, and technical roadmaps.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and influencing engineering strategy.
• Deep knowledge of systems architecture, integration, lifecycle engineering, and systems thinking.
• Experience leading engineering efforts within Agile and DevSecOps environments.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, collaboration, and technical mentoring skills.
• Experience leading architecture reviews and technical working groups.
• Strong verbal, written, analytical, and presentation skills.
• Experience communicating technical recommendations to senior government stakeholders and program leadership.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting large-scale government or mission-focused programs.
• Demonstrated experience using AI tools to optimize system performance, or the ability to identify and articulate practical applications of AI to support the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
• Expertise in cloud-native architecture, distributed systems, and enterprise modernization.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional or comparable certification.
• Python or C++.
• Linux operating systems in support of application deployment, automation, and systems support.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Terraform
• AWS CloudFormation
• Azure Resource Manager
• Ansible
• Chef
• Puppet
• Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery or Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
• Microservices
• RESTful APIs
• Event-driven architecture
• Distributed systems
• DevSecOps
• Observability and monitoring
• Experience with identity and access management and Zero Trust architectures.
• Experience with system-of-systems integration.

#Chinook

#NSBA

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:October 15, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.