Solutions Architect VBP

Zel Technologies LLC; Virginia Beach (VA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Referral bonus

Job summary

The City of Virginia Beach seeks an experienced Solutions Architect to design and guide enterprise technology solutions for municipal operations. You will lead architecture across applications, data, infrastructure and cloud services to ensure secure, scalable, and cost-effective outcomes.

Ideal candidates bring strong communication, public-sector experience, and a commitment to responsible innovation. This on-site or hybrid role supports city-wide goals and modernization initiatives.

Qualifications

• US citizen required.
• Bachelor’s degree or 10+ years of relevant experience.
• 5+ years in solution/enterprise architecture roles.
• Experience with APIs, databases, and cloud services (Azure, AWS, or similar).

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain architectural standards, patterns, and roadmaps for citywide technology solutions.
• Design end-to-end solutions that integrate applications, data, infrastructure, and cloud services.
• Evaluate business requirements and translate them into scalable, secure architectures.
• Ensure solutions align with municipal policies, cybersecurity standards, and long-term strategic objectives.

Skills

Solution architecture

Enterprise architecture

Cloud platforms

APIs & data integration

Stakeholder communication

Cybersecurity awareness

Public-sector IT

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Azure

AWS

Job description

Work Location

Virginia Beach, VA (Onsite or Hybrid depending on department policy).

eligible for a $500 ZelTech Non-Employee Referral fee.

*This position is contingent upon contract award*

Job Summary

The City of Virginia Beach is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Solutions Architect to design and guide the implementation of enterprise technology solutions that support efficient municipal operations and high-quality public services. This role provides architectural leadership across applications, data, infrastructure, and cloud environments, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with citywide strategic goals.

The ideal candidate brings strong technical expertise, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to responsible innovation in the public sector.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain architectural standards, patterns, and roadmaps for citywide technology solutions.
• Design end-to-end solutions that integrate applications, data, infrastructure, and cloud services.
• Evaluate business requirements and translate them into scalable, secure, and sustainable technical architectures.
• Ensure solutions align with municipal policies, cybersecurity standards, and long-term strategic objectives.

Technology Leadership & Collaboration

• Partner with city departments to understand operational needs and recommend appropriate technology solutions.
• Provide architectural guidance to project teams, developers, system engineers, and vendors.
• Lead technical design sessions, solution reviews, and architecture governance processes.
• Support modernization initiatives, including cloud adoption, digital transformation, and legacy system replacement.
• Design integration strategies using APIs, middleware, and data-exchange frameworks.
• Ensure interoperability across enterprise systems, platforms, and cloud environments.
• Support the development of reusable components, shared services, and standardized integration patterns.

Security, Compliance & Risk Management

• Incorporate cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance requirements into all solution designs.
• Conduct risk assessments and recommend mitigation strategies for proposed architectures.
• Ensure solutions adhere to city, state, and federal regulations and best practices.
• Create architectural diagrams, technical specifications, and solution documentation.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend adoption strategies that benefit city operations.
• Promote continuous improvement through innovation, standardization, and optimization of existing systems.

Requirements

• Must be a US citizen.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; OR 10 or more years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
• 5+ years of experience in solution architecture, enterprise architecture, or senior technical design roles.
• Strong understanding of application architecture, cloud platforms, data integration, and infrastructure design.
• Experience with enterprise systems, APIs, databases, and cloud services (Azure, AWS, or similar).
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience designing secure, scalable, and maintainable solutions.
• Successful background and drug screening check.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience working in local government or public-sector IT environments.
• Knowledge of municipal systems such as ERP platforms, permitting systems, asset management tools, or public safety applications.
• Certifications such as TOGAF, Azure Architect, AWS Solutions Architect, PMP, or similar.
• Experience with microservices, containerization, automation, or DevOps practices.
• Familiarity with data governance, cybersecurity frameworks, and responsible AI considerations.

Core Competencies

• Strategic & Systems Thinking
• Technical Leadership
• Security & Risk Awareness

Physical Demands or Work Environment

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The majority of the time is spent in an office setting.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance, vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.

About ZelTech

Founded in 1988 by Ret. Col. Jack L. Ezzell Jr., Zel Technologies is a trusted leader in national security, providing comprehensive research, development, engineering, and operational support to the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and federal agencies. Originally focused on leveraging operational and software expertise to improve time-critical targeting capabilities for the military, the company advanced its capabilities to provide scientific and HUMINT expertise for CBRNE collection and analysis. In the wake of 9/11, Zel Technologies rapidly expanded its capabilities to provide turnkey ISR support services to US Special Operations Forces (SOF), as well as advanced technical & operational intelligence, physical & data science, and engineering support services to the greater Intelligence and SOF Communities supporting global counterterrorism and