Strategic Systems Architect

Join to apply for the Strategic Systems Architect role at Bixal

Important Notice for Applicants: At Bixal, we want to ensure a transparent and secure application process for all candidates. Official communication will come from an email address ending in  or from  Messages from other sources may be fraudulent, and you should exercise care to avoid any links or attachments.

Bixal will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Need Assistance or a Reasonable Accommodation? If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation to complete your application, we re here to help. Please reach out to us at  and let us know how we can support you. You do not need to share personal details or disclose the nature of your request. You can expect a response from a team member within 24 hours during the regular work week and on the next operating day during the weekend or holidays.

About the role

The Strategic Systems Architect will define and guide the long-term technical vision for data initiatives in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) at CMS, ensuring architectural alignment across teams and stakeholders while enabling scalable, secure, and cost-effective solutions. In this senior technical leadership role, you’ll partner with engineering, security, product, and CMCS stakeholders to deliver on mission-driven outcomes, championing usability, performance, and sustainability along the way.

This is a full-time position contingent on contract award by our client, with a defined performance period of one year with two one-year option periods. This role offers a meaningful opportunity to contribute to a project aligned with Bixal’s mission. While the role has a fixed duration, we are committed to transparency and collaboration, keeping you informed about contract updates and new opportunities.

Bixal supports your professional journey and aims to prepare you for future success.

Compensation
:
The salary range for this role is $155,000 – $170,000
. Offers tend to land near the midpoint, and compensation is determined with regard to experience, skills, and internal equity.

Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Strategic Vision
  • Define and communicate the long-term architectural roadmap for CMCS programs and platforms.
  • Collaborate with engineering leads to ensure architecture supports execution.
  • Oversee the creation and maintenance of system architecture diagrams and documentation.
  • Align architectural approaches with CMCS priorities and cross-functional partner teams.
  • Lead solution design reviews and ensure architectural cohesion across components.
• Governance & Technical Oversight
  • Chair the Design Review Group (DRG), facilitating architecture decisions and cross-team alignment.
  • Ensure all team members and stakeholders are informed of architecture decisions.
  • Support ATO requirements and security oversight in collaboration with the Security Lead.
  • Review technical deliverables for strategic alignment, scalability, and security impact.
• Resource & Cost Management
  • Serve as the primary architecture liaison to CMCS for cost, budget, and cloud resource planning.
  • Guide forecasting and management of usage, licensing, and platform costs (e.g., Databricks, AWS).
  • Lead cost optimization efforts and provide data-driven insights on platform spend.
• Stakeholder & Vendor Engagement
  • Act as a thought partner to CMCS product owners for technical planning and prioritization.
  • Coordinate with external vendors to resolve platform issues and maintain roadmap alignment.
  • Bring a user-centered lens to infrastructure and security decisions.
• Decision Domains
  • Architectural Standards & Principles – Establish CMS-aligned standards, patterns, and best practices.
  • Technology Selection & Integration – Recommend technologies and integration approaches aligned with CMS objectives and compliance.
  • Solution Design Approval – Review designs to meet architectural, security, scalability, and performance criteria.
  • Governance & Compliance – Define processes for architectural governance…