Senior Platform Architect

Overview:

Expression is seeking a Senior Platform Architect to shape the direction of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Federal Spectrum Data Systems (FSDS) platform within the U.S. Department of Commerce, planning architecture and integration across its components with Expression engineering teams and NTIA stakeholders. The role treats the platform as a product that evolves with the needs of the teams using it.

The FSDS program supports the modernization of federal spectrum management systems through improved technology, automation, data integration, and interoperability. These systems help NTIA manage federal spectrum use and support essential government missions. FSDS is a platform made up of multiple applications, data services, and shared infrastructure components that work together across unclassified and classified environments. At its core is a data lakehouse in Azure Government that ingests, governs, and serves federal spectrum data.

In this role, you will architect and guide the shared cloud platforms that engineering teams use to develop, deploy, and run applications, data services, and analytics across Azure Commercial and Azure Government, including classified Azure Government Secret environments. You will work closely with the DevOps, security, and operations teams that build and run the platform day to day. You should be comfortable making architecture decisions, weighing technical tradeoffs, and turning one-off solutions into capabilities other teams can use.

Location: Washington, DC (3 days/week on-site at Expression office or customer site).

Clearance Requirement: Active Secret clearance or higher is required.

Platform Strategy & Integration

• Own the FSDS platform roadmap across its component systems, aligning priorities with NTIA program goals, application team needs, and security requirements.
• Define target-state architecture and integration patterns that connect FSDS applications, data services, and external federal systems.
• Lead architecture as the platform matures and expands to new environments.
• Weigh architecture tradeoffs across cost, security, operability, and the constraints of federal environments.
• Lead technical planning for new FSDS capabilities, migrations, and environment expansions, including scope, dependencies, sequencing, and estimates.
• Serve as the platform’s technical lead with NTIA and partner government teams, presenting architecture options, tradeoffs, and recommendations.
• Coordinate with Expression application, data, and security teams so platform decisions support delivery across all parts of FSDS.
• Document architecture decisions and design rationale so teams and stakeholders understand why the platform works the way it does.

Platform Architecture

• Define the Azure platform architecture for unclassified and classified FSDS environments.
• Set direction for shared platform services, including networking, identity, secrets management, container platforms, and configuration management.
• Establish platform standards for consistency, scalability, security, and cost across development, test, and production.
• Review Infrastructure as Code and Kubernetes designs with DevOps engineers so implementations stay aligned with the target architecture.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Work closely with DevOps engineers on delivery pipelines, deployment patterns, and restricted-environment constraints, giving architecture direction rather than doing day-to-day implementation.
• Partner with security teams so Commerce, NTIA, and federal requirements shape the architecture from the start, and give design input to RMF and ATO activities.
• Support operations teams on observability, resilience, and recovery approaches, and give architecture guidance during major incidents.
• Work with developers and data engineers to identify delivery bottlenecks and prioritize platform improvements.

Technical Leadership

• Maintain architecture diagrams, design documents, and platform lifecycle plans.
• Guide platform upgrades, capacity planning, and production transitions.
• Mentor engineers and communicate technical tradeoffs to stakeholders.

Technology Environment

• Data lakehouse: Apache Iceberg, Apache Polaris, and Trino on Azure Data Lake Storage.
• Data and metadata services: PostgreSQL, OpenMetadata, and Elasticsearch.
• Processing and orchestration: Azure Data Factory, containerized Spark jobs, and Python Azure Functions.
• Identity and security: Microsoft Entra ID, managed identities, Azure Key Vault, and private networking.
• Delivery: Bicep with Azure Verified Modules, GitLab CI, and hardened container images with vulnerability scanning and SBOMs.
• Analytics: Tableau.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field and five or more years of relevant platform, DevOps, or cloud engineering experience, or eight or more years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
• Experience defining architecture for multi-component platforms or programs, including integration patterns, target-state designs, and technical roadmaps.
• Experience working directly with government customers or program stakeholders to gather requirements, present technical options, and drive decisions.
• Experience designing infrastructure in Azure Commercial and Azure Government.
• Experience with platforms in classified or similarly restricted federal environments.
• Working knowledge of Infrastructure as Code, Kubernetes, and CI/CD practices, enough to guide and review DevOps implementations.
• Working knowledge of cloud networking, identity and access management, secrets management, and observability.
• Ability to make sound architecture decisions, document solutions, and collaborate with developers, DevOps engineers, security personnel, and customer stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating Azure Government Secret platforms.
• Experience building internal developer platforms or self-service provisioning portals.
• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-53 controls, RMF, ATO processes, and STIG implementation.
• Familiarity with platform security tools such as Nessus, SonarQube, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Aqua Security, or comparable products.
• Hands-on experience with Terraform, Bicep, Docker, Kubernetes, or Helm.
• Experience with data lakehouse architectures using Apache Iceberg, Trino, or comparable table formats and query engines.
• Experience with data catalog and governance tools such as OpenMetadata.
• Experience designing for disconnected or air-gapped deployments.
• Experience with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, Prometheus, or Grafana.
• Experience supporting shared database or search services such as SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, or OpenSearch.
• Experience enabling data engineering or machine learning workloads on platforms such as Apache Spark, Azure Data Factory, or related technologies.
• Experience with GitOps, policy as code, Kubernetes operators, or service mesh technologies.
• Relevant Azure, Kubernetes, or cloud security certifications.

Benefits:

Expression offers competitive salaries and benefits, such as:

• 401k matching
• PPO and HDHP medical/dental/vision insurance
• Education reimbursement
• Complimentary life insurance
• Generous PTO and holiday leave
• Onsite office gym access
• Commuter Benefits Plan

About Expression:

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Washington DC, Expression provides data fusion, data analytics, AI/ML, software engineering, information technology, and electromagnetic spectrum management solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Commerce, and the national security community. Expression’s culture focuses on creating immediate and sustainable value for our clients via agile delivery of tailored solutions built through constant engagement with our clients.

We make sure to provide everyone with the tools and opportunities to grow while working on some of the newest technologies in the industry. We get excited about celebrating our professionals' milestones, accomplishments, promotions, overcoming challenges, and many other aspects that make an engaging collaborative environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Expression is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please submit your request to our Human Resources department through the application portal.