Bixal
Important Notice for Applicants:
At Bixal, we want to ensure a transparent and secure application process for all candidates. Official communication will come from an email address ending in @bixal.com or from talent@bixal.com. Messages from other sources may be fraudulent, and you should exercise care to avoid any links or attachments included.
Bixal will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
Need Assistance or a Reasonable Accommodation? If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation to complete your application, we're here to help. Please reach out to us at talent@bixal.comand let us know how we can support you. You do not need to share personal details or disclose the nature of your request. You can expect a response from a team member within 24 hours during the regular work week and on the next operating day during the weekend or holidays.
Why Bixal?
Bixal is a consulting company headquartered in Fairfax, VA, working alongside governments and organizations to help them deliver better services and experiences to the communities they serve. Using evidence-based knowledge and technology, Bixal empowers clients to deliver on their missions more effectively by fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Our values: People-First : Emphasizing the importance of people in all aspects of work. Collaboration and Transparency : Valuing teamwork and open communication. Growth Mindset : Encouraging innovation and continuous improvement. Creating Lasting Impact : Focusing on meaningful outcomes and positive change. About the role: The Strategic Systems Architect will define and guide the long-term technical vision for data initiatives in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) at CMS, ensuring architectural alignment across teams and stakeholders while enabling scalable, secure, and cost-effective solutions. In this senior technical leadership role, you’ll partner with engineering, security, product, and CMCS stakeholders to deliver on mission-driven outcome championing usability, performance, and sustainability along the way. This is a full-time position contingent on contract award by our client, with a defined performance period of one year with two one-year option periods. This role offers you a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a project that aligns with Bixal’s mission of delivering innovative, human-centered solutions. While the role has a fixed duration, we are committed to transparency and collaboration, keeping you informed about contract updates and new opportunities. At Bixal, we support your professional journey, ensuring your experience reflects our inclusive, purpose-driven culture and prepares you for future success. Compensation:
The salary range for this role is $155,000 – $170,000. In the spirit of transparency, most offers tend to land near the midpoint of the range. We make compensation decisions thoughtfully, considering your experience, the skills you bring, and our commitment to internal equity. Fairness and transparency are core to how we operate. Responsibilities: System Architecture & Strategic Vision Define and communicate the long-term architectural roadmap for CMCS programs and platforms. Collaborate with engineering leads to ensure architecture supports execution. Oversee the creation and maintenance of system architecture diagrams and documentation. Align architectural approaches with CMCS priorities and cross-functional partner teams. Lead solution design reviews and ensure architectural cohesion across components. Governance & Technical Oversight Chair the Design Review Group (DRG), facilitating architecture decisions and cross-team alignment. Ensure all team members and stakeholders are informed of architecture decisions. Support ATO requirements and security oversight in collaboration with the Security Lead. Review technical deliverables for strategic alignment, scalability, and security impact. Resource & Cost Management Serve as the primary architecture liaison to CMCS for cost, budget, and cloud resource planning. Guide forecasting and management of usage, licensing, and platform costs (e.g., Databricks, AWS). Lead cost optimization efforts and provide data-driven insights on platform spend. Stakeholder & Vendor Engagement Act as a thought partner to CMCS product owners for technical planning and prioritization. Coordinate with external vendors to resolve platform issues and maintain roadmap alignment. Bring a user-centered lens to infrastructure and security decisions. Decision Domains The Strategic Systems Architect will have decision-making authority in the following areas: Architectural Standards & Principles
– Establish and enforce CMS-aligned architecture standards, patterns, and best practices across systems and teams. Technology Selection & Integration
– Recommend and approve technologies, tools, and integration approaches that align with CMS objectives, compliance requirements, and long-term sustainability. Solution Design Approval
– Review and approve technical designs to ensure they meet architectural, security, scalability, and performance criteria. Governance & Compliance
– Define processes for architectural governance, ensuring adherence to CMS policies, ATO requirements, and applicable federal standards. Resource & Cost Optimization
– Make recommendations on cloud usage, licensing, and infrastructure strategies to maximize efficiency and control costs. Vendor & Partner Alignment
– Influence vendor technical direction and integration strategies to ensure compatibility with CMS ecosystems. Risk Identification & Mitigation
– Proactively identify technical risks and approve mitigation strategies to protect CMS program integrity and performance. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus at least eight (8) years of relevant experience, Significant and progressive experience in enterprise architecture, systems design, or related technical leadership role. Outstanding AWS and Databricks enterprise experience for data platforms is a must. Proven track record of designing and implementing scalable, secure, and cost-effective systems in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment. Experience working within federal or CMS-specific compliance frameworks and security requirements. Strong collaboration, communication, and facilitation skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences. Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance How We Support Our Team:
Flex hours 401K with matching incentive Parental Leave Medical/dental/vision benefits Flex Spending Account Company provided short-term disability and life insurance Commuter benefits Paid Time Off (PTO) 11 Paid holidays Our company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.
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Bixal will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
Need Assistance or a Reasonable Accommodation? If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation to complete your application, we're here to help. Please reach out to us at talent@bixal.comand let us know how we can support you. You do not need to share personal details or disclose the nature of your request. You can expect a response from a team member within 24 hours during the regular work week and on the next operating day during the weekend or holidays.
Why Bixal?
Bixal is a consulting company headquartered in Fairfax, VA, working alongside governments and organizations to help them deliver better services and experiences to the communities they serve. Using evidence-based knowledge and technology, Bixal empowers clients to deliver on their missions more effectively by fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Our values: People-First : Emphasizing the importance of people in all aspects of work. Collaboration and Transparency : Valuing teamwork and open communication. Growth Mindset : Encouraging innovation and continuous improvement. Creating Lasting Impact : Focusing on meaningful outcomes and positive change. About the role: The Strategic Systems Architect will define and guide the long-term technical vision for data initiatives in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) at CMS, ensuring architectural alignment across teams and stakeholders while enabling scalable, secure, and cost-effective solutions. In this senior technical leadership role, you’ll partner with engineering, security, product, and CMCS stakeholders to deliver on mission-driven outcome championing usability, performance, and sustainability along the way. This is a full-time position contingent on contract award by our client, with a defined performance period of one year with two one-year option periods. This role offers you a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a project that aligns with Bixal’s mission of delivering innovative, human-centered solutions. While the role has a fixed duration, we are committed to transparency and collaboration, keeping you informed about contract updates and new opportunities. At Bixal, we support your professional journey, ensuring your experience reflects our inclusive, purpose-driven culture and prepares you for future success. Compensation:
The salary range for this role is $155,000 – $170,000. In the spirit of transparency, most offers tend to land near the midpoint of the range. We make compensation decisions thoughtfully, considering your experience, the skills you bring, and our commitment to internal equity. Fairness and transparency are core to how we operate. Responsibilities: System Architecture & Strategic Vision Define and communicate the long-term architectural roadmap for CMCS programs and platforms. Collaborate with engineering leads to ensure architecture supports execution. Oversee the creation and maintenance of system architecture diagrams and documentation. Align architectural approaches with CMCS priorities and cross-functional partner teams. Lead solution design reviews and ensure architectural cohesion across components. Governance & Technical Oversight Chair the Design Review Group (DRG), facilitating architecture decisions and cross-team alignment. Ensure all team members and stakeholders are informed of architecture decisions. Support ATO requirements and security oversight in collaboration with the Security Lead. Review technical deliverables for strategic alignment, scalability, and security impact. Resource & Cost Management Serve as the primary architecture liaison to CMCS for cost, budget, and cloud resource planning. Guide forecasting and management of usage, licensing, and platform costs (e.g., Databricks, AWS). Lead cost optimization efforts and provide data-driven insights on platform spend. Stakeholder & Vendor Engagement Act as a thought partner to CMCS product owners for technical planning and prioritization. Coordinate with external vendors to resolve platform issues and maintain roadmap alignment. Bring a user-centered lens to infrastructure and security decisions. Decision Domains The Strategic Systems Architect will have decision-making authority in the following areas: Architectural Standards & Principles
– Establish and enforce CMS-aligned architecture standards, patterns, and best practices across systems and teams. Technology Selection & Integration
– Recommend and approve technologies, tools, and integration approaches that align with CMS objectives, compliance requirements, and long-term sustainability. Solution Design Approval
– Review and approve technical designs to ensure they meet architectural, security, scalability, and performance criteria. Governance & Compliance
– Define processes for architectural governance, ensuring adherence to CMS policies, ATO requirements, and applicable federal standards. Resource & Cost Optimization
– Make recommendations on cloud usage, licensing, and infrastructure strategies to maximize efficiency and control costs. Vendor & Partner Alignment
– Influence vendor technical direction and integration strategies to ensure compatibility with CMS ecosystems. Risk Identification & Mitigation
– Proactively identify technical risks and approve mitigation strategies to protect CMS program integrity and performance. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus at least eight (8) years of relevant experience, Significant and progressive experience in enterprise architecture, systems design, or related technical leadership role. Outstanding AWS and Databricks enterprise experience for data platforms is a must. Proven track record of designing and implementing scalable, secure, and cost-effective systems in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment. Experience working within federal or CMS-specific compliance frameworks and security requirements. Strong collaboration, communication, and facilitation skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences. Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance How We Support Our Team:
Flex hours 401K with matching incentive Parental Leave Medical/dental/vision benefits Flex Spending Account Company provided short-term disability and life insurance Commuter benefits Paid Time Off (PTO) 11 Paid holidays Our company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.
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