Senior Project Manager

At Ardent, we hire people who want more than a job — they want to serve a mission that matters. Our teams support the federal government’s most critical national security and defense priorities, helping protect the nation, strengthen resilience, and advance the technologies and capabilities that keep America secure. For veterans, cleared professionals, and purpose-driven innovators, Ardent is a place to continue serving alongside a team that understands the importance of the mission and the people behind it.

We also know top talent has choices, which is why we back our mission with benefits and flexibility that stand out: competitive pay, comprehensive health coverage, flexible PTO, federal holidays off, tuition reimbursement, professional development support, wellness stipends, and a culture that values and rewards hard work, dedication, and adaptability. If you want to build something meaningful, while enjoying the kind of flexibility and support that you need to do your best work — Ardent is where your next mission begins.

Ardent is seeking a Senior Project Manager to join our team.  

This is a Hybrid position working on site 1 - 2 days a week in Washington DC. 

Position Description:

Ardent is seeking a highly skilled Senior Project Manager to support enterprise IT modernization efforts within Department of Homeland Security (DHS) environments.

In addition to core systems architecture responsibilities, this role applies deep knowledge of enterprise IT needs to design and improve processes, capture and refine user requirements, and ensure all solutions adhere to DHS Enterprise Architecture models, standards, and requirements. The Senior System Architect serves as a trusted advisor to stakeholders and leadership, recommending and proposing changes to existing architectures to meet emerging DHS requirements, improve workflow efficiencies, and enhance mission outcomes.

The ideal candidate will bring strong enterprise architecture experience, the ability to operate across complex IT environments, and a proven track record of advising on and shaping scalable, standards-compliant solutions.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Design and improve enterprise IT processes to support mission and operational needs.
• Gather, analyze, and refine user and system requirements to ensure alignment with enterprise objectives.
• Ensure all architectural solutions comply with DHS Enterprise Architecture models, standards, and governance requirements.
• Serve as a technical advisor to stakeholders on enterprise architecture decisions and strategy.
• Evaluate existing architectures and recommend enhancements to support emerging DHS requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflow efficiency, system performance, and operational outcomes through architectural improvements.
• Develop recommendations for future-state architectures aligned with mission goals and modernization initiatives.
• Collaborate with technical teams and stakeholders to ensure architectural alignment across programs and systems.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or Master's degree.
• Bachelor's degree plus six (6) years of specialized experience or Master's degree plus four (4) years of specialized experience.
• Experience applying enterprise architecture principles in complex IT environments.
• Strong understanding of DHS Enterprise Architecture frameworks, standards, and compliance requirements.
• Experience gathering and translating user requirements into technical and architectural solutions.
• Ability to assess current-state architectures and recommend future-state improvements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on enterprise-scale systems.
• Experience advising stakeholders and contributing to architectural governance decisions.

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.