Principal Solution Architect

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.
Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.
Title: Data EngineerClearance: Secret/Top Secret clearanceLocation: Arlington, VA; Falls Church, VA; Overview: Agile Defense is seeking a Principal Solution Architect to guide the design, integration, and deployment of scalable data and AI platforms in support of the DRAID CDAO ADA IR program. This role will provide technical leadership across a cloud-native environment that includes Databricks, EC2, Tableau, JIRA, and emerging tools such as Apogee and Palantir. The ideal candidate brings expertise in infrastructure-as-code, platform automation, API deployment, and system integration to lead DevSecOps readiness across distributed environments supporting Combatant Commands and Joint Staff operations.  You will work alongside product teams, data scientists, platform engineers, and customer stakeholders to design resilient systems, define architecture documentation, and ensure secure and performant operations. This role bridges strategy and implementation—supporting platform scale, reliability, and innovation while mentoring teams and managing technical risks.  As a Solution Architect at Agile Defense, you will be joining a team of professionals that secure, scalable data architectures and AI/ML pipelines. This role will support data science and engineering activities, partnering with product teams, data engineers, mission stakeholders, and technologists to unlock the value of structured and unstructured data in support of national defense priorities. You will implement data engineering activities and develop and deploy the pipelines and platforms that organize and make complicated data meaningful. 
 Responsibilities/Duties:    Objective #1: Define and Lead Platform Architecture and Infrastructure Design ·      Architect secure, scalable, and cloud-native solutions across AI, data, and analytics platforms. ·      Design resilient system architectures that support failover, COOP requirements, and continuous availability. ·      Oversee infrastructure readiness and ensure alignment with program scalability and performance objectives. ·      Create detailed architecture diagrams, technical documentation, and deployment playbooks to support system integration.  Objective #2: Lead API Management, Automation, and Operational Readiness·      Configure, deploy, and troubleshoot RESTful APIs across distributed systems and data environments. ·      Implement automation for system deployment, monitoring, backup, and recovery using infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible). ·      Tune platform performance and drive continuous optimization of operations in environments such as EC2 and Databricks. ·      Support continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) and observability for system health and availability.

Objective #3: Drive System Integration and Interoperability Across Platforms ·      Ensure seamless interoperability across legacy systems, mission platforms, and new technologies like Avana and Palantir. ·      Define interface standards and manage dependencies across multiple platforms and data pipelines. ·      Conduct technical risk assessments, validate configurations, and proactively identify gaps in integration architecture. ·      Collaborate with data and security teams to align technical solutions with governance, compliance, and mission requirements.

 Objective #4: Support Agile Delivery and Collaborate Across Cross-Functional Teams ·      Participate in agile ceremonies and program increment planning to integrate technical architecture into delivery workflows. ·      Collaborate with developers, engineers, and product managers to translate requirements into scalable and secure technical solutions. ·      Act as a technical liaison to customer stakeholders, supporting pre-deployment readiness and technical briefings. ·      Conduct code and architecture reviews, championing secure development practices and scalable design patterns. ·      Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and developers across the program. ·      Define and communicate architecture strategy, standards, and best practices across delivery teams. ·      Contribute to Agile Defense's technical community by sharing lessons learned and evolving reusable patterns.
Preferred Skills/Qualifications:·      2+ years of experience working with Palantir Foundry·      2+ years of experience working with Advana
Required Skills/Qualifications:·      6+ years of experience with data analytics, data engineering, statistical analysis, or artificial intelligence and machine learning·      6+ years of experience with major data science languages, including Python and R·      6+ years of experience retrieving, merging, and analyzing structured and unstructured data sources from APIs and databases, including through R, Python, or SQL·      2+ years of experience developing and documenting organizational standards for Data Storage, Data Transformation, and Metadata Management·      Experience with ETL processing·      Bachelor's degree in computer sciences, information systems, engineering or other related technical discipline. Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental. Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together. Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together. 
What makes us Agile? We call it the 6Hs, the values that define our culture and guide everything we do. Together, these values infuse vibrancy, integrity, and a tireless work ethic into advancing the most important national security and critical civilian missions. It's how we show up every day. It's who we are.
We also believe in supporting our employees by offering a competitive and comprehensive benefits package. To explore the benefits we offer, please visit our website under the Careers section.
Happy - Be Infectious.Happiness multiplies and creates a positive and connected environment where motivation and satisfaction have an outsized effect on everything we do.
Helpful - Be Supportive.Being helpful is the foundation of teamwork, resulting in a supportive atmosphere where collaboration flourishes, and collective success is celebrated.
Honest - Be Trustworthy.Honesty serves as our compass, ensuring transparent communication and ethical conduct, essential to who we are and the complex domains we support.
Humble - Be Grounded.Success is not achieved alone, humility ensures a culture of mutual respect, encouraging open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another and take on any task.
Hungry - Be Eager.Our hunger for excellence drives an insatiable appetite for innovation and continuous improvement, propelling us forward in the face of new and unprecedented challenges.
Hustle - Be Driven.Hustle is reflected in our relentless work ethic, where we are each committed to going above and beyond to advance the mission and achieve success.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities