Enterprise Architect

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), is NASA's science operations center for missions including the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. STScI leads observation planning, data analysis, public engagement, and data archiving for flagship missions. Our staff spans astronomy, engineering, education, IT, communications, and administration-working together to bring space science to the world. This position can support hybrid work. Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to our local market. (MD, DE, VA, PA, DC & WV). This position requires US Citizenship or Permanent Residence in order to meet ITAR requirements.

Description

The Enterprise Architect (EA) is responsible for the alignment of the STScIs use of technology with the organizations missions, strategy, and processes. The EA has a broad technical understanding and a global view of the need of all missions and divisions. They ensure that the solutions are well-documented, well-architected, appropriate for use, secure, compliant, stable, sustainable, avoid duplication, and based on modern best practices and technologies regardless of organizational owner. In addition to broad contribution to the STScI core technical infrastructure, the EA works with the STScI Chief Engineers and others to help ensure that the choices initiated within divisions leverage common solutions, infrastructures, and technologies where practical and feasible.

The EA will have extensive knowledge of the mission, business, engineering, and science priorities for the Institute. The EA will work with all missions and divisions to ensure that requirements are well defined with an emphasis of outcome needs over prescribed products, applications, or hardware. A clear understanding of business requirements and how these are translated into actual solutions is a key part of this positions responsibility.

Responsibilities

Focus is on the assessment, elicitation, decomposition, and baselining of functional and non-functional requirements. Support technical architecture and design of systems in a way that ensures compliance with certification, regulatory standards, and a technology-based information security program.

Improve the system requirements process by studying existing implementations, identifying and implementing process and technical improvements.

Coordinate across missions and divisions to ensure that current and future mission needs are accommodated in early design and procurement decisions, including as a leading member of the Architecture Review Board.

Validate that technical solutions fit within product roadmaps, can be implemented within the proposed schedules and resources, and that long-term total cost of ownership is understood and documented.

Guide migration estimation and planning that includes current total cost of ownership, data and system migration and cutover, and future total cost of ownership, particularly as it relates to moving to SaaS solutions.

Coordinate efforts with the Chief Engineers to create cross-domain / integrated technology, toolchain, and process solutions that drive improved consistency.

Work with the Cloud Infrastructure group to design and implement integrations of core IT systems with cloud provisioning IaC.

Work with the Data Center group to plan on-premises, private/public/hybrid cloud, and colocation-based scenarios to ensure that STScl has room for cost-effective growth in its technology footprint.

Facilitate pilot programs of solutions and gather feedback from stakeholders.

Maintain system protocols, architecture, requirements, and associated design documents by enforcing traceability, updating procedures, analyzing system and program changes.

Help communicate existing solutions and changes across the organization.

Understand systems used by NASA and other AURA centers to guide integration and/or alignment where appropriate.

Required Qualifications

7+ years of progressively responsible experience as Chief Architect or IT Architecture lead

3+ years of experience supporting technical aspects of an organization of 200+ employees

5+ years of experience managing migrating on-prem systems to SaaS environments

5+ years of experience with SaaS productivity and collaboration tools such as Google Workspace, M365, Box

2+ years of hands-on experience with modern Identity Provider solutions such as Okta, Auth0, AWS Cognito, Keycloak and integrating with Active Directory

Significant experience with Atlassian products including Jira, Confluence, Product Discovery, Compass

Experience with containerization and Kubernetes, ideally both on-prem and in the cloud

Experience helping to establish AI policies and introducing AI services across an organization

Bachelor's degree

Substitution of additional relevant education or experience for stated qualifications will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

10+ years of progressively responsible experience as Chief Architect or IT Architecture lead

5+ years of experience supporting technical aspects of an organization of 200+ employees

Experience with observability, SIEM, and cost tools such as Datadog, Splunk, CrowdStrike

Experience with ServiceNow, third-party modules, and complex workflows

Experience with modern workflow orchestration tools like Zapier, n8n.io

Experience creating architectural diagrams with tools like Mural, Lucid, Mermaid

Experience leveraging Enterprise Architecture Management solutions

Our excellent benefits include:

Employer retirement contribution - direct STScI contribution of 10% of your salary from your first day

12 days sick leave, up to 24 days' vacation, and 10 paid holidays

Flexible work schedule with healthy work/life balance

Comprehensive medical/dental/vision/prescription plans, and more!

Salary range is $150 - $175k. Final compensation is based on experience, skills, internal equity, and market conditions.

Application link - Enterprise Architect

Applications received by 03/19/2026 will receive full consideration. Applications received after this date will be considered until the position is filled.

Reference #:0015630

Individuals needing assistance with the employment process can contact us at careers@stsci.edu.