ICF is a mission-driven company filled with people who care deeply about improving the lives of others and making the world a better place. Our core values include embracing differences, collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth. We seek candidates who are passionate about building a culture that encourages, embraces, and hires dimensions of difference. We are fearless in finding new ways to solve problems, relentless in making sure it pays off for our clients, and committed to making a positive change in the world.
We are seeking a Senior Architect / Architect Technical Manager who combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership and client-facing skills to help federal agencies modernize legacy systems, migrate to the cloud, and deliver secure, data-driven, and mission-aligned solutions. This role spans enterprise application architecture, cloud and infrastructure modernization, DevSecOps, and data/AI-enabled platforms, while emphasizing mentorship, governance, and delivery excellence.
You will act as a trusted technical advisor to government clients, translating business objectives into scalable, secure architectures; leading multidisciplinary teams; and guiding programs through compliance, Authority to Operate (ATO), and production operations. Success in this role requires pragmatism, strong communication, and a belief that great architecture is achieved by enabling high-performing teams—not individual heroics.
Key Responsibilities
Architecture & Technical Leadership
Translate business and mission needs into end-to-end solution architectures using clear documentation and diagrams.
Design and govern secure, scalable cloud solutions across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS platforms (Azure).
Evaluate legacy and current systems (applications, data, infrastructure) and define modernization and migration roadmaps.
Own and maintain technical roadmaps, ensuring alignment with program delivery plans and business outcomes.
Perform proofs-of-concept and technology evaluations to inform architectural decisions.
Balance security, technical debt, feature delivery, cost, and operational risk in architectural trade-offs.
Estimate financial and operational impacts of architecture alternatives.
Cloud, DevSecOps & Platform Engineering
Lead large-scale cloud and hybrid-cloud migrations, including application and data workloads.
Champion DevSecOps practices within Agile and Scaled Agile environments.
Drive automation through Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, etc.), CI/CD pipelines, and container platforms (Docker, Kubernetes).
Collaborate with security teams to integrate NIST, FISMA, and organizational controls early in the SDLC.
Support operations, monitoring, and incident resolution for production and legacy systems.
Data, Analytics & AI Enablement
Oversee the design and delivery of scalable data architectures, ETL pipelines, and cloud-based analytics platforms.
Guide development of BI solutions, dashboards, and visualizations to deliver actionable insights.
Direct implementation of advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI/LLM solutions where appropriate.
Ensure data governance, quality, privacy, and security standards are consistently applied.
Client Engagement & Advisory
Serve as a trusted advisor to federal stakeholders and decision-makers.
Help clients define business cases for cloud, modernization, and data/AI initiatives.
Present architectural strategies and technical concepts to both technical and executive audiences.
Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and translate them into practical, mission-relevant recommendations.
People Leadership & Practice Development
Lead, mentor, and people-manage multidisciplinary teams of architects, engineers, and analysts.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.
Guide teams through architectural challenges and professional development.
Contribute to internal practice development, standards, templates, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Collaborate closely with Program Management, Security, and Account teams.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical field.
9+ years of experience in enterprise solution and/or cloud architecture.
8+ years of experience delivering customer-facing, production systems.
5+ years of experience leading or actively participating in at least one federal ATO at FISMA Moderate or higher.
5+ years of experience with modern programming languages and frameworks (e.g., Java, Python, JavaScript/Node.js, React, Angular, .NET).
5+ years of experience with at least one major cloud provider (Azure).
U.S. Citizenship required.
Ability to obtain (or active) Public Trust or higher clearance; active clearance preferred.
Cloud & Platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Appian
DevOps & Automation: Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines
Application & Data: Java, Python, JavaScript, SQL, Databricks, ETL tools
Analytics & AI: Tableau, Power BI, ML frameworks, LLMs, NLP
Collaboration & Delivery: Jira, Confluence, Agile/Scrum tools
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in a related field.
Strong understanding of security-by-design, risk management, and compliance in federal environments.
Proven ability to lead technical teams and communicate complex ideas clearly.
Federal public sector consulting experience.
Experience leading distributed or remote teams.
Azure certifications (Solutions Architect or equivalent).
Experience with microservices, serverless architectures, and event-driven systems.
Experience with containers and orchestration platforms (Kubernetes, OpenShift).
Knowledge of TOGAF, Agile, DevSecOps, and human-centered design practices.
Experience with data engineering, BI platforms, and AI/ML solutions.
Growth mindset with strong business acumen and facilitation skills.
Working at ICF
ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO policy.
We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.
Read more about workplace discrimination rights or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act.
At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.
However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at [email protected]. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.
The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is:
$158,819.00 - $269,993.00Maryland Remote Office (MD99)Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Colorado Tech Scene
Key Facts About Colorado Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 260,000; 8.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Lockheed Martin, Century Link, Comcast, BAE Systems, Level 3
- Key Industries: Software, artificial intelligence, aerospace, e-commerce, fintech, healthtech
- Funding Landscape: $4.9 billion in VC funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Access Venture Partners, Ridgeline Ventures, Techstars, Blackhorn Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, Colorado State University, Mesa Laboratory, Space Science Institute, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Gottlieb Institute
