Systems Architect - TS/SCI w/ Poly required

Leading Path Consulting; Warrenton (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Leading Path Consulting seeks a hands-on Systems Architect (SME) to own end-to-end design, modernization, and transformation across cloud and on-prem environments. The role demands deep proficiency in network, compute, storage, platforms, and data systems with strong collaboration across DevOps, security, and data teams.

The candidate will document current state architectures, design future-state solutions, and lead implementations ensuring reliability, performance, security, and compliance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in CS/IT or equivalent.
• Minimum ten (10) years of related experience with hands-on systems engineering.

Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on systems engineering across network, compute, storage, operating systems, middleware, databases, and applications.
• Analyze and document as-is infrastructure, platform, and application architectures.
• Lead cloud and on-prem system implementations, migrations, and upgrades.
• Ensure systems meet availability, scalability, performance, security, and compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with Infrastructure, Platform, Software, DevOps, Data teams, and DevSecOps.

Skills

Systems Architecture

Cloud & On-Prem

Infrastructure & Platforms

Kubernetes

Docker

Linux Administration

Security & IAM

DevOps Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

We are seeking a hands-on Systems Architect (SME) with deep expertise across infrastructure, platforms, and application ecosystems spanning cloud and on-premises environments. This role requires a proven practitioner who can analyze existing ("as-is") systems and applications, document current state architectures, design future- state solutions, and implement system enhancements or technology transformations end-to-end. The ideal candidate is a technical leader and doer, not just an advisor - someone who can seamlessly collaborate across infrastructure, platform, application, DevSecOps, information systems security, and data teams while maintaining ownership of system reliability, performance, scalability, and security.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT or related technical discipline, or the equivalent combination of education, technical training, or work/military experience.
• Minimum ten (10) years of related experience

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

Candidates must demonstrate hands‑on experience in all the following areas:

Infrastructure & Platforms

• Enterprise networking (e.g., routing, switching, firewalls, load balancers, DNS)
• Storage technologies (e.g., SAN, NAS, object storage)
• Container platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker)
• Linux (Redhat, CentOS) operating systems (administration, hardening, automation)
• IdAM - Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) hands‑on for AuthN and AuthZ

Cloud & On‑Prem Technologies

• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, and/or GCP)
• Hybrid and on‑prem infrastructure design and integration
• Cloud networking, identity, security, and cost optimization

Data & Application Platforms

• Relational and NoSQL databases - relational (e.g., Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Redis) databases
• Web services, APIs, and middleware
• Software development lifecycle (SDLC) fundamentals
• Event‑based messaging systems (e.g., SQS, SNS, RabbitMQ)

Engineering & Automation

• Infrastructure as Code - Scripting & Automation: Python, Bash, PowerShell, Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation
• Configuration management and scripting (e.g., PowerShell, Bash, Python, etc.)
• CI/CD integration with infrastructure and platforms (e.g., Jenkins, Gitlab CI/CD, GitHub Actions, GitOps, ArgoCD)
• Security best practices and system hardening
• Monitoring & Incident Response: Proficiency with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, ELK Stack, CloudWatch

Architecture & Design

Ability to create:

• As‑is architecture documentation
• To‑be architecture and detailed engineering designs
• Implementation and migration plans

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS

• Observability and monitoring tools (e.g., logging, metrics, tracing)
• Zero Trust and modern security architectures
• Data analytics, AI/ML platform exposure
• Experience supporting production or mission‑critical environments
• Relevant certifications (e.g., cloud, systems, security, or architecture)
• Knowledge of machine learning platforms (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, SageMaker)
• Familiarity with big data ecosystems (e.g., Hadoop, Databricks, Snowflake, Google, BigQuery)
• Strong background in ITIL processes and agile methodologies
• Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect / DevOps Engineer, Azure Administrator, Kubernetes CKA/CKAD, ITIL Foundation

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform hands‑on systems engineering across network, compute, storage, operating systems, middleware, databases, and applications
• Analyze and document as‑is infrastructure, platform, and application architectures
• Work with the System Architect and Cloud Architect to create the detail engineering designs for modernization, optimization, and transformation initiatives
• Lead and execute cloud and on‑prem system implementations, migrations, and upgrades
• Ensure systems meet availability, scalability, performance, security, and compliance requirements
• Integrate infrastructure and platforms with DevOps and DevSecOps pipelines
• Troubleshoot complex, cross-stack issues spanning infrastructure, platforms, and applications
• Collaborate effectively with:
  • Infrastructure & Platform Engineers
  • Software Engineers
  • DevOps / DevSecOps Engineers
  • Data Engineers (ETL)
  • Data Modelers, Data Scientists, and Data Analysts
• Produce clear technical documentation, diagrams, standards, and runbooks
• Serve as a technical authority and escalation point for complex system issues

Communication Skills

• Ability to brief executives clearly and translate technical issues into business impact
• Ability to work across organizations (internal and IC) to implement complex solutions

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Recognized SME with deep, hands‑on technical expertise
• Strong systems thinker with the ability to see and engineer across the full stack
• Comfortable operating at both strategic architecture and tactical implementation levels
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and non‑technical teams