Systems Architect

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1.9 billion and launched more than 1,300 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of programs in the United States and in more than 90 countries last year. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.  
Location: Remote, must be based in the United StatesSalary Range: $103,500-$143,500 per year, plus benefits. Individual salary offers will be based on experience and qualifications unique to each candidate. Position Type: Grant funded, limited-term opportunityPosition End Date: June 30, 2025 Hours of Work:  Individual must routinely be available during core department business hours to collaborate with Illinois Department of Public Health staff.
OverviewThe Systems Architect will play a crucial role in advancing the CDC Foundation’s mission by designing and overseeing the implementation of complex technical solutions that support the mission-critical systems in a public health organization. This role is aligned to the Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI). WAI is a federally funded CDC Foundation program with the goal of helping the nation’s public health agencies by providing them with the technology and data experts they need to accelerate their information system improvements. Working within the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Systems Architect will provide expertise and guidance in technology architecture using Snowflake’s cloud data platform with a focus on technical (including infrastructure, networks, and security) and application architecture strategies, technology road mapping, and methodologies. The Systems Architect will work collaboratively to identify needs, prioritize gaps and vulnerabilities, and develop and support implementation of a technical approach that enables the public health organization to move forward on its mission.
The Systems Architect will be hired by the CDC Foundation and assigned to the Illinois Department of Public Health. This position is eligible for a fully remote work arrangement for U.S. based candidates.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of scalable and secure cloud data architectures on Snowflake. Ensure alignment with business requirements and best practices.
• Implement a user access management system with role-based permissions for local health departments.
• Provide expertise and leadership in cloud architecture with a focus in technical (including infrastructure, networks, and security) and application architecture, strategy, road mapping, and methodology. 
• Work with staff to configure and set up a functional master person index cloud-based environment
• Contribute to and manage the planning, design, delivery and implementation of user-centric solutions related to large scale, complex products required to meet the critical business requirements. Analyze current on premises master person index infrastructure and database design, identifying configuration and data inter-dependencies.
• Contribute to the definition, evaluation, and development of architecture policies, standards, guidelines and best practices affecting government initiatives.
• Work closely with data engineering, analytics, and business teams to ensure architecture supports real-time analytics, machine learning models, and reporting needs.
• Design and develop architectural solutions that meet these needs. Provide expertise in designing secure, scalable cloud infrastructure tailored to data modernization needs.
• Facilitate the smooth migrations from on premises to a cloud-based server platform using repeatable and testable processes (e.g. Infrastructure as Code, DevOps, etc.).
• Define technical standards, protocols, and guidelines to ensure consistency and interoperability across systems.
• Recommend and implement new technologies, tools, and frameworks to enhance system performance, scalability, and reliability.
• Conduct feasibility studies and risk assessments for proposed architectural changes or initiatives.
• Perform system performance tuning, capacity planning, and scalability assessments.
• Ensure security, compliance, and regulatory requirements are integrated into the system architecture.
• Knowledgeable about industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in system architecture.
• Establish effective working relationships, obtain buy-in for systems development, promote systems to partners and agency leaders.
• Develop and implement cloud strategies aligned with business goals.
• Develop comprehensive documentation for architectures, configurations, and processes. Provide guidance and mentorship to other team members on Snowflake best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience
• Expertise in system architecture with deep technical knowledge of application design, implementation and deployment, as well as current and emerging architecture practices.
• Hands-on experience designing modern architectural patterns to support delivery of complex and legacy IT solutions that are stable, secure, responsive, and scalable.
• Knowledge of technical security and product management best practices.
• Knowledge of current industry standards and practices particularly to architect, automate and integrate the processes that would enable teams to build, test and release product’s features faster (e.g. such as Git, DevOps, CI/CD, etc.)
• Hands-on knowledge of programming languages such as Python, Java, and SQL.
• Expert-level knowledge of Snowflake architecture, features, and best practices.  Experience with Snowflake integrations for AI/ML workloads.  Experience designing and writing automated test scripts for unit and integration testing. Experience with data governance, security best practices, and role-based access controls in Snowflake.  Snowflake certification (e.g., SnowPro Core or Advanced Certifications) is preferred.
• Experience conducting feasibility studies, reviewing new application system architecture or re-engineering legacy systems or enterprise level platforms.
• Experience with data lake architectures and hybrid cloud environments.
• Ability to resolve significant integration and technical issues to address multiple systems/applications linkages, interdependencies and impacts where requirements are not initially clear.
• Demonstrated success fostering an inclusive environment working with and leading professionals from diverse backgrounds and geographies.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey technical concepts to non-technical partners effectively.
• Flexibility to adapt to evolving project requirements and priorities.
• Outstanding interpersonal and teamwork skills; and the ability to develop productive working relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Experience working in a virtual environment with remote partners and teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Special NotesThis role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by the CDC Foundation in order to best support the public health programming.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law.
We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.
The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.  Relocation expenses are not included.