The Senior Automation Architect serves as the visionary lead for our Ansible Migration Factory. This role is the architect of the "Glue," designing autonomous systems that ensure thousands of virtual machines are not merely migrated, but seamlessly re-integrated into the enterprise ecosystem. The Senior Automation Architect operates at the intersection of platform engineering, automation architecture, and enterprise service integration, defining patterns that will be reused across business units and future transformation initiatives. This role leverages strategic thinking with a viewpoint of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) as a craft and scalability as a mandate.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design and lead the execution of the "Migration Wave" engine, utilizing the Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) to move enterprise workloads with precision and zero manual intervention.
• Engineer sophisticated, API-driven "Pre- and Post-Migration" integration hooks to ensure VM is automatically registered with CMDB (ServiceNow), updated in DNS/IPAM (Infoblox), and secured via Automated Firewall/EDR policies.
• Implement Event-Driven Ansible (EDA) to create "Self-Healing" migration patterns by designing systems that detect environmental friction and trigger automated remediation, so the factory remains at peak velocity 24/7.
• Define and enforce enterprise-grade automation standards, including naming conventions, error-handling frameworks, idempotency guarantees, and reusable role/workflow design patterns across the Migration Factory.
• Partner with Red Hat Consulting to refine Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV) workflows, turning individual migration successes into a repeatable, high-velocity organizational capability.
• Architect secure secret management, credential rotation, and RBAC models within AAP to support large-scale, multi-tenant migration operations.
• Design and maintain observability for the Migration Factory, integrating logging, metrics, and event telemetry to provide real-time visibility into migration health, bottlenecks, and failure domains.
• Serve as a technical SME, guiding legacy infrastructure teams through the cultural and technical transition to a GitOps-driven, Everything-as-Code reality.
• Support mentorship of automation engineers and platform teams, reviewing code, shaping architectural decisions, and raising the overall maturity of automation practices across the organization.

Collaborate with security, compliance, and risk teams to ensure migrations meet regulatory, audit, and data-handling requirements without sacrificing automation velocity.

Other Duties

• Perform all other duties, as assigned

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in an IT-related field or equivalent work experience, required.
• 10-12 years of progressive experience in infrastructure automation, platform engineering, or large-scale enterprise migrations.
• Proven experience leading automation architecture for high-volume, factory-style transformations (hundreds to thousands of workloads).
• Hands-on experience operating in hybrid environments spanning on-prem virtualization, Kubernetes/OpenShift platforms, and public cloud services.
• US Citizens required for clearable projects. Top Secret clearance preferred. 

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities (KSAs):

• Master-level expertise in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform (AAP), specifically in developing custom Execution Environments, Roles, and complex multi-tier Workflows
• Expert-level capability in RESTful API orchestration for enterprise services (F5 BIG-IP, Cisco/Palo Alto, Infoblox, and ServiceNow)
• Advanced hands-on experience with the Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV) and the underlying KubeVirt API
• Strong architectural understanding of networking, identity, security controls, and storage dependencies in large-scale VM and container platforms
• Demonstrated ability to design automation that is resilient to partial failure, supports rollback, and preserves transactional integrity across distributed systems
• A deep commitment to modern Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) practices, including CI/CD pipeline construction (GitLab/GitHub), linting, and automated testing of infrastructure code
• Ability to translate a VMA (Assessment) report into a technical execution plan
• Strong understanding and comfortability working in a "Global Delivery Model" with seamless hand-offs between EU-based centers and US-based stakeholders
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex automation concepts into executive-level and non-technical narratives
• A mindset oriented toward product thinking – treating automation as a long-lived platform rather than a one-time migration tool

As a federal government contractor and a recipient of federal funding, Mythics and Emergent is required to abide by the Drug-Free Workplace Act, which requires Mythics and Emergent to provide a drug-free workplace, among other obligations.  As part of this effort, Mythics and Emergent requires pre-employment drug tests for all candidates for employment.  Please note that marijuana (including medical marijuana) is designated as a controlled substance under federal law and will be screened for in the drug test.

Emergent, a subsidiary of Mythics, LLC, is an award-winning IT solutions provider and value-added reseller based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Since 2006, Emergent has specialized in solving complex challenges and delivered best-of-class technology solutions to operations in all levels of government, education, and commercial organizations worldwide. At Emergent, we are looking for motivated people with the expertise and insight to tackle the toughest client issues.

Why Work at Emergent?

Because at Emergent, YOU count! At Emergent, our Corporate Values are at the foundation of everything we do. Our values, Respect – Empathy – Excellence – Fun (REEF), have created an environment that fosters creative thinking, respects your contributions, and accepts nothing less than excellence in serving our customers.  At Emergent, you will experience a truly enjoyable corporate culture. 

Enjoy Tailored Benefits to Suit Your Needs with our Flexible Options. Our benefit options include:  

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision plans 
• Premier 401k retirement plan with corporate matching and a 529 college saving plan
• Tax-advantaged Health Savings Account and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account options
• Legal Resources

 Unlock Exclusive Benefits for Full-Time Employees: 

• Generous work/life balance opportunities supported by a PTO bank, paid holidays, leave programs and additional flex time off
• Employee referral program
• Employee recognition, gift and reward program 
• Tuition reimbursement for continuing education
• Remote or hybrid work options
• Engaging company events such as team building activities, annual awards and kick-off parties
• Health and wellness-focused activities
• Relaxation Spaces
• In-office gourmet coffee, tea, fresh fruit and healthy snacks
• Corporate GREEN approach – tracking energy consumption for reduction and purchasing only environmentally friendly products for our offices

Emergent, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable federal, state, and/or local law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, medical condition, veteran status, or other factors protected by law. We offer equal opportunity in compensation, advancement opportunities, and all other terms and conditions of employment. As a federal government contractor, Emergent has developed and maintains a written Affirmative Action Program relating to individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, which sets forth the policies, practices and procedures to which the Company is committed in order to ensure that its policy of nondiscrimination and affirmative action for qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans is followed. For those unable to complete an online application, alternative methods are available by contacting accommodationrequests@mythics.com. For more information about Federal laws prohibiting job discrimination, please read Know Your Rights.