Technical Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Position: Technical Subject Matter Expert (SME) Location: Hybrid or Remote Terms: Full Time Clearance: U.S. Citizenship Preferred; Ability to Obtain Public Trust Travel: 0–10% RESULTS. INNOVATION. VALUES. ACCOUNTABILITY. That’s RIVA. We’re a mission-driven IT services company and systems integrator supporting digital transformation and modernization for Federal government agencies. Since 2009, we’ve partnered with our customers to solve complex challenges through smart, practical innovation to deliver real outcomes where they matter most. Our teams are made up of industry-leading experts who are passionate about doing great work and making a difference. We don’t just develop solutions—we support efforts that strengthen communities and serve the public good. RIVA’s culture is built on four core values: Results, Innovation, Values, and Accountability (R.I.V.A.). They guide how we work, how we collaborate, and how we measure success. Our employee-first approach is rooted in trust, ownership, and meaningful work. By investing in our people and fostering a flexible, supportive environment, employees have the opportunity to grow their skills, contribute ideas, and make an impact from day one—all while supporting missions that matter. Position Overview RIVA Solutions is seeking a highly experienced Technical Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support enterprise web modernization and digital services initiatives for Federal healthcare and public-facing platforms. The ideal candidate will provide senior-level guidance across Drupal/WCMS architecture, cloud operations, enterprise search, chatbot and AI capabilities, DevSecOps, accessibility, and performance optimization. This role works collaboratively with Government stakeholders, technical teams, developers, UX/content staff, and program leadership to deliver secure, accessible, and scalable digital solutions. Core Responsibilities Advise on architecture, modernization strategy, platform selection, integration patterns, and technical tradeoffs for Federal client public-facing websites, microsites, search, AI/ML, and web applications. Review technical designs, Drupal module approaches, APIs, data feeds, automation patterns, and cloud-hosted components for scalability, maintainability, security, and alignment with Federal and Federal web requirements. Provide specialized guidance for Drupal/WCMS configuration, custom module development, search implementation, AI/NLP chatbot capabilities, data visualization support, and content migration activities. Support technical issue resolution for high-priority incidents, production performance concerns, complex defects, infrastructure dependencies, and cross-contractor coordination issues. Advise on CI/CD, code quality, version control, automated testing, DevSecOps practices, and release-readiness reviews. Participate in requirements discussions, technical backlog refinement, sprint reviews, demonstrations, and solution planning sessions. Recommend emerging tools, standards, and implementation approaches that improve user experience, reliability, accessibility, searchability, and operational efficiency. Support ATO, security, and compliance efforts by providing technical context, artifact review, and remediation recommendations for web and cloud systems. Mentor technical staff and communicate complex technical options and risks to Government and program leadership.
Minimum Qualifications
Demonstrated experience providing technical advisory or architecture support for large public-facing websites or enterprise web platforms. Strong understanding of Drupal or comparable WCMS platforms, custom web development, front-end standards, APIs, and integration approaches. Experience with cloud-hosted web environments, preferably AWS, including monitoring, scalability, performance, security, and availability considerations. Working knowledge of Section 508, WCAG, USWDS, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, W3C standards, and Federal digital service expectations. Ability to communicate technical risks, design options, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Experience supporting Agile delivery teams and working with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Git, or similar collaboration platforms.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with enterprise search platforms such as Apache Solr, Nutch, Google Search Appliance, or equivalent technologies. Experience with NLP, chatbot, AI/ML, recommendation engines, or advanced analytics capabilities. Experience supporting Federal ATO, FISMA, NIST, FedRAMP, or cloud security compliance activities. Experience with Docker, CI/CD pipelines, automated code quality tools, and DevSecOps practices. Prior experience supporting Federal, Federal client, public health, healthcare quality, or scientific dissemination programs. Salary $130K RIVA Benefits Paid Time Off / Sick Leave Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage Life Insurance 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match HSA/FSA Spending Accounts Long- and Short-Term Disability Pet Insurance Wellness Program Initiatives RIVA Flex (Flexible Hours and Hybrid Support, where applicable) Additional Workplace Benefits Equal Opportunity Statement RIVA Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or to submit an online application, please email [email protected]. Only messages left for this purpose will be returned. Apply To This Job