Jira Architect

About the Organization
A nationally recognized research institution where your work directly supports groundbreaking scientific programs. We build the infrastructure behind some of the most impactful research in the country.

About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Jira Architect Contractor to lead a large-scale transition from a decentralized, "one-space-per-project" Jira footprint to a standardized, multi-tiered enterprise architecture. This role will work embedded with our internal Work Structure team to finalize a global Jira architecture, remediate significant configuration drift (custom fields, screens, and workflows), execute data migrations, and provide organizational change management and leadership enablement.

This is a hands-on, high-visibility engagement for a Jira expert who enjoys solving complex structural problems, standardizing chaotic environments, and enabling both individual teams and executive leadership to work more effectively within Jira.

What You'll Do
Architectural Design & Alignment

• Finalize the global issue hierarchy (Initiative → Epic → Story/Task/Bug), ensuring seamless cross-space linking and dependency mapping
• Design the structural architecture for long-term Portfolio, Procurement, Programs, and Group/Department spaces
• Architect the deployment of Jira's native Goals feature to map strategic objectives to the work delivery layer
• Evaluate, refine, and scale the current use of Atlassian Teams across the instance
• Refine and improve Advanced Roadmaps plans and architect reporting for status, progress, dates, blockers, and Goal completion metrics

Data Remediation & Technical Standardization

• Audit, rationalize, and merge redundant custom fields, workflow statuses, resolutions, notification schemes, and screen layouts
• Build a standardized set of reusable workflow schemes for software engineering, operations, and administrative functions
• Clean up historical, orphaned, or obsolete components, labels, versions, and permission groups; formulate an archiving strategy for inactive projects

Change Management, Migration & Implementation

• Guide teams through transitioning from legacy dedicated spaces into shared Group/Department spaces
• Lead technical execution of bulk data mapping, migration, and cleansing without data loss or downtime
• Support teams in aligning Team profiles, boards, and plans with the new structure, without disrupting active sprint tracking or cross-project dependencies
• Act as a neutral technical advisor to resolve competing requirements between departments regarding field or workflow customization

Training & Governance Enablement

• Design and deliver leadership enablement sessions on portfolio visibility, dashboard consumption, and capacity tracking
• Provide deep-dive documentation and training for internal Jira administrators and team leads
• Author a Jira Governance Playbook detailing change control procedures for new custom fields, projects, and integrations

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of hands-on Jira administration experience, including workflow design, permission schemes, and custom field configuration
• Demonstrated experience with Jira Cloud
• Experience configuring portfolio-level project structures for organizations of comparable scale (100+ users, multiple departments)
• Proficiency with Jira Automation
• Ability to create and document dashboards and filters for executive audiences

• Atlassian Certified Professional (ACP), Jira Administrator, or equivalent certification
• Prior experience supporting research, government, or higher-education organizations
• Familiarity with portfolio or program management frameworks (e.g., PMI, SAFe, or similar)
• Experience integrating Jira with Confluence for documentation and governance publishing
• Background in change management or organizational rollout of collaboration tooling

• Available for remote collaboration
• Able to participate in stakeholder interviews and workshops during Pacific Time business hours
• Must be eligible to work in the United States

Key Deliverables Over the Engagement

• Enterprise Jira Architecture Blueprint
• Jira Configuration Assessment & Remediation Plan
• Standardized Jira Configuration Library
• Goals & Strategic Alignment Implementation
• Advanced Roadmaps Portfolio Framework
• Data Migration Strategy & Project Migration Execution
• Cleanup & Archiving Implementation
• Executive & Operational Reporting/Dashboard Suite
• Group/Department Guidance Artifacts
• Leadership Training Program
• Administrator & Power User Training Package
• Jira Governance Document
• Monthly Status & Executive Reporting
• Final Engagement Closeout Package