GIS Systems Architect

Why do you need to choose between doing important work and having a fulfilling life? At Ardent we have both. Ardent employees are committed to solving our customers’ most difficult problems—and we are committed to the well-being personal goals and professional development of our employee. We are “All In.” We put forth our strongest effort possible to get the mission accomplished and we do it together. We respect the skills and experience you bring to the Ardent team. And we provide a rewarding environment to help you succeed.

We offer highly competitive benefits professional development opportunities and an exceptional culture that embraces flexibility innovation collaboration and career growth. A collective service mindset underpins our work and a shared camaraderie to serve clients colleagues and our communities set us apart. Our full commitment to being 'All In' for our employees and our clients is not just our approach it is our standard. If this sounds like the perfect fit for you choose Ardent and make a difference with us.

Ardent is seeking a Systems Architect to join our team.

This is a remote position.

Position Description:

Ardent is seeking a GIS Systems Architect who will play a critical role in designing developing and maintaining advanced geospatial system architectures to support federal government programs. This position provides technical leadership and expertise in systems engineering integration and cloud-based geospatial solutions. The architect collaborates closely with stakeholders to assess business needs recommend emerging technologies and ensure scalable secure and compliant geospatial systems. This role requires a strong understanding of GIS technologies federal compliance standards and enterprise IT environments to effectively support and advance geospatial data infrastructure and applications.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Design develop and maintain scalable resilient and interoperable geospatial system architectures aligned with DHS standards.

• Conduct gap analysis and identify technical and functional requirements to meet geospatial business objectives.

• Research evaluate and recommend emerging geospatial technologies and enterprise solutions.

• Lead systems integration and architecture design across cloud (including hybrid) and on-premises environments.

• Manage geospatial data infrastructure including geodatabases metadata data warehouses and cloud-based repositories.

• Support operation maintenance troubleshooting and performance optimization of GIS applications and databases.

• Develop maintain and execute testing plans to validate system performance and operational effectiveness.

• Create and update architectural documentation SOPs technical guides and other related artifacts.

• Ensure compliance with federal IT policies DHS directives security standards and accessibility requirements.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to align technical architecture with organizational goals.

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and staff.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Information Technology Geospatial Science or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• Proven experience as a Systems Architect or similar role supporting geospatial systems in government or large enterprise environments.

• Strong expertise in systems engineering architecture design and GIS technologies particularly Esri products.

• Experience with cloud environments (AWS Azure or GovCloud) hybrid cloud architectures and data storage solutions.

• Proficient in database design management and configuration including geodatabases and spatial data repositories.

• Knowledge of federal IT security frameworks and compliance standards (e.g. FISMA Section 508 DHS management directives).

• Familiarity with software development lifecycle (SDLC) DevSecOps and CI/CD practices for GIS applications.

• Excellent problem-solving analytical and communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively with diverse teams and manage multiple priorities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting DHS geospatial programs or similar federal initiatives.

• Familiarity with DHS Geospatial Information Infrastructure (GII) GeoPlatform and HIFLD standards.

• Hands-on experience with AWS GovCloud or hybrid cloud GIS migrations.

• Knowledge of automation tools and scripting for system management and deployment.

• Prior experience mentoring or leading technical teams in a government contracting environment.

• Security clearance or eligibility for federal clearance.

Due to the nature of the work we support all candidates in consideration for this role must be willing to undergo the government issued background investigation process.

Ardent is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate in employment recruitment advertisements for employment compensation termination upgrading promotions and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race color gender national origin age religion creed disability veteran's status sexual orientation gender identity gender expression or any other basis protected by state local or federal law.