Peraton is seeking an experienced Digital Architecture & Modeling Engineer to support the modernization of the Federal Aviation Administration's National Airspace System (NAS) under the BNATCS program. This position combines the responsibilities traditionally associated with Enterprise Architecture, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), and Modeling, Analysis & Simulation (MA&S) into a unified, model-centric engineering discipline.
The Digital Architecture & Modeling Engineer will develop and maintain the Digital NAS Architecture (DNA)—an authoritative, model-based representation of the NAS that connects mission needs, operational concepts, requirements, capabilities, systems, services, interfaces, infrastructure, verification evidence, and ultimately operational performance.
Rather than treating architecture artifacts and engineering documents as independently authored products, this role will establish and maintain the authoritative architecture model from which architecture views, operational concepts, CONOPS content, interface descriptions, analyses, and other engineering products are generated.
The successful candidate will work at the intersection of enterprise architecture, systems engineering, MBSE, simulation, digital engineering, and mission analysis. The role requires both architectural judgment and hands-on modeling expertise. Candidates must be capable of understanding complex mission and technical problems, developing the architecture within Cameo using UAF/SysML, analyzing the resulting model, and communicating model-derived insights to FAA leadership, program offices, engineers, and other stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain the Digital NAS Architecture (DNA) as an authoritative enterprise model representing current-state, transition-state, and target-state NAS architectures.
- Apply UAF, SysML, DoDAF concepts, and MBSE practices using Cameo and Teamwork Cloud to model NAS capabilities, missions, operational activities, performers, systems, services, interfaces, information exchanges, infrastructure, and dependencies.
- Develop model-based Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) in which operational activities, scenarios, mission threads, performers, information exchanges, constraints, assumptions, and supporting architecture are maintained as authoritative model elements rather than disconnected document content.
- Generate DoDAF/UAF architecture views, CONOPS content, interface descriptions, architecture descriptions, matrices, reports, and other engineering products from the authoritative model using standardized model queries, views, and report templates.
- Develop and maintain mission threads connecting operational outcomes to capabilities, activities, systems, functions, interfaces, network and infrastructure services, requirements, verification evidence, and other lifecycle artifacts.
- Develop enterprise and system-of-systems architectures spanning the heterogeneous NAS environment, including air traffic control operational technology (OT), enterprise IT, telecommunications, networks, edge computing, data platforms, cybersecurity, automation, and hybrid/cloud infrastructure.
- Establish architecture principles, patterns, reference architectures, modeling conventions, reusable model libraries, taxonomies, and metamodel extensions that enable consistent architecture development across BNATCS and FAA programs.
- Perform architecture analysis directly against the model to identify dependencies, gaps, interface conflicts, integration risks, single points of failure, interoperability concerns, and potential mission impacts.
- Develop and apply simulation and analytical models where architecture questions require quantitative evaluation, including performance modeling, capacity analysis, discrete-event simulation, sensitivity analysis, Monte Carlo analysis, and other appropriate techniques.
- Conduct model-based trade studies and analysis of alternatives, using architecture relationships, requirements, operational scenarios, simulation results, cost/risk considerations, and mission impacts to evaluate proposed solutions.
- Develop appropriate levels of simulation fidelity based on the engineering question being addressed, ranging from architecture-level analytical models through higher-fidelity simulation where warranted.
- Support virtual integration and system-of-systems analysis to evaluate how independently developed NAS components, services, and infrastructure will interact before physical implementation.
- Establish and enforce model governance, including model ownership, configuration management, baselines, branching, version control, validation criteria, model pedigree, authoritative-element ownership, and reuse across teams and contractors.
- Develop reusable enterprise model libraries for common NAS concepts such as systems, facilities, interfaces, network services, infrastructure services, security constructs, cloud services, operational performers, and other shared architectural elements.
- Integrate architecture models with requirements managed in Jama Connect, maintaining traceability from mission needs and requirements through architecture, implementation, verification, and validation.
- Support development of the FAA digital thread, ensuring persistent identifiers, controlled relationships, authoritative-source designation, baseline awareness, and traceability across engineering repositories.
- Define model validation rules and automated quality checks that identify incomplete relationships, inconsistent architecture, orphaned elements, missing traceability, duplicate concepts, and other model-quality issues.
- Support architecture governance and Architecture Review Boards by using model-based evidence to evaluate proposed solutions, standards compliance, architectural impacts, technical risk, and alignment with the target Digital NAS Architecture.
- Evaluate emerging technologies—including cloud-native platforms, AI/ML, automation, edge computing, digital twins, software-defined infrastructure, advanced telecommunications, and observability—and model their potential integration and mission impact within the NAS.
- Apply AI-assisted engineering techniques where appropriate to improve model development, model interrogation, requirements analysis, consistency checking, documentation generation, and architecture analysis while maintaining appropriate human engineering oversight.
- Collaborate with cybersecurity, software, cloud, telecommunications, data, test, configuration management, safety, operations, and program teams to ensure their domain architectures are represented within and traceable through the enterprise model.
- Review architecture and modeling deliverables from vendors, subcontractors, and FAA programs for conformance with DNA modeling standards, UAF/SysML conventions, interface standards, and enterprise architecture principles.
- Translate complex architecture models and analytical results into understandable mission and business impacts for FAA executives, program managers, operators, and other non-modeling stakeholders.
- Support publication and stakeholder consumption of model-derived architecture through Cameo Collaborator, the DNA Digital Command Center, generated reports, dashboards, and other appropriate presentation mechanisms.
- Mentor architects, systems engineers, and domain engineers in model-centric architecture, MBSE, UAF/SysML, architecture analysis, and Digital Engineering practices.
