Back to jobs
New

Senior API Solutions Architect

Arlington, VA

540 is seeking a Senior API Solutions Architect to support a mission-critical technology modernization effort for the Department of War. You will lead the architecture and governance of secure, scalable APIs that enable internal platform components and external mission systems to exchange data while aligning with DoW policies, reference architectures, and enterprise integration standards.

Working with engineers, architects, cybersecurity teams, and mission stakeholders, you will define API strategy, technical standards, and governance processes using Apigee, Gravitee, and related technologies. You will guide technical delivery, lead architecture decisions, and establish reusable patterns that enable engineering teams to deliver secure, interoperable, and reliable services across distributed systems.

Location: Arlington, VA
Citizenship & Clearance Requirement: Per client requirements, candidates must be U.S. Citizens with an active DoW Secret (or higher) clearance
Education Requirement: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field preferred; equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will be considered
540 Internal Thrive Level: Senior Solutions Architect

WHY 540?

540 is a forward-thinking company that the government turns to in order to #getshitdone. We don’t just talk about innovation – we deliver it. We break down barriers, build impactful technology, and solve mission-critical problems.

HOW YOU’LL DRIVE IMPACT

  • Lead the architecture and evolution of APIs, integration patterns, and technical standards supporting WDP
  • Translate mission and technical requirements into scalable API architectures and implementation strategies
  • Establish enterprise API governance across design, review, versioning, publishing, monitoring, and retirement
  • Define standards and reusable patterns for RESTful APIs, OpenAPI specifications, JSON schemas, and data exchange
  • Guide the configuration and operation of API gateways, policies, developer portals, and lifecycle processes using Apigee and Gravitee
  • Establish versioning and change-management strategies that support backward compatibility and platform evolution
  • Define security patterns for authentication, authorization, encryption, rate limiting, threat protection, and auditing
  • Lead architecture reviews and ensure API designs align with DoW standards, security requirements, and mission objectives
  • Establish API monitoring and operational standards covering performance, availability, reliability, adoption, and capacity
  • Guide integration across cloud-native, microservices, event-driven, and service-oriented architectures
  • Resolve complex API, gateway, interoperability, and cross-system architecture challenges
  • Communicate architecture decisions, risks, and tradeoffs while mentoring engineers on API design and governance

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

  • 9+ years of relevant API architecture, integration, or software engineering experience
  • Experience leading the design and implementation of enterprise API architectures for large-scale distributed systems
  • Advanced knowledge of RESTful API design, API lifecycle management, interface governance, and integration patterns
  • Hands-on experience with Apigee, Gravitee, or comparable enterprise API management platforms
  • Experience defining API gateway architecture and configuring policies, routing, rate limits, security controls, monitoring, and developer portals
  • Experience developing API specifications using OpenAPI, Swagger, JSON Schema, or similar frameworks
  • Experience establishing API governance, standards, and reusable patterns across multiple engineering teams
  • Experience implementing versioning, backward compatibility, and change-management strategies
  • Experience implementing OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, JWT, PKI, or similar authentication and authorization technologies
  • Strong understanding of API security, zero trust principles, and secure software development practices
  • Experience integrating APIs across cloud-native, microservices, event-driven, or service-oriented architectures
  • Experience with cloud platforms, containerized applications, CI/CD, and automated testing
  • Experience leading architecture reviews, mentoring engineers, and influencing technical direction
  • Strong communication and documentation skills, including the ability to explain architecture decisions to technical and nontechnical audiences

NICE TO HAVE

  • Experience leading Apigee or Gravitee implementations, migrations, or modernization initiatives
  • Experience supporting DoW, federal, Advana, or other enterprise data platforms
  • Familiarity with DoW architecture frameworks, reference designs, and interoperability standards
  • Experience automating API governance through linting, contract testing, and CI/CD validation
  • Experience with asynchronous messaging, event-driven architectures, and streaming integration patterns
  • Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, Istio, Linkerd, or other cloud-native and service mesh technologies
  • Experience designing secure APIs for classified, regulated, or mission-critical environments
  • Currently holds, or is willing to obtain within 30 days of employment, an approved certification such as SecurityX, CCSP, Cloud+, CSSLP, FITSP-D, GDSA, or GSEC

BENEFITS & PERKS

  • Flexible PTO + all Federal holidays off
  • Health, dental and vision insurance plans
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • 401k with employer match
  • Company-sponsored life insurance, short- and long-term disability 
  • Professional development (training, certifications, conferences)
  • Paid cloud developer accounts
  • Referral bonuses
  • HQ office perks (parking / metro reimbursement, nitro coffee & lunches) 
  • Annual social events (540 Week, hackathon, charity golf tournament, etc.)
  • Access to 540’s Washington Capitals & Nationals tickets

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)

540's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at 540? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in 540’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.