Lead Systems Architect

Who Are We? 
Groundswell is a premier technology integrator resolutely committed to solving the most complex challenges facing federal agencies today. Our name, Groundswell, represents our commitment to be an unstoppable, seismic change in government. Ours is a small company culture with big company reach and results. Are you ready to be audacious, be bold and drive change at a rapid pace? Join us, where we’ll make a greater impact together.
 

What You'll do:

• Strategic Vision & Alignment: Understand and align technical architecture with the overarching goals of the platform and government organization. Translate business objectives into technical requirements, ensuring the solution architecture supports the mission while driving innovation and efficiency.

• Technical Leadership & Decision-Making: Provide technical leadership on architectural decisions, including evaluating and selecting the appropriate technologies. Guide the team through solution design, weighing trade-offs between different approaches (e.g., microservices vs. monolithic architectures) based on system complexity, scalability needs, and project constraints. Make informed recommendations on architectural choices to meet system performance, scalability, and security goals.

• AWS Cloud Expertise: Leverage extensive experience with AWS services—both legacy and cutting-edge tools—and guide the implementation of cloud-based solutions using AWS CDK. Candidate should be able to architect systems that use a combination of serverless, event-driven, and microservices architectures to create scalable, resilient solutions.

• Microservices & Monolithic Architectures: Provide clear guidance on when to utilize microservices versus monolithic architectures. Ensure that technical decisions are based on problem context, scalability needs, and performance considerations, advising on both the benefits and challenges of each approach.

• Cloud Networking & Event-Driven Architecture: Design cloud-based networking solutions that maximize security, performance, and scalability. Utilize event-driven architecture patterns to orchestrate complex workflows across distributed systems, ensuring seamless integration of multiple subsystems.

• Collaboration & Client Engagement: Serve as a key point of contact with government clients, demonstrating both humility and confidence when articulating technical recommendations. Foster relationships that promote understanding and agreement, particularly when negotiating technical feasibility and realistic timelines.

• Communication & Leadership: Possess exceptional communication skills, translating intricate technical concepts into clear and understandable terms for both technical and non-technical audiences. Demonstrate strong interpersonal and negotiation abilities, with a proven track record of guiding stakeholders through complex technical decisions. Exhibit a talent for balancing the priorities of the technical team with client expectations, ensuring the delivery of practical, value-driven solutions.

• Analytical Skills: Demonstrate the ability to analyze system diagrams, business use cases, and architectural specifications. Possess a solid understanding of the software development lifecycle and contemporary agile methodologies. Exhibit a track record of identifying areas for architectural improvement and designing innovative solutions that address long-term scalability and security concerns.

Who We are Looking For:

Groundswell is searching for a seasoned Lead Systems Architect to spearhead the development of innovative, technology-focused solutions for our government contract with The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As a key member of our team, you'll leverage your deep technical expertise to guide cross-functional teams and stakeholders toward strategic, results-driven solutions that align with government objectives. Your mastery of current and emerging technologies will be essential in effectively communicating trade-offs and possibilities, ensuring successful project delivery.

As the Lead Systems Architect, you will play a crucial role in architecting and overseeing technology solutions. You will need a thorough understanding of the technology landscape, the ability to make informed technical decisions, and the skill to guide the implementation of these decisions using modern frameworks like AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK). Your responsibilities will include translating business goals into technical solutions, designing high-performance architectures, and leading cross-functional teams to ensure successful project execution.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field

• Must be a US Citizen and able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust Clearance

• 8-10 years of experience in systems architecture, design, and development, with proven expertise in AWS and large-scale cloud implementations

• 5+ years of leadership experience guiding teams and managing complex system integrations

• Proficiency in AWS services, including legacy and modern offerings

• Deep understanding of cloud networking, event-driven architectures, and AWS CDK

• Proven ability to evaluate technical solutions and lead their implementation

• Strong knowledge of Kafka and similar messaging systems, with hands-on experience managing and optimizing clusters in production environments

• Expertise in architecture patterns (microservices, monolithic, event-driven) and trade-offs in performance, scalability, and maintainability

Preferred Skills:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional (SAP)

• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP)

• Certified Technology Architect (CTA)

• Certified Enterprise Architect (CEA)

Skills:

Certification:

Why You’ll Never Want to Leave:

· Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans 

· Flexible Spending Account 

· 4% 401K Match (immediate vesting) 

· Paid Time Off 

· Tuition reimbursement, certification programs, and professional development

· Flexible work schedule

· On-site gym and childcare option 
 

The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Groundswell, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

$114,632.00 - $161,159.00

NOTE: Groundswell does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Groundswell and Groundswell will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.

Groundswell is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
 

Read a copy of the Company’s Affirmative Action Statement.

Additional Resources:

• EO 13496 Notification of Employee Rights under NLRA
• EEO is the Law Poster and Supplement
• Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

Disability Accessibility Accommodation: If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact us at [email protected] or 703-639-1777.