Job Description

Description
Solutions Architecture & Engineer Manager (EMS 3)
WaTech: Leading the way in technology!
Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) is at the forefront nationally in integrating innovative technologies that revolutionize how state services are delivered to the people of Washington. WaTech establishes the strategic technological framework for various state domains and programs, overseeing the primary technology services throughout the state.
About the position:
This position is a part of WaTech's Network Services Division (NSD), and reports to the Assistant Director of Network Services. As the Solutions Architecture & Engineer Manager you will apply expert specialized knowledge of the statewide wide area network (WAN) to lead and facilitate strategic business initiatives for the benefit of WaTech's customers. This position is responsible for developing and implementing NSD strategies, priorities, and initiatives that lead to improvements in customer satisfaction, cost recovery growth, and return on investment.
Duties
Some of what to expect in this role:

• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop three high-performing teams: Solution Architecture, Systems Engineering, and Network Capacity Management.
• Review and evaluate proposed technical designs and architectures to ensure alignment with organizational standards, security policies, and performance expectations.
• Design end-to-end solutions that meet business needs while aligning with well architected best practices.
• Provide directional oversight, guidance, constraints/restraints, and recommended courses of actions to senior technical staff.
• Research, validate and recommend fiscal investments for network and telecommunication equipment, services, and projects.
• Develop and write policies for NSD in coordination with all service owners.
• Evaluate and guide solution designs to ensure they align with enterprise strategy, support digital transformation initiatives, and meet defined business goals.
• Lead and conduct requirements engineering and design synthesis to formulate cost-effective statewide technical solutions for state agencies and enterprise service owners.
• Sponsor cross-divisional and interagency projects that evolve enterprise services and advance the division's service portfolio.
• Optimize resource allocation and manage workloads across multiple projects.
• Author contracts, business proposals, procurement requests, and financial analysis reports in support of delivering value-added services, acquiring new IT services, and maintaining operational readiness.

Qualifications
Here's what we're looking for:

• 14 years of experience in networking and telecommunication infrastructure, technology, operations, and services. This experience must include:

• Five years of experience in each of the following:

• Planning, managing, and overseeing IT projects.
• Aligning architecture with enterprise strategy and roadmaps.
• Designing end-to-end solutions across multiple platforms.
• Leveraging an architectural framework to develop design solutions.
• Four years of experience in each of the following:

• Cloud technology and enterprise architecture.
• Managing, supervising, or leading IT teams and resources.
• Experience with at least four or more of the following:

• Translate complex business needs into integrated solutions by harmonizing requirements, technical constraints, skill gaps, and sponsor expectations.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration and mentor technical teams to ensure consistent, scalable, and strategic solution delivery.
• Develop and maintain solution roadmaps aligned with enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman) and IT strategy.
• Design and integrate end-to-end systems across cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), hybrid, and on-prem environments using best practices in architecture, interoperability, and data protection.
• Apply architectural patterns and integration techniques (e.g., microservices, APIs, middleware) to enable scalable, secure, and resilient systems.
• Assess emerging technologies and manage infrastructure across virtual/physical networks, cloud models (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS), and protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS) to support enterprise goals.
• * A bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, information technology, or an equivalent discipline from an accredited college or university may substitute on a year-for-year basis for up to four years of the required experience.

Preference may be granted to applicants with the following:

• Master's degree in computer science, engineering, information technology, or an equivalent discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Applicants who possess the following desired certifications and training:

• Cisco: Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT), associate-level certifications (CCNA).
• Security: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).
• CompTIA: Security+, Network+, Cybersecurity Analyst+, SecurityX (formerly CASP+).
• Cloud: Azure Fundamentals, AWS Cloud Practitioner.
• Architectural Framework (TOGAF, FEAF, DoDAF, Zachman)
• Experience using advanced routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), network architecture (client-server, peer-to-peer, SD-WAN), data-in-transit encryption methodologies (SSL/TLS, IPSec), and virtual architecture (VNETs, VPCs, VMs) to interconnect users with applications and data.

Desired Essential Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSA):

• Knowledge of making high-impact technical decisions confidently and justifies them with data and reasoning.
• Knowledge of hardware and software development life cycles (Agile, DevOps, CI/CD).
• Knowledge of data modeling, data flows, and information lifecycle management. - Knowledge of general state and federal government and educational institutions.
• Ability to collaborate across IT domains and service teams to resolve problems, develop solutions, and mentor others.
• Ability to identify emerging technologies and trends that could add value.
• Ability to translate business needs into technical solutions that drive strategic objectives.

Supplemental Information
We value diversity and different perspectives:
WaTech is committed to providing equal access and opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. We seek to attract and retain a diverse staff and welcome your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. We invite you to include your preferred name and pronouns in your material to ensure we address you correctly throughout the application process.
What WaTech offers:
As an employee of WaTech, you'll have access to an outstanding that includes medical and dental plan options for you and your family, paid leave and holidays, retirement plan options and more.
While WaTech is headquartered in Olympia, Washington, which is near some of the country's most , we are able to offer many of our positions telework and flexible schedule options to help support a healthy work-life balance.
To learn more about WaTech and what our employees enjoy about working here, please .
Additional information about this role:
This position requires a background check. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability to perform in the position and is a continued condition of employment.
How to apply:
Applications for this recruitment will be accepted electronically. Please select the large "apply" button at the top of this announcement. In addition to completing your online application, please also include the following attachments:

• A current resume detailing your applicable experience, training and/or education.
• A letter of interest highlighting how your experiences align with the outlined job posting.

Top candidates will be asked to provide a list of their professional references with contact information.
Reminders:

• A real person is reviewing your application material. It is in your best interest to complete the application in its entirety and review thoroughly before submitting. You will not be eligible to re-apply to this posting for 30 days.
• Applications with missing or incomplete fields, or supplemental question responses such as "see resume" may be considered incomplete and removed from consideration.
• WaTech complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal Form I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. WaTech does not use the E-Verify system. We are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practice Training (OPT) opportunities. For more information, please visit
• Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. (Please redact any personally identifiable data such as social security number and date of birth prior to submittal.)

By submitting your materials, you affirm that all information is true and correct. Any untruthful information is cause for removal from the applicant pool. If hired as a result of this recruitment, the discovery of incorrect or falsified information may lead to disciplinary action or dismissal.
Recruitment process:
The first round of application assessments will be conducted seven days after the initial job posting date. The hiring authority reserves the right to offer the position at any time after the initial seven-day job posting date. It is to the applicant's advantage to apply as early as possible. This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions.
The salary range reflected above reflects the full potential for this position. The base pay offered to the selected candidate will consider the candidate's specific qualifying experience and internal equity of the existing team.
Contact us: For inquiries about this position, please contact Rebekah Wilkes at (360) 407-8646 or email to
If you'd like to request an accommodation for any part of the selection process, or to receive the application material in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources at (360) 407-8242 or .Persons of disability or those who are deaf or hard of hearing can call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

Skills Required