Senior Solutions Architect (AI/ML & Cloud)

540 is seeking a Senior Solutions Architect (AI/ML & Cloud) to support a high-visibility Department of War initiative within the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) Test & Evaluation (T&E) organization; the group responsible for setting the bar for how AI systems are validated and trusted before deployment across the U.S. military. 

In this role, you will help advance next-generation capabilities across cloud-native platforms, AI/ML systems, DevSecOps practices, and data-driven mission applications that support critical test and evaluation efforts. As a trusted technical leader, you will partner with government stakeholders, engineers, and architects to design and deliver scalable, secure, and resilient solutions that accelerate innovation and enable the adoption of emerging technologies across complex defense environments.

Location: Arlington, VA with onsite support at the Pentagon. Hybrid work flexibility may be available based on client and mission needs
Citizenship & Clearance Requirement: Per client requirements, candidates must be U.S. Citizens with an active DoW Secret (or higher) clearance
Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Mathematics, or related
540 Internal Thrive Level: Senior Solutions Architect

WHY 540?

540 is a forward-thinking company that the government turns to in order to #getshitdone. We don’t just talk about innovation – we deliver it. We break down barriers, build impactful technology, and solve mission-critical problems.

HOW YOU’LL DRIVE IMPACT

• Serve as a hands-on technical leader, actively designing, prototyping, and building cloud- and AI-enabled solutions while providing architectural guidance and mentorship to engineering teams
• Lead the architecture, design, and delivery of cloud-native solutions supporting mission-critical modernization initiatives across federal and defense environments
• Provide technical leadership and strategic direction to engineering teams while helping expand technical capabilities, project scope, and customer impact
• Advise and lead teams on integrating AI/ML capabilities, MLOps processes, and advanced analytics solutions into enterprise applications and mission workflows
• Support business growth activities through technical strategy, solution development, proposal support, and customer engagement
• Partner with customers, technical teams, and stakeholders to define technology roadmaps, solution architectures, and implementation strategies aligned to mission objectives
• Guide cloud migration and modernization efforts, helping organizations adopt scalable, resilient, and secure AWS-based platforms
• Architect and champion DevSecOps practices, CI/CD automation, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and modern software delivery methodologies to improve speed, quality, and reliability
• Design secure, cloud-native application and data architectures leveraging containerized platforms, Kubernetes, and modern engineering best practices
• Collaborate with software, data, and platform engineers to deliver scalable solutions that support data-driven decision-making and operational effectiveness
• Establish engineering standards for automated testing, quality assurance, system reliability, and continuous improvement across development teams
• Apply Zero Trust principles, cloud security best practices, and federal cybersecurity requirements throughout the solution lifecycle

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years of experience designing, developing, and implementing enterprise technology solutions, including at least 3 years of experience supporting federal, defense, or national security environments
• Experience designing, developing, and integrating AI/ML solutions, MLOps capabilities, data platforms, and advanced analytics solutions
• Demonstrated experience leading and growing technical teams, with the ability to expand both project scope and delivery capabilities
• Extensive experience leading Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud migration, modernization, and cloud-native transformation efforts
• Experience supporting data engineering, data science, and analytics platforms
• Demonstrated experience implementing and managing DevSecOps methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation), and automated deployment frameworks
• Experience with Kubernetes and containerized platforms
• Proven experience designing and implementing automated testing frameworks supporting functional, integration, regression, performance, and security testing
• Experience incorporating automated testing, quality assurance, and reliability practices within modern software delivery pipelines
• Experience developing technical architectures, solution designs, and modernization roadmaps
• Experience leading technical discussions with executive stakeholders, customers, and mission partners
• Knowledge of cloud security architectures, Zero Trust principles, and federal cybersecurity requirements
• Strong understanding of Agile software development methodologies and software engineering best practices
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement, problem-solving, and technical leadership skills
• AWS Associate-level certification or higher, or the ability to obtain within 30 days of employment
• CompTIA Security+ certification, or the ability to obtain within 30 days of employment

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions using AWS services such as Bedrock, SageMaker, or equivalent platforms
• Experience supporting highly secure federal cloud environments and Authority to Operate (ATO) initiatives
• Experience with Amazon EKS and large-scale Kubernetes platform operations
• Experience with DevSecOps toolchains, including Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions, or Azure DevOps
• Experience with automated testing tools and test automation frameworks
• Experience implementing AI/ML deployment frameworks in production environments
• Familiarity with large-scale testing, evaluation, modeling, simulation, or mission engineering environments

BENEFITS & PERKS

• Flexible PTO + all Federal holidays off
• Health, dental and vision insurance plans
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401k with employer match
• Company-sponsored life insurance, short- and long-term disability 
• Professional development (training, certifications, conferences)
• Paid cloud developer accounts
• Referral bonuses
• HQ office perks (parking / metro reimbursement, nitro coffee & lunches) 
• Annual social events (540 Week, hackathon, charity golf tournament, etc.)
• Access to 540’s Washington Capitals & Nationals tickets

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)

540's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.