NCBI Enterprise Software and Solutions Architect

About the role

Experienced Enterprise Software and Solution Architect to provide cross-functional technical leadership in aligning IT strategy with the research, development, and operational goals of the program. The focus is on agile delivery of enabling and holistic IT solutions, digital transformation, and platform modernization in support of the mission at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This role works across NLM/NCBI divisions and branches to define, develop, and promote enterprise architecture (EA), solution standards, and governance, ensuring alignment with infrastructure, operational requirements, and cybersecurity compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead, promote, and inspire crosscutting adoption of Enterprise Architecture (EA) practices and principles.
• Capture and document the current state of software solutions, technology stacks, and system processes into a comprehensive catalog.
• Identify gaps in the current EA and develop a roadmap and implementation plan based on current vs. future state analysis.
• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders and cross-functional groups to develop consensus around the EA process.
• Own the EA process from input capture to implementation, focusing on high-priority projects and strategic initiatives.
• Provide deep subject matter expertise, advice, and coaching while being a creative and flexible consensus-builder.
• Stay current with new technologies and emerging best practices, both traditional and modern.
• Lead development of prototypes and contribute to MVP efforts, optimizing for speed of delivery.
• Ensure solution architectures address business, application, information, and infrastructure requirements.
• Partner with CTO, architects, Technical Program Managers (TPMs), product owners, tech leads, DevOps, and engineers to align solutions with EA standards and cybersecurity requirements.
• Champion organizational priorities and architect solution designs, including evaluation of options, buy vs. build decisions, and early-phase project estimates.
• Establish an EA "community of practice" to foster collaboration, evaluate emerging technologies, and propose adoption paths.

Team Leadership

• Lead a team of Enterprise Software and Solution Architects.
• Define success metrics and KPIs for the team and individual contributors, measuring outcomes and assessing effectiveness.
• Ensure team members understand their duties and responsibilities.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and empowerment to exceed expectations.
• Select candidates and conduct interviews for open positions.
• Handle administrative supervisory duties, including attendance tracking and performance feedback.

Requirements

• Management, leadership, and coaching skills.
• Customer-focused, team-oriented disposition.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both oral and written.
• Strong soft skills and demonstrated ability to work with customers, peers, and management.
• Sound judgment, integrity, and responsibility.
• Experience as an Enterprise, Software, and/or Solution Architect.
• Generalist technical skills across the stack; expertise in at least one programming language.
• Solid Linux skills.
• Experience with cloud technologies.
• Deep understanding of architectural building blocks such as web application firewalls, load balancers, gateways, proxies, caching, queuing, messaging, data streaming systems, SQL and NoSQL data stores, and file systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Cloud Native technologies such as Kubernetes, containers, service mesh, and related observability tooling.
• Familiarity with API best practices, identity access management (IAM), and security concepts, frameworks, and systems.
• Familiarity with workflow products and frameworks.
• Understanding of Agile processes.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. in a STEM field (Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics).
• OR equivalent industry experience in Software Development.

Schedule

This opportunity is full time and onsite at the NIH in Bethesda, MD and/or remote work.