Job Details

Senior Director of Solutions Architecture

This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S.

Overview

Raft is a customer-obsessed non-traditional small business focused on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development, with headquarters in Reston, VA. Our clients include federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting edge tech, and cloud native ecosystems. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.

We're looking for an experienced Senior Director of Solutions Architecture who will understand all Raft projects, pair with PMs and Tech Leads, and write RFIs/RFPs.

What you'll bring

• Develop a deep understanding of all Raft products, pairing with PMs and Tech Leads to architect scalable solutions.
• Stay hands-on with technology to remain sharp in data, AI, and ML development practices.
• Ability to translate highly complex ideas into technical and non-technical explanations.
• Author white papers, proposals, RFI/RFP responses, and customer-facing content that highlights Raft's differentiated value.
• Contribute to thought leadership through blog posts, conference content, and solution briefs.
• Serve as the technical growth partner in Raft's expansion into federal defense customers.
• Build relationships with customers and partners, embedding in their missions to identify new opportunities.
• Partner with leadership to shape Raft's go-to-market approach and win meaningful new contracts in mission-critical modernization programs.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years hands-on experience building solutions, paired with a passion for writing about them (white papers, proposals, blog posts, etc.).
• Ability to zoom into details while also stepping back to think abstractly.
• Technical depth and the ability to design and build solutions when needed.
• Strong interpersonal skills that thrive when collaborating with other teams, joining sprint plannings, and embedding within project ecosystems.
• Demonstrated success writing winning white papers, RFIs, and RFPs.
• Will contribute to technical hiring processes and solution architecture across Raft projects.

Highly Preferred

• Experience in the DoD space, especially in modernization efforts around data, AI, and ML.
• Deep technical background and eagerness to constantly learn.
• Proven ability to build and direct collaborative teams across multiple locations and organizational boundaries.
• Track record of successful capture strategies resulting in contract awards.

Clearance Requirements

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance

Work Type

What we will offer you

• Highly competitive salary
• Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) and company match
• Unlimited PTO + 11 paid holidays
• And More!

Our Vision Statement

We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession with the mission.

Our Customer Obsession

We approach every deliverable like a product and adopt a customer-obsessed mindset. As we grow, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but as customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset to scale and translate to interactions with clients and other product teams.

How do we get there?

Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We strive to innovate and solve complex problems so that future generations live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-the-box thinking and collaboration are norms.

Our Philosophy

Raft's core philosophy is Ubuntu: I Am, Because We are. We support our nadi by elevating the other Rafters. We work as a hyper-collaborative team where each member adds unique value. We celebrate diversity and are devoted to innovation and collaboration.

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Voluntary Self-Identification (EEO-1)

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Disability status is collected to comply with OFCCP requirements. Examples of disabilities include but are not limited to the following: listed in the original description.

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