Chief Architect

Job summary

The Chief Architect is responsible for defining, governing, and executing the enterprise technology architecture strategy across the IT Infrastructure Services ecosystem. As the senior-most architecture leader, the Chief Architect ensures that business objectives, digital transformation goals, operational requirements, security standards, and technology investments are aligned through a cohesive and future-ready architecture vision.This role provides strategic leadership across Cloud & DevOps, Security, Network & Voice, Workforce Services, Platform Services, Operational Services, Data & AI, and Service Management domains. The Chief Architect serves as the principal technology advisor to executive stakeholders and is accountable for establishing architecture standards, transformation roadmaps, innovation strategies, modernization initiatives, and technology governance frameworks.The Chief Architect partners closely with business leaders, service tower leaders, delivery teams, vendors, and external partners to drive technology simplification, automation, AI adoption, cloud modernization, operational resilience, and continuous innovation while ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and maintain the enterprise architecture vision, strategy, and multi-year technology roadmap.
• Establish architectural principles, standards, design patterns, and governance frameworks across all infrastructure services.
• Align technology architecture strategies with business priorities, operating model objectives, and transformation initiatives.
• Serve as the ultimate architecture authority for infrastructure modernization, service transformation, cloud adoption, and innovation programs.
• Provide strategic technology guidance to executive leadership and governance boards.

Technology Architecture Governance

• Chair architecture review boards and design authority forums.
• Establish architectural policies, standards, and reference architectures.
• Govern solution designs to ensure consistency, scalability, security, maintainability, and compliance.
• Define technology lifecycle management processes, including technology adoption, rationalization, and retirement strategies.
• Ensure architectural decisions support operational excellence and long-term business outcomes.

Infrastructure & Platform Architecture

• Define architecture direction across Cloud, Platform, Network, Security, Workplace, and Operations functions.
• Oversee the design of resilient, scalable, and highly available infrastructure services.
• Ensure interoperability across technology towers and platforms.
• Lead efforts to simplify and standardize infrastructure architectures.
• Drive convergence toward modern hybrid cloud and platform-based operating models.

Continued

Cloud, DevOps & Modernization Strategy

• Establish cloud architecture standards and adoption frameworks.
• Lead cloud transformation initiatives, including migration, modernization, optimization, and governance programs.
• Define architecture patterns supporting DevOps, platform engineering, automation, and service delivery excellence.
• Ensure cloud solutions balance performance, resilience, security, compliance, and cost efficiency.
• Drive adoption of modern engineering and infrastructure-as-code practices.

AI, Automation & Innovation Leadership

• Define architectural strategies for AI-enabled operations, AIOps, predictive analytics, intelligent automation, and service intelligence.
• Establish standards for integrating AI and automation capabilities into infrastructure services.
• Identify emerging technologies and innovation opportunities that enhance operational performance and customer outcomes.
• Partner with AI Architects and automation leaders to accelerate technology transformation initiatives.
• Lead strategic proof-of-concept and innovation programs that support future-state operating models.

Security, Risk & Resilience Architecture

• Ensure security-by-design principles are embedded into all architecture decisions.
• Collaborate with Security Services leadership to establish enterprise security architecture standards.
• Define architecture controls supporting cyber resilience, regulatory compliance, privacy, and risk management objectives.
• Oversee disaster recovery, business continuity, and operational resilience architecture strategies.
• Ensure architecture solutions address emerging technology and cybersecurity risks.

Continued

Data, Analytics & Integration Architecture

• Define architecture standards for data platforms, operational analytics, observability, monitoring, and service intelligence.
• Establish integration architectures that enable seamless information flow across infrastructure domains.
• Support enterprise reporting, performance measurement, automation, and AI initiatives through scalable data architectures.
• Promote data governance, data quality, and enterprise information management best practices.
• Ensure architecture decisions support real-time operational visibility and business insights.

Service Transformation & Technology Modernization

• Lead architecture planning for large-scale transformation programs.
• Define target-state architectures that support operational efficiency, automation, standardization, and vendor consolidation.
• Develop transition roadmaps from current-state to future-state technology landscapes.
• Ensure transformation initiatives deliver measurable business value while minimizing technology and operational risk.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives aligned with modernization and operational excellence goals.

Vendor & Technology Partner Management

• Provide technical governance and oversight for strategic technology partners and suppliers.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, products, services, and platforms.
• Support vendor selection, technology assessment, and architectural due diligence activities.
• Guide technology investment decisions and strategic sourcing activities.
• Ensure third-party solutions align with enterprise architecture standards and business requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement & Executive Advisory

• Act as the trusted technology advisor to executive leadership and business stakeholders.
• Translate business strategy into technology roadmaps and actionable architecture plans.
• Communicate architectural direction, risks, opportunities, and investment recommendations to senior leadership.
• Facilitate alignment between business, delivery, operations, security, and technology teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and engineering excellence across the organization.

Required skills & experience

Professional Experience

• 15+ years of progressive experience in enterprise architecture, infrastructure engineering, technology strategy, or digital transformation.
• Minimum 10 years of architecture leadership experience in large-scale enterprise or managed services environments.
• Proven experience leading complex infrastructure transformation, cloud modernization, and technology integration initiatives.
• Demonstrated success designing enterprise-scale architecture strategies across multiple technology domains.
• Experience working within large, globally distributed, multi-vendor environments.

Architecture & Technical Expertise

• Deep expertise in Enterprise Architecture, Infrastructure Architecture, Solution Architecture, and Technology Strategy.
• Strong knowledge of Cloud Computing, Hybrid Infrastructure, DevOps, Platform Engineering, Security Architecture, and Modern Workplace technologies.
• Extensive experience with enterprise infrastructure services including networks, platforms, cloud, security, workplace services, and operations.
• Knowledge of AI, Machine Learning, Automation, AIOps, Observability, and Analytics platforms.
• Strong understanding of integration architectures, data platforms, service management, and operational governance.
• Experience establishing architecture governance models, technology standards, and reference architectures.
• Familiarity with enterprise modernization, transformation, and technology rationalization programs.

Leadership & Business Skills

• Exceptional executive presence and communication skills.
• Ability to align business strategy with technology architecture and investment decisions.
• Proven leadership of large-scale cross-functional technology organizations.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capabilities at executive level.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.Ability to balance innovation, operational requirements, risk management, and financial objectives.
• Experience leading organizational transformation and fostering technology innovation cultures.

Certifications

Preferred Certifications

• TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Certification.
• Zachman Framework Certification or equivalent architecture credentials.
• Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional.
• Google Professional Cloud Architect.
• ITIL Managing Professional or Strategic Leader.
• CISSP, CCSP, or equivalent security certification.
• SAFe Architect, PMP, or related transformation certifications.

Success Measures

• Successful delivery of enterprise architecture strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Increased standardization, simplification, and modernization of infrastructure platforms.
• Accelerated adoption of cloud, automation, AI, and digital transformation capabilities.
• Improved technology resilience, security posture, and operational efficiency.
• Reduction in architectural complexity, technical debt, and technology risk.
• Achievement of transformation milestones and measurable business outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder confidence in technology direction and investment decisions.
• Establishment of a sustainable, scalable, and future-ready technology architecture ecosystem.