Lead Application Architect

Location: Suitland, MD (Census HQ) area, hybrid

Terms: Full-time

Clearance: Public Trust (must be able to obtain)

Founded in 2004,
Sara Software Systems LLC is a woman-owned, minority-owned, SBA-certified 8(a) small business delivering enterprise IT modernization solutions to federal agencies and commercial organizations. Our services span application development and modernization, Agile transformation, cloud engineering, data and AI solutions, secure software development, Dev Sec Ops , cybersecurity, and enterprise program management.

As a process-driven, quality-focused company appraised at CMMI Maturity Level 3 for both Development and Services, and certified at CMMC Level 2, we help mission-critical organizations modernize legacy systems, strengthen their security posture, and scale digital transformation.

Project Description

This position supports Sara Software Systems LLC’s federal customer as part of an application transformation and modernization initiative.

This program is driving a large-scale transformation of systems into a data-centric, cloud-native ecosystem capable of supporting high-volume, near real-time data processing and advanced analytics. The work includes modernization of legacy applications, development of new cloud-native solutions, and implementation of Dev Sec Ops  and scaled Agile practices across the organization.

The core challenge: orchestrating complex, multi-contractor delivery while transforming both technology and operating models without disrupting mission-critical operations.

Position Description

As a Lead Application Architect at Sara Software Systems LLC, you will define and drive enterprise application architecture strategy across a complex portfolio of systems, teams, and modernization initiatives.

You will operate at the intersection of architecture, engineering, security, and delivery, ensuring applications are scalable, maintainable, secure, and aligned with enterprise standards and mission outcomes. You will guide modernization efforts, enforce architectural governance, and coordinate across multiple vendors, technical teams, and stakeholders.

This role requires someone who can balance long-term architectural vision with practical execution, particularly in environments transitioning from legacy systems to open-source, cloud-native platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead application architecture strategy and governance across enterprise modernization initiatives
• Define and implement scalable, cloud-native application architectures using open-source technologies and modern integration patterns
• Guide modernization of legacy and on-premises systems into microservices-based and event-driven architectures
• Design and support APIs, messaging systems, event streaming, and system-of-systems integrations
• Support AI/ML-enabled application architectures, including model integration, deployment, and operationalization
• Align application architectures with enterprise data strategies, including data governance, data quality, lifecycle management, and real-time processing
• Support Census-style survey and data lifecycle systems, including data ingest, ETL pipelines, transformation, analytics, and dissemination workflows
• Ensure architectures align with federal security and compliance requirements including NIST, FedRAMP, FISMA, Zero Trust, MFA, secure SDLC, and ATO support processes
• Enable Dev Sec Ops  practices through architecture supporting CI/CD automation, security validation, and infrastructure-as-code
• Collaborate across multiple contractors, engineering teams, architects, and stakeholders to ensure architectural alignment and interoperability
• Lead architecture reviews, establish standards, and enforce best practices across delivery teams
• Ensure applications meet requirements for…