# Systems Architect - TS/SCI w/ Poly required

- **Company:** Leading Path Consulting
- **Location:** McLean, VA, US (Not specified)
- **Salary:** Salary not disclosed
- **Contract:** Full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-10-13

## 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:
o As-is architecture documentation
o To-be architecture and detailed engineering designs
o 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:
o Infrastructure & Platform Engineers
o Software Engineers
o DevOps / DevSecOps Engineers
o Data Engineers (ETL)
o 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:
o Ability to brief executives clearly and translate technical issues into business impact
o 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
 Proven ability to own complex systems from design through production
Requirements
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:
o As-is architecture documentation
o To-be architecture and detailed engineering designs
o 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:
o Infrastructure & Platform Engineers
o Software Engineers
o DevOps / DevSecOps Engineers
o Data Engineers (ETL)
o 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:
o Ability to brief executives clearly and translate technical issues into business impact
o 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
 Proven ability to own complex systems from design through production
Benefits
Leading Path is an award-winning Information Technology and Management Consulting firm focused on providing solutions in process, technology, and operations to our government and Fortune 500 clients. We offer a professional and family friendly work environment with a strong work-life balance. Leading Path provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package including fully paid medical/dental/vision premiums, generous PTO, 11 Paid Holidays, 6% 401K contribution, annual training and tuition reimbursement, SPOT Award bonuses, regular team events, opportunities for professional growth and advancement and much more!

[Apply on the company site](https://www.joonow.com/en/job/systems-architect-ts-sci-w-poly-required-mclean-va-0vtc4vdcqc/apply)