Solution Architect

RESULTS. INNOVATION. VALUES. ACCOUNTABILITY. 

That’s RIVA. 

We’re a mission-driven IT services company and systems integrator supporting digital transformation and modernization for federal government agencies. Since 2009, we’ve partnered with our customers to solve complex challenges through smart, practical innovation to deliver real outcomes where they matter most. Our teams are made up of industry-leading experts who are passionate about doing great work and making a difference. We don’t just develop solutions, we support efforts that strengthen communities and serve the public good. 

RIVA’s culture is built on four core values: Results, Innovation, Values, and Accountability. They guide how we work, how we collaborate, and how we measure success. Our employee-first approach is rooted in trust, ownership, and meaningful work. By investing in our people and fostering a flexible, supportive environment, employees have the opportunity to grow their skills, contribute ideas, and make an impact from day one. all while supporting missions that matter. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with the Census Bureau project team to analyze the Census technical environment and deliver a finalized operational and technical solution architecture based on Government requirements.
• Design the integrated architecture across business, application, data, technical, and security layers, consistent with Census Bureau systems engineering and requirements management standards.
• Define interfaces and data exchanges with CHEC, CAMPIN, and other Government-designated systems, including fingerprint package delivery, selectee data receipt, transaction confirmation, and reconciliation.
• Author or accept Interface Control Documents and Interconnection Security Agreements for every Government interface, and validate the content of each transaction (for example, required fields in XML messages) before it reaches CHEC.
• Select and integrate FBI-certified fingerprint capture devices that meet FBI NGI Image Quality Specifications and facial photography equipment that meets Government image quality standards.
• Architect the badge production platform, including templates, printer connectivity, inventory tracking, shipment tracking, receipt confirmation, chain-of-custody controls, and audit logging.
• Architect the non-employee onboarding portal, including electronic forms and signatures, document upload, applicant and Government dashboards, review workflows, and secure transmission.
• Design for elastic scale, high availability, and continuity of operations, including geographically separate primary and COOP processing environments with load balancing and failover.
• Evaluate and, where proposed, design automation, AI, or machine learning features for suitability review support, with human oversight, validation, error controls, and auditability.
• Maintain architecture artifacts, interface control documents, and requirements traceability, and chair technical design reviews.
• Represent the solution at Census governance forums such as the Architecture Review Board, Integrated Product Team meetings, and the SDLC Community of Excellence.
• Ensure the solution supports FedRAMP Moderate or higher if cloud-based, and builds in NIST SP 800-53 controls from the start in partnership with the Security Lead.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or a related field.
• 12 or more years of IT experience, including at least 7 years as a solution or enterprise architect on federal systems.
• Hands-on architecture of cloud-hosted systems in FedRAMP authorized environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or equivalent).
• Experience designing integrations with Government systems of record using secure file transfer, APIs, and VPN interconnections governed by ISAs.
• Experience specifying FIPS 140 validated encryption in transit and at rest, PKI certificate authentication, and dedicated VPN tunnels for PII exchanges.
• Working knowledge of biometric standards, including ANSI/NIST-ITL and FBI EBTS, and integration with FBI-certified livescan devices.
• Ability to obtain a Department of Commerce (DOC) Background Investigation and Census Special Sworn Status.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with an FBI-approved channeling solution, FBI Rap Back, or a SaaS fingerprint processing platform.
• Architecture experience on identity management, credentialing, or biometric enrollment programs (for example, the 2020 Census Fingerprinting Program, HSPD-12, TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, USCIS ASC, or similar).
• Experience with badge or card production systems and inventory tracking.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or TOGAF.
• Experience with case management or low-code platforms such as ServiceNow, Salesforce, or Pega.

This position is a contingent hire opportunity on a proposal proposal effort.

The salary or salary range for this role reflects an estimated range informed by multiple compensation factors. Final offers may vary based on considerations such as relevant experience, education and training, critical skillsets, and overall business needs.

Pay range

$179,000—$205,000 USD

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY & ACCOMMODATION

We believe great teams are built from different backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences, and we mean that beyond the buzzwords. 

RIVA is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need an accommodation at any point in our process, send an email to [email protected], we'll be happy to help.

VETERAN SUPPORT & ACCESSIBILITY

As a federal contractor, RIVA follows the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, supporting the employment and advancement of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. If you're a veteran, we encourage you to self-identify during the application process, it helps us track our hiring commitments and, in some cases, may support priority referral for open roles.

RIVA also invites applicants to voluntarily self-identify as having a disability during the application process, not because it affects your chances of being hired, but because it helps us measure how well we're living up to our commitments and identify where we can do better. Your response is confidential and entirely optional.