Job Specifications
Thank you for considering IT Concepts dba Kentro, where innovation drives opportunity and collaboration leads to success. Our dynamic community of experts is fully committed to advancing our customers' missions, fostering professional growth, and making a positive impact on our communities.
By joining our supportive community, you will find that Kentro is dedicated to your personal and professional development. Together, we can drive meaningful change, spark innovation, and achieve extraordinary milestones.
Kentro is seeking a Principal Solutions Architect to serve as the Technical Authority for our Federal Health and Benefits portfolio, with a primary focus on the Social Security Administration (SSA). This is a high-impact, strategic role for a leader capable of defining the "To-Be" architecture for one of the federal government's largest and most complex IT ecosystems.
Unlike a traditional architect, the Principal Architect does not just design solutions; they govern the technical vision. You will bridge the gap between legacy mainframe environments and modern cloud-native architectures, translating complex legislative and mission requirements into secure, scalable, and compliant technology roadmaps. You will serve as the primary technical liaison to GS-15 and SES-level stakeholders, balancing modernization goals with the strict risk, cost, and compliance constraints of the federal government.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Architecture & Modernization Authority:
Modernization Strategy: Define cohesive, end-to-end architecture blueprints that transition legacy workloads (e.g., Mainframe/COBOL) to modern, future-ready cloud environments (AWS/Azure/Hybrid) without disrupting mission-critical benefit delivery.
Data Architecture: Lead the development of a transparent and accessible data ecosystem that improves data discovery and usability, enables actionable insights, and strengthens public trust in SSA data.
Analysis of Alternatives (AoA): Lead high-level trade-off analyses to select the optimal mix of COTS, SaaS, and custom software, ensuring decisions align with the client's specific constraints regarding data privacy and transaction volume.
Technical Governance: Establish and enforce enterprise architecture guardrails and Authority to Operate (ATO) ensuring all designs comply with NIST 800-53, Zero Trust, Section 508 (Accessibility), and client specific security mandates.
Risk Management: Evaluate solution viability through rigorous feasibility studies and technical risk assessments, specifically addressing the challenges of data migration and interoperability in a federal environment.
Technical Leadership & Engineering Culture:
Lead the Leaders: Coach and empower Senior Solution Architects and engineering leads. You are not just a mentor; you are the standard-bearer for engineering discipline and architectural quality across the organization.
Cross-Functional Command: Direct cross-functional engineering teams through the full lifecycle—from capture and design to delivery—ensuring solutions meet the extreme performance and reliability standards required for national entitlement programs.
Innovation vs. Stability: Drive enterprise innovation by piloting emerging technologies (e.g. AI/ML for fraud detection, Intelligent Automation for claims processing) while converting these capabilities into scalable, compliant standards.
Customer Engagement & Executive Advisory:
Trusted Advisor: Act as the strategic technical partner to SSA leadership and program offices, translating complex "tech-speak" into clear value propositions aligned with the agency's goal of improving customer experience and operational efficiency.
Stakeholder Alignment: Present high-stakes architecture decisions, roadmaps, and ROI analyses to non-technical executive audiences to drive informed decision-making and secure buy-in for modernization initiatives.
Business Development & Capture Support:
Solution Champion: Partner with Sales and Capture teams to lead the technical volume development for major SSA proposals. You will shape the "Win Strategy" by demonstrating deep understanding of the customer's business needs and pain points (e.g., backlog reduction, system interoperability).
Market Differentiation: Identify growth opportunities by demonstrating how architectural innovation (e.g., DevSecOps maturity, Automated Governance) delivers measurable business value to the government
Location: Hybrid in Woodlawn, MD
Salary Range: $200,000-$220,000 annually. Factors influencing pay within this range include geography, market demand, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate.
Requirements
Education: Master's degree preferred (Bachelor's required) in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related field.
Experience: 12+ years of progressive IT experience, with at least 7+ years in senior or principal technical leadership roles (e.g., Chief Architect, Principal Systems Engineer).
Federal Domain
About the Company
IT Concepts has transformed into Kentro - your center for innovation, excellence, and growth. Our new name reflects our commitment to being at the core of your needs, delivering solutions that empower your mission and drive success. While our look has evolved, our dedication to exceptional service and impactful results remains stronger than ever. Founded in 2003, Kentro lives its values of customer commitment, accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and integrity through every partnership and project. We foster a c...
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