Director, Enterprise Architecture

This is a remote position.

Director, Enterprise Architecture

Client: Our client Type: Permanent, full-time Reports to: Vice President, Information Technology Direct reports:** About 5 Solutions Architects

Draft prepared by Strategize It. To be confirmed with our client.

About the Role

Our client is looking for a Director of Enterprise Architecture to set up and grow its enterprise architecture practice. The successful candidate will connect business strategy to technology delivery. They need a deep understanding of how the business works: its processes, value streams and operating model. They will use that understanding to shape the technology roadmap, guide investment decisions and make sure solutions solve real business problems.

This is a leadership role. You will build the practice, lead a team of Solutions Architects, and act as a trusted advisor to executives and business leaders across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Business Process and Strategy Alignment

• Build a strong understanding of our client's business processes, capabilities and value streams across operational, customer-facing and corporate functions.

• Lead business capability mapping and process analysis to find gaps, redundancies and improvement opportunities.

• Turn business strategy and objectives into target-state architectures and multi-year technology roadmaps.

• Work with business leaders to redesign processes and make sure technology enables better ways of working, rather than simply automating current ones.

Building the Enterprise Architecture Practice

• Set up the EA function, including its mandate, operating model, frameworks, standards, principles and governance.

• Introduce architecture review processes and decision-making forums that bring value without slowing delivery.

• Choose and apply a suitable framework, such as TOGAF, and fit it to our client's size and culture.

• Define EA artifacts, repositories and tools, and keep them current.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, coach and develop a team of about five Solutions Architects.

• Build a collaborative, business-focused architecture culture.

• Set clear goals, measure performance and plan for succession and skills growth.

Advisory and Governance

• Act as a strategic advisor to the VP of IT and the executive team on technology direction, investment and risk.

• Guide major initiatives and make sure solution designs fit the enterprise architecture.

• Assess emerging technologies and vendor solutions against business needs.

• Work with Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, Data and Application teams to make sure architecture addresses security, compliance, resilience and integrity requirements.

Portfolio and Investment Support

• Help with IT portfolio planning, prioritization and business cases.

• Find opportunities to rationalize applications and reduce technical debt.

• Report on how the architecture is maturing and the value it delivers.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of progressive IT experience, including at least 5 years in enterprise or solutions architecture.

• At least 3 years leading architecture teams or practices.

• Proven ability to understand, analyze and improve business processes. This includes business capability modelling, process mapping and value stream analysis.

• Experience building or maturing an enterprise architecture function from the ground up.

• Strong working knowledge of EA frameworks, such as TOGAF or Zachman, and modelling notations like ArchiMate and BPMN.

• Broad technical knowledge across applications, integration, data, cloud and infrastructure.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical ideas to executives and non-technical stakeholders.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Preferred

• TOGAF certification or equivalent.

• Business process certification or background, such as Lean, Six Sigma or CBPP.

• Experience in a regulated industry, such as financial services, utilities, healthcare or the public sector.

• Experience with cloud transformation and modern integration patterns.

• Experience with EA tools such as LeanIX, Ardoq or Sparx EA.

• MBA or a related business education.

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• An EA practice with a clear mandate, governance and operating model.

• A current-state business capability map and process landscape for key business areas.

• A target-state architecture and roadmap aligned with our client's strategic plan.

• A motivated architecture team trusted by business and IT leaders as a strategic partner.

Key Competencies

• Business acumen and process thinking

• Strategic and systems thinking

• Leadership and team building

• Influence and stakeholder management

• Pragmatism: balancing ideal architecture with what's realistic to deliver

• Clear, confident communication