Computer Scientist (Enterprise Architect)

Summary

DCSA Acquisition and Technology, National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) is seeking a Lead Software Architect to engineer enterprise-level software architectures supporting critical national security. The incumbent will drive the shift from waterfall to Agile/MVP releases, establish security controls, govern technical debt, & lead microservices initiatives using the Software Acquisition Pathway. Visit www.dcsa.mil to learn more about DCSA, America's Gatekeeper!

Learn more about this agency

This announcement is open to: Current Federal employees in the competitive and excepted service; Retained Grade Preference (RGP) eligibles, and Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibles.

Locations:

• Fort Meade, MD
• Hanover, MD
• Boyers, PA
• Quantico, VA
• Stafford, VA

Duties

As a COMPUTER SCIENTIST (ENTERPRISE ARCHITECT) you will be responsible for the following duties:

• Demonstrated experience transitioning from waterfall development to Agile environments, focusing on defining Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and managing iterative software releases.
• Expert ability to design and implement complex enterprise software architectures, specifically leveraging microservices and API-first initiatives for national security operations.
• Proven experience utilizing the DoD Software Acquisition Pathway (DODI 5000.87) to oversee programmatic documentation, evaluate financial inputs, and monitor project expenditures.
• Ability to establish and enforce strict security controls and technical debt governance across multidisciplinary development teams to mitigate risk and ensure system resilience.
• Experience serving as an authoritative technical advisor, delivering briefings to executive stakeholders (e.g., OSW, CDAO) to synchronize inter-agency architectural objectives.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a US citizen
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. For more information http://www.sss.gov
• Resume and supporting documents received by 11:59PM EST will be considered
• This is a Drug Testing designated position
• Position is a (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 1601
• Work Schedule: Full Time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• PCS (Permanent Change of Station): Not Authorized
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Required
• Telework Eligibility: Supervisors may approve situational telework on a case-by-case, temporary basis for limited situations.
• If selected, the incumbent must obtain and maintain appropriate security clearance as indicated in job announcement.
• This position requires Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Practitioner certification in Engineering and Technical Management and is expected to meet all related certification requirements per the Department of Defense Instruction 5000.66.
• However, applicants that do not meet this requirement are eligible to be hired but must obtain an Engineering and Technical Management Practitioner certification within 5 years (60 months) after the first day of starting in the position.

Qualifications

This position has a Basic Requirement for the 1550: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

*NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

The experience described in your resume will be evaluated and screened from the Office of Personnel Management's (OPMs) basic qualifications requirements. See: Computer Science Series 1550 for OPM qualification standards, competencies and specialized experience needed to perform the duties of the position as described in the MAJOR DUTIES and QUALIFICATIONS sections of this announcement by 07/06/2026

Applicant must have directly applicable experience that demonstrates the possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary for immediate success in the position. Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position.

You must have specialized experience sufficient to demonstrate that you have acquired all the competencies necessary to perform at a level equivalent in difficulty, responsibility, and complexity to the next lower grade (GG-14) in the Federal service and are prepared to take on greater responsibility.

Generally, this would include one year or more of such specialized experience.

Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience serving as an authoritative technical advisor and lead architect responsible for the strategic planning, engineering, and execution of complex enterprise software architectures; leading multidisciplinary development teams using Agile methodologies and the Software Acquisition Pathway (DODI 5000.87) to shift from traditional waterfall methods to iterative software releases, define Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), and implement microservices and Application Program Interface -first initiatives; experience establishing technical debt governance and security controls; aligning emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and data analytics, with organizational Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI) policies; and evaluating combined financial and technical programmatic requirements; ability to lead technical working groups, facilitate interagency governance, and deliver authoritative technical briefings to executive-level stakeholders-such as Chief Data and Analytics Office, Office of the Secretary of War, or equivalent senior leadership-to synchronize enterprise architecture strategies with critical national security objectives.

Specifically you will be evaluated on the following competencies:

1. Information Technology Architecture: Knowledge of architectural methodologies used in the design and development of information systems, including the physical structure of a systems' internal operations and interactions with other systems.
2. Requirements Analysis: Knowledge of the principles and methods to identify, analyze, specify, design, and manage functional and infrastructure requirements; includes translating functional requirements into technical requirements used for logical design or presenting alternative technologies or approaches.
3. Software Engineering: Knowledge of software engineering design and development methodologies, paradigms, and tools; the software life cycle; software reusability; and software reliability metrics.
4. Artificial Intelligence: Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used to design systems that perform human intelligence functions.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.