Senior Data Architect - Top Secret

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Job Description:

As a Senior Data Architect supporting DCDC, you will lead the analysis, design, integration, governance, and modernization of enterprise and mission data architectures. You will establish data models, schemas, pipelines, standards, interfaces, and governance practices that enable cyber data to be collected, protected, integrated, analyzed, and shared across mission systems.

You will provide technical leadership throughout the data lifecycle and ensure architectures address scalability, performance, availability, recoverability, interoperability, security, data quality, and operational sustainability. You will also serve as a senior advisor to customers and program leadership on data architecture, governance, modernization, and analytics enablement.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Lead the design and modernization of data architectures, models, schemas, pipelines, interfaces, metadata frameworks, and data-governance practices supporting cyber mission data.

• Architect data integration and acquisition solutions using databases, APIs, ETL/ELT, data lakes, streaming technologies, and event-driven architectures.

• Establish standards for data quality, lineage, metadata, classification, retention, ownership, interoperability, access, and secure information sharing.

• Evaluate data platforms and proposed capabilities for performance, scalability, availability, recoverability, interoperability, security, cost, and mission suitability.

• Lead the onboarding and integration of new data sources, including source assessment, schema mapping, interface design, ingestion planning, validation, and operational support.

• Design and implement data-quality, monitoring, reconciliation, and validation practices that improve data accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and trustworthiness.

• Apply security and compliance requirements throughout the data lifecycle, including least privilege, encryption, segmentation, auditability, secure data handling, RMF, NIST SP 800-53, and Authority to Operate requirements.

• Develop data architecture roadmaps, reference architectures, modernization strategies, technical standards, implementation plans, and alternatives analyses.

• Support analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence initiatives through reliable data structures, pipelines, metadata, quality controls, and governance.

• Lead architecture reviews, design reviews, technical interchange meetings, customer briefings, and operational-readiness activities.

• Provide technical direction and mentorship to data architects, data engineers, analysts, and other technical personnel.

• Coordinate across data engineering, software development, cybersecurity, infrastructure, operations, compliance, and government teams to resolve risks, dependencies, and integration challenges.

• Communicate architecture decisions, technical tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations to senior technical, programmatic, and government stakeholders.

What Required Skills You'll Bring:

• B.S. in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Data Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• 7+ years of progressive experience in data architecture, data engineering, enterprise architecture, database design, systems engineering, or a related discipline.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex data architecture, integration, modernization, governance, or distributed-data initiatives.

• Strong experience with data modeling, schemas, SQL, metadata, data lineage, data dictionaries, data quality, and data-governance practices.

• Experience designing data pipelines and integration solutions using ETL/ELT, APIs, databases, data lakes, streaming technologies, or event-driven architectures.

• Experience with cyber-relevant data, such as network telemetry, sensor data, logs, threat intelligence, vulnerability data, security events, or audit records.

• Experience using Python or a comparable language for data transformation, validation, analysis, automation, or pipeline development.

• Experience evaluating data architectures for scalability, performance, availability, recoverability, interoperability, security, cost, and mission requirements.

• Experience developing architecture products, technical standards, reference architectures, roadmaps, implementation plans, and integration documentation.

• Experience applying security and compliance requirements to data architectures, including access controls, encryption, auditability, least privilege, RMF, NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, FedRAMP, or Authority to Operate processes.

• Demonstrated technical leadership, customer engagement, mentoring, and cross-functional coordination experience.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, documentation, and presentation skills.

• Ability to work independently, exercise sound technical judgment, and communicate complex concepts to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

• Knowledge of the Department of War Data, Analytics, and AI Adoption Strategy and VAULTIS principles: Visible, Accessible, Understandable, Linked, Trustworthy, Interoperable, and Secure.

• Active Top Secret clearance is required.

• U.S. citizenship may be required based on contract and system-access requirements.

What Desired Skills You'll Bring:

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Data Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field.

• Experience with AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, DoD Impact Level 4, 5, or 6, or other regulated cloud environments.

• Experience supporting classified, restricted, disconnected, air-gapped, or limited-connectivity environments.

• Experience with Splunk, Elastic/ELK, SIEM platforms, data lakes, enterprise data warehouses, analytics platforms, or comparable cyber data technologies.

• Experience supporting streaming technologies, event-driven architectures, real-time processing, analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or AI/ML data pipelines.

• Experience with data cataloging and metadata-management platforms such as DataHub, Collibra, Alation, Apache Atlas, or comparable tools.

• Experience with Zero Trust, identity-centric security, data masking, tokenization, encryption, secure data sharing, or least-privilege architectures.

• Familiarity with DoD Cyber Workforce Framework Data Architect requirements and DoD Manual 8140.03.

• Experience developing enterprise data governance frameworks, interoperability standards, modernization plans, or technical roadmaps.

• Experience serving as a data architecture lead, enterprise architect, data platform lead, governance lead, or technical authority for a complex environment.

• Relevant certifications in data architecture, cloud architecture, database technologies, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, or data governance.

Security Clearance Requirement:

An active Top Secret security clearance is required for this position.

This position is part of our Federal Solutions team.

The Federal Solutions segment delivers resources to our US government customers that ensure the success of missions around the globe. Our intelligent employees drive the state of the art as they provide services and solutions in the areas of defense, security, intelligence, infrastructure, and environmental. We promote a culture of excellence and close-knit teams that take pride in delivering, protecting, and sustaining our nation's most critical assets, from Earth to cyberspace. Throughout the company, our people are anticipating what’s next to deliver the solutions our customers need now.

Salary Range: $112,200.00 - $196,400.00

We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle!

Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!

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