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Senior Software Architect Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Serve as a senior technical authority in design reviews, readiness reviews, problem resolution, and ... time in software architecture roles for distributed or mission-critical systems * 5+ years ...

Sr. Staff Software Architect Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of health ...

... senior technical authority in design reviews, readiness reviews, problem resolution, and major ... in software architecture roles for distributed or mission-critical systems • 5+ years ...

Sr. Staff Software Architect Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of health ...

Senior Software EngineerPosition Summary The Senior Software Engineer designs, develops, tests, and ... Working closely with architects, systems engineers, product owners, and government stakeholders ...

Senior Software Engineer, hyperscale

Sterling, VA · On-site

$121K - $160K/yr

They are seeking a senior software engineer to design and implement innovative solutions for large ... network architecture and computer software architecture • Experience with delay tolerant ...

Senior Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$125K - $165K/yr

Senior Software Engineer Company: The Boeing Company Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) has an ... Strong understanding of software architecture principles and design patterns * Experience with ...

Senior Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$125K - $165K/yr

Senior Software Engineer Company: The Boeing Company Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) has an ... Strong understanding of software architecture principles and design patterns * Experience with ...

Senior Software Engineer

Ashburn, VA · On-site

$125K - $165K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our team and support our client, the Federal ... Lead the architecture, design, development, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment of ...

New

Senior Software Engineer

Ashburn, VA · Remote

$125K - $165K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our team and support our client, the Federal ... Lead the architecture, design, development, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment of ...

New

Senior Software Engineer

Ashburn, VA · Remote

$125K - $165K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our team and support our client, the Federal ... Lead the architecture, design, development, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment of ...

New

Showing results 21-40

Senior Software Architect information

See Virginia salary details

$95.7K

$150.5K

$202.3K

How much do senior software architect jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior software architect in Virginia is $150,536.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $128,400.00 and $174,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Software Architect, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Software Architect, you need extensive experience in software design, architecture principles, and a strong background in programming, typically supported by a degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with architectural frameworks (like TOGAF), cloud platforms (such as AWS or Azure), and modeling tools (like UML) is highly valuable, and certifications in these areas can be advantageous. Leadership, effective communication, and problem-solving skills help you coordinate teams and translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions. These competencies are crucial for ensuring robust, maintainable systems that align with organizational goals and adapt to evolving technology landscapes.

How much does a senior software architect make?

A senior software architect typically earns between $120,000 and $180,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. They often have advanced skills in system design, cloud platforms, and programming languages, which can influence compensation levels.

How does a Senior Software Architect typically collaborate with development and product teams during a project lifecycle?

A Senior Software Architect works closely with both development and product teams throughout a project's lifecycle. They are responsible for translating business requirements into technical solutions, ensuring alignment between stakeholders, and guiding developers on architectural decisions. Regular interactions include design reviews, technical mentoring, and collaborating with product managers to refine requirements. This collaborative approach ensures that the final product is scalable, maintainable, and meets business objectives.

What does a senior software architect do?

A senior software architect designs and oversees the development of complex software systems, establishing technical standards and ensuring alignment with business goals. They evaluate technologies, create architecture diagrams, and collaborate with development teams to implement scalable, maintainable solutions. Strong problem-solving skills and experience with design patterns and software development tools are essential for this role.

What is the difference between Senior Software Architect vs Software Development Manager?

AspectSenior Software ArchitectSoftware Development Manager
Primary FocusDesigning software architecture and technical strategyManaging development teams and project delivery
Required SkillsTechnical expertise, system design, codingLeadership, project management, communication
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with architects and developersOversees teams and coordinates projects
CertificationsOften includes software architecture certifications (e.g., TOGAF)Project management certifications (e.g., PMP) often preferred

The Senior Software Architect primarily focuses on designing and overseeing the technical architecture of software systems, while the Software Development Manager manages development teams and ensures project delivery. Both roles require strong technical skills, but differ in leadership scope and responsibilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Architect jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Software Architect jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Senior Software Architect jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Senior Software Architect job openings:
Infographic showing various Senior Software Architect job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 88% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $150,536 per year, or $72.4 per hour.

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 25 days ago


Parsons rating

7.7

Company rating: 7.7 out of 10

Based on 46 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

262nd of 447 rated engineering


Job description

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!
At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what's possible.
Job Description:
Parsons is looking for an amazingly talented Software Architect to join our team!
In this role you will lead the architecture, technical evolution, and operational design of a large-scale, globally distributed mission platform deployed across multiple countries and managed remotely from the United States.
This platform supports real-time transaction processing, distributed data management, integration with external government and commercial systems, peripheral/device orchestration, and centralized observability and administration.
The successful candidate will be the overall software architecture authority for a modern Linux-based platform composed of approximately 25 core microservices and a broad set of supporting/integration services. The environment is cloud-heavy, distributed, operationally critical, and deployed in both constrained edge settings and larger centralized/cloud environments.
This role requires someone who can define and govern architecture while remaining grounded in the realities of runtime operations, resilience, fieldability, and maintainability.
What You'll Be Doing:
  • Own the overall software architecture for a distributed microservices platform running across global environments
  • Maintain and evolve an ecosystem of approximately:
    • 25 core Java-based microservices
    • a comparable set of supporting and integration services
  • Define and govern architecture across:
    • service boundaries and contracts
    • data flows and event patterns
    • control plane and backplane behavior
    • node roles and deployment topologies
    • observability, fault tolerance, and service recovery
  • Lead architecture for a platform based on:
    • RHEL / Rocky Linux
    • Java (JDK 21+)
    • Vue.js 3 frontends
    • MongoDB for persistent data
    • Elasticsearch / Logstash and RabbitMQ for ephemeral/search/event data flows
    • Consul, Nomad, and Vault for service discovery, orchestration, and secrets management
  • Architect deployment patterns for multiple node types, including:
    • server nodes
    • data nodes
    • arbiter nodes
    • workstation/user-facing nodes
  • Guide the technical design of core operational services responsible for:
    • transactional processing
    • rules/screening/correlation workflows
    • authorization and access control
    • reference/master data management
    • language/internationalization support
    • health/status services
    • biometric or matching-oriented services built on open-source components
  • Oversee architecture for peripheral/device services supporting integration with a broad set of external devices and sensors
  • Lead integration architecture for external standards-based and partner system interfaces, including:
    • third-party government systems
    • commercial travel/identity/manifest-style systems
    • country/customer-specific extensions
  • Ensure the platform remains remotely observable, supportable, and maintainable across all deployments
  • Partner with cloud, network, security, data, field engineering, and operations teams to align architecture with deployment realities
  • Review and guide software design decisions, technical debt reduction, modernization priorities, and roadmap sequencing
  • Serve as a senior technical authority in design reviews, readiness reviews, problem resolution, and major incident analysis

What Required Skills You'll Bring:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical field. 4 Additional years of experience can substitute for a degree.
  • 12+ years of software engineering experience, including significant time in software architecture roles for distributed or mission-critical systems
  • 5+ years architecting microservices-based platforms in production
  • Demonstrated ability to serve as the technical authority over a multi-service software ecosystem
  • Experience guiding multiple development teams and reviewing architecture across service boundaries
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to produce design artifacts and present architecture decisions clearly
  • Experience balancing long-term architecture quality with delivery constraints and operational realities
  • Deep hands-on expertise with:
    • Java on modern JDKs, preferably JDK 21+
    • Linux-based production environments, preferably RHEL / Rocky Linux
    • distributed service design and operational patterns
  • Strong experience with:
    • MongoDB
    • Elasticsearch / Logstash
    • RabbitMQ or equivalent event/messaging platforms
    • service discovery/orchestration/secrets technologies such as Consul, Nomad, Vault, Kubernetes, or similar
  • Experience designing systems that operate across:
    • constrained edge environments
    • centralized or cloud-heavy environments
    • globally distributed deployments with intermittent or variable connectivity
  • Proven ability to architect for:
    • resilience and graceful degradation
    • observability and diagnosability
    • secure service-to-service communication
    • multi-role user administration and authorization
    • remote support and lifecycle management
  • TS/SCI minimum clearance required.
  • Domestic and/or international project travel may be required.

What Desired Skills You'll Bring:
  • Master's degree in Data Engineering, Computer Science, Analytics, or related field
  • Experience with Vue.js 3 and modern frontend architecture patterns for administrative or operational interfaces
  • Experience with hybrid cloud and cloud-heavy deployments where backend services are centralized and edge nodes are thin
  • Experience integrating with external standards-based government, identity, travel, or partner ecosystems
  • Experience designing platforms that manage or integrate with peripherals/devices such as scanners, readers, imaging devices, kiosks, or other edge hardware
  • Experience with Nomad/Consul/Vault specifically in production
  • Experience architecting systems with zero/low downtime upgrade paths
  • Experience with semantic, cognitive, or advanced search use cases on Elasticsearch
  • Familiarity with event replay, reconciliation, and offline-sync patterns
  • Experience working closely with field engineering or remote deployment teams
  • Experience with large-scale modernization of legacy monoliths to service-oriented or microservices-based platforms
  • Familiarity with open-source biometric, matching, search, or image processing components
  • Experience with multilingual/internationalized systems deployed across multiple countries or regions
  • Experience supporting operational analytics/reporting services built on transaction/event data
  • Experience with CI/CD pipelines and release discipline for multi-service distributed systems

Security Clearance Requirement:
An active Top Secret SCI security clearance is required for this position.
This position is part of our Federal Solutions team.
The Federal Solutions segment delivers resources to our US government customers that ensure the success of missions around the globe. Our intelligent employees drive the state of the art as they provide services and solutions in the areas of defense, security, intelligence, infrastructure, and environmental. We promote a culture of excellence and close-knit teams that take pride in delivering, protecting, and sustaining our nation's most critical assets, from Earth to cyberspace. Throughout the company, our people are anticipating what's next to deliver the solutions our customers need now.
Salary Range: $148,300.00 - $266,900.00
We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle!
Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.
We truly invest and care about our employee's wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest-APPLY TODAY!
Parsons is aware of fraudulent recruitment practices. To learn more about recruitment fraud and how to report it, please refer to https://www.parsons.com/fraudulent-recruitment/.

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