Architect jobs in Reston, VA

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what's happening now and shape what's coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters-where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world. To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Person, defined as a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, Asylee, or Refugee. Note on Cleared Roles: If this position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance, applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration. Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status. Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). Please review the job details below. This position requires an active U.S. Government Security Clearance at the TS/SCI level with CI polygraph. Vantor is seeking an experienced Solutions Architect to lead the design, integration, and evolution of a comprehensive knowledge management platform - one that unifies AI-driven insights, data engineering, ontology development, and core application sustainment. This role bridges AI innovation with enterprise software architecture, ensuring that our solutions remain secure, scalable, and transformative across the mission space. Responsibilities: Strategic & Architectural Leadership · Engage directly with users and senior mission stakeholders to understand analytical, operational, and collaboration challenges. · Define the overall technical architecture for a knowledge management ecosystem encompassing platform, data, and AI components. · Translate mission and user needs into robust, scalable, and secure technical solutions. · Oversee end-to-end solution design - from data ingestion and curation to AI-driven analytics, knowledge graphing, and user-facing applications. AI & Generative AI Integration · Architect and guide the integration of LLMs and Generative AI capabilities for summarization, knowledge extraction, semantic search, and intelligent assistance within the mission environment. · Lead implementation of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), embedding pipelines, and LLM orchestration frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex, or in-house equivalents). · Work with data scientists to prototype, evaluate, and deploy AI models tailored to classified and secure settings. · Establish LLMOps and model governance practices to ensure performance, explainability, and compliance with security and mission standards. Data & Knowledge Architecture · Collaborate with data engineering teams to design data pipelines, ETL processes, and metadata management frameworks. · Lead the development and maintenance of ontologies, taxonomies, and semantic data models that enable cross-domain intelligence sharing and discovery. · Ensure data interoperability and accessibility across systems, with a focus on data provenance and quality. Platform Development & Sustainment · Oversee software engineering efforts for the knowledge management platform, including API integration, user interface design, and system sustainment. · Coordinate with DevSecOps teams to ensure seamless deployment, monitoring, and accreditation of systems. · Support continuous improvement of platform performance, scalability, and usability. · Mentor engineering teams and foster collaboration across AI, data, and software disciplines. Stakeholder & Mission Engagement · Regularly interface with technical and non-technical government stakeholders to communicate architecture decisions, technical trade-offs, and AI impacts. · Provide expert guidance on the responsible, secure, and mission-aligned adoption of AI technologies. Minimum Qualifications: · TS/SCI with current CI polygraph. · For a mid, have 6 years of experience with relevant experience within the last 2 years and a master's degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, statistics, operations research, engineering or equivalent technical fields. Degree may be substituted with an additional 6 years of experience. · For a senior, have 10 years of experience with relevant experience within the last 2 years & a master's Degree in Computer Science, mathematics, physics, statistics, operations research, engineering, or equivalent technical field. Degree may be substituted with an additional 6 years of experience. · Proven experience leading complex, multi-component software systems, ideally involving AI/ML, data engineering, and cloud-based architecture. · Strong understanding of LLMs, Generative AI frameworks, and knowledge representation (ontologies, graph databases, metadata standards). · Demonstrated success integrating AI within larger enterprise or mission platforms. · Familiarity with DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment of AI/ML systems in secure environments. · Excellent communication skills and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams. · Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset. Preferred Qualifications: · DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification. · Cloud Architecture certification (AWS, Azure, GCP). · Experience with semantic technologies (RDF, OWL, SPARQL) and graph databases (Neo4j, AWS Neptune, etc.). · Hands-on experience with vector databases, AI model fine-tuning, and prompt engineering. · Background in data governance, information management, or knowledge engineering. · Experience applying Generative AI to intelligence analysis, document management, or workflow automation. Pay Transparency: In support of pay transparency at Vantor, we disclose salary ranges on all U.S. job postings. The successful candidate's starting pay will fall within the salary range provided below and is determined based on job-related factors, including, but not limited to, the experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills, geographic work location, and market conditions. Candidates with the minimum necessary experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skillsets for the position should not expect to receive the upper end of the pay range. ● The base pay for this position within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is: $170,000.00 - $284,000.00 annually. For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range. Benefits: Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: ****************************** Additionally, this position is incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved; the specific incentive plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions. The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting. To apply, submit your application via Vantor's Career page. EEO Policy: Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.