[Hiring] Chief Architect @Commence

Role Description

The Chief Architect owns the target-state architecture for a CMS case management program and holds final decision authority across cloud, data, security, and application layers. This is a technical leadership role and you will represent the program's architecture at technical review boards, defend design decisions to government stakeholders, and set the standards that the Cloud Architect, Data Solutions Architect, Security Lead, and Salesforce Developer build within.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and approve the program's target-state architecture across cloud, data, security, application, and integration layers.
• Serve as the program's CMS-facing technical authority.
• Set and own the architecture decision record (ADR) process; approve all ADRs before implementation.
• Resolve architectural conflicts between the Cloud Architect, Data Solutions Architect, Security Lead, and Salesforce Developer.
• Define solution patterns, reusable components, and architectural standards enforced consistently across all workstreams.
• Own the strategy for secure provider, beneficiary, and healthcare data exchange, including FHIR, HL7, Direct Messaging, RESTful APIs, and event-driven integration patterns.
• Set the integration strategy between the case-management platform (Pega/Salesforce) and the data layer.
• Own cloud-native architecture direction leveraging AWS services, including containerized and serverless application strategy.
• Set data ingestion, transformation, quality control, metadata management, and lakehouse/medallion architecture strategy in partnership with the Data Solutions Architect.
• Partner with the Security Lead to embed CMS ARS requirements, HIPAA safeguards, NIST controls, and FedRAMP requirements into every workstream.
• Provide binding architectural guidance to all engineering teams; identify technical risk and mandate mitigation strategies.
• Mentor senior technical staff and other architects on the program.
• Own technical specifications and implementation guidance at the program level.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• 12-15+ years of experience in solution/enterprise architecture, with prior experience holding a Principal Architect, Chief Architect, or Enterprise Architect title — this cannot be a first-time architecture leadership role.
• Direct experience delivering on federal contracts. CMS experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience owning architecture governance (ADR processes, architecture review boards) on at least one prior program.
• Experience designing cloud-native, API-driven solutions using AWS services and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with enterprise application architecture, service-oriented and microservices architectures.
• Platform fluency spanning both healthcare interoperability standards (FHIR, HL7) and case-management/BPM platforms (Pega or Salesforce).
• Experience with data integration, transformation, and governance in healthcare contexts.
• Experience working within Agile development environments.
• Demonstrated ability to arbitrate technical disagreements across specialist teams and make binding decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting CMS modernization initiatives specifically.
• Prior experience presenting architecture to a federal client's technical review board.
• Experience with provider directory and healthcare exchange systems.
• Experience with cloud migration and modernization programs.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This is a remote position. Candidates must be able to sit, read, work on a computer, and watch a computer screen for extended periods of time. Occasionally required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers, kneel or crouch.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Commence is an equal employment opportunity employer. All personnel processes are merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military and veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Commence is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants, including individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process due to a disability, please contact Human Resources at (757) 306-4920 or [email protected].

Please note that unless you are requesting an accommodation, all applications must be submitted through our online application system.