Automation Architect -SME

Responsibilities

Join Peraton in advancing the safety, efficiency, and modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS) through the FAA’s Brand-New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) contract. As a trusted partner to the Federal Aviation Administration, Peraton helps deliver the systems and services that keep our nation’s skies safe and connected. We’re looking for innovative professionals who thrive in mission-critical environments and are passionate about shaping the future of air traffic management. This is your chance to make an impact on one of the world’s most vital transportation infrastructures, working alongside leaders in aviation, engineering, data science, and systems integration.

 

At Peraton, you won’t just support the mission you’ll define it.  Lead the work that keeps America flying safely.

 

Help shape the future of U.S. airspace safety and efficiency. We are seeking an Automation Architect -SME to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. The ideal candidate will lead the design, implementation, and oversight of automation strategies supporting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

 

Work Location:

• This position is 100% on-site, primarily located in Herndon, VA.
• Travel, as needed

In this position, you will:

In this senior technical role, you will provide strategic vision, architecture leadership, and technical expertise to enable the success of FAA Automation systems, including infrastructure, testing, cybersecurity, deployment, documentation, and operations workflows. You will guide modernization initiatives through automation that enhances efficiency, scalability, and reliability. This position offers an excellent opportunity to gain in-depth experience in federal contracting while supporting high-visibility aviation programs.

 

Systems Engineering & Technical Analysis

• Perform end-to-end systems engineering across the full lifecycle, including requirements, design, integration, verification, validation, and implementation.
• Develop and evaluate system concepts, architectures, trade studies, and technical analyses to optimize system performance and integration.
• Review existing system architectures, requirements, interface definitions, engineering decisions, integration plans, and supporting technical documentation.
• Assess the current technical environment to identify integration gaps, dependencies, inconsistencies, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Evaluate technical alternatives and provide recommendations to customer and program leadership.

System Integration & Solution Development

• Work directly with customers and solution providers to define, evaluate, and develop system integration solutions that support mission and operational objectives.
• Develop and maintain technical integration plans, interface documentation, technical assessments, risk assessments, decision documentation, and recommendations.
• Coordinate integration activities across systems, interfaces, hardware, software, and supporting technical environments.
• Participate in system-level reviews and provide hands-on support for integration, verification, validation, and testing activities.
• Ensure integration solutions remain aligned with customer requirements, program priorities, technical objectives, and applicable FAA processes.

FAA & Customer Technical Interface

• Serve as a technical bridge between FAA processes, customer requirements, engineering organizations, solution providers, and system integration teams.
• Translate FAA policies, processes, requirements, and technical objectives into actionable engineering and integration activities.
• Establish strong working relationships with customers, solution providers, internal engineering organizations, vendors, and program leadership.
• Facilitate discussions across internal and external organizations to resolve system, interface, architecture, and integration challenges.

Technical Leadership & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Lead cross-functional engineering teams through technical analysis, solution development, integration planning, testing, and implementation.
• Coordinate activities across systems engineering, software, hardware, architecture, program management, vendors, customers, and other stakeholders.
• Lead technical working groups, integration meetings, design reviews, and stakeholder discussions.
• Provide technical leadership across projects and teams involving multiple organizations and technical disciplines.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to ensure technical objectives, requirements, and program commitments are achieved.

Risk, Planning & Execution

• Identify technical and programmatic risks, dependencies, and integration challenges and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Track integration activities, technical decisions, dependencies, issues, risks, and action items through resolution.
• Support project planning, resource coordination, schedules, milestones, and execution of system integration activities.
• Help ensure technical activities remain aligned with mission objectives, program schedules, customer priorities, and FAA requirements.

Technical Communication & Documentation

• Prepare and deliver technical documentation, assessments, reports, presentations, and recommendations for customer and program stakeholders.
• Present complex technical information and recommendations to engineering teams, customers, program leadership, and senior/executive stakeholders.
• Translate complex engineering issues into clear, actionable information so both technical and non-technical audiences understand the impact, available options, risks, and recommended course of action.
• Document technical decisions, findings, recommendations, and integration outcomes to support program execution and stakeholder alignment.

 

Why This Role Matters:

The FAA is the cornerstone of aviation safety and innovation. Automation Architect – SME to lead the design, implementation, and oversight of automation strategies supporting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In this senior technical role, you will provide strategic vision, architecture leadership, and technical expertise to enable automation across FAA systems, including infrastructure, testing, cybersecurity, and operations workflows. You will serve as a trusted advisor to FAA leadership, guiding modernization initiatives through automation that enhances efficiency, scalability, and reliability.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• U.S. Citizenship Required.
• Must have the ability to obtain / maintain a Public Trust clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of experience; or Masters degree and 10 years; or Associate’s degree and 14 years’ experience; or HS diploma/equivalent and 16 years experience.  
• Hands-on experience in complex IT architecture and engineering in government.
• Strong working knowledge of multiple IT domains (compute, networking, cloud, virtualization, containers,
• Demonstrated experience of supporting or leading best practices for system, software, hardware, and production environment
• Hands-on experience with architecture and engineering operations in government hybrid and cloud environments (such as AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Hands-on experience of federal cybersecurity requirements (NIST RMF, FedRAMP, Zero Trust) and integration into automated solutions.
• Hands-on experience integrating COTS into government environments.
• Hands-on experience supporting government environments with cybersecurity
• Proficiency in software languages (i.e., Java, Python, PowerShell, Bash)
• Hands-on experience with automated testing frameworks for performance, scalability, and security validation.
• Experience working with leadership to lead complex technology efforts
• Experience leading teams and managing complex projects

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience supporting FAA or NAS Automation Systems and strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise automation initiatives for large-scale, mission-critical programs.

 

 #BNATCS

Peraton Overview

Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world’s leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can’t be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we’re keeping people around the world safe and secure.

Target Salary Range

$135,000 - $216,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual’s experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.