Senior Solution Architect

Job Description How will this role impact First Command? The Senior Solution Architect is responsible for defining solution architecture and architectural direction across enterprise technology platforms, systems, integrations, and data domains. The role provides architectural leadership throughout the delivery lifecycle, guides technical decisions, establishes architectural standards, and ensures solutions are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with approved architectural direction. This role operates across multiple technologies and platforms, applying product, process, data, security, integration, and enterprise technology context to architectural decisions. The architect works across organizational boundaries to drive alignment, resolve dependencies, evaluate trade-offs, manage technical risk, and support delivery teams from discovery through implementation. The role is accountable for architecture governance, architecture artifacts, non-functional requirements, technical standards, peer reviews, architectural escalation, root-cause analysis participation, and continuous improvement of architecture practices. The architect mentors engineers and architects, facilitates knowledge transfer, and maintains current understanding of First Command business processes to inform architectural decisions. The role operates with a high degree of autonomy and accountability and requires strong communication, leadership, decision-making, and organizational skills to drive alignment and successful solution outcomes across multiple teams. What will the employee do in this role? Lead solution engagements from discovery through delivery by facilitating solution definition, shaping technical direction, driving architectural decisions, and creating alignment across participants and delivery teams. Define solution architecture across systems, integrations, data domains, security, scalability, reliability, operational support, and shared technology capabilities. Define and communicate architectural direction, guiding principles, standards, and technical roadmaps for solution areas and enterprise technology platforms. Provide architectural leadership and governance throughout the solution delivery lifecycle to ensure solutions remain aligned with approved architectural direction. Develop proofs of concept and prototypes as needed to evaluate technical feasibility, validate solution approaches, identify constraints, assumptions, dependencies, risks, and trade-offs, reduce implementation risk, and inform architectural decisions. Mentor engineers and architects on solution design, architecture practices, and technical standards. Define, evolve, and promote architecture standards, reference patterns, and best practices. Establish and enforce architectural standards, patterns, and governance processes across teams, while promoting consistency, maintainability, and reuse. Apply product, process, data, security, integration, and enterprise technology context to architecture decisions. Facilitate collaboration across cross-functional teams to drive architectural alignment, resolve dependencies, and support informed technical decision-making. Serve as an escalation point for technical issues related to architecture, standards exceptions, technical risk, cross-system dependencies, and solution trade-offs. Document architectural decisions, alternatives considered, trade-offs, assumptions, and supporting rationale with sufficient context to support implementation, support, and future enhancement activities. Define and maintain architecture artifacts including system context diagrams, integration designs, data flows, architectural decision records, and technical requirements. Identify, communicate, and mitigate architectural risks and technical debt. Define non-functional requirements including security, scalability, reliability, recoverability, maintainability, performance, and operational support requirements. Provide architectural leadership for initiatives that span multiple systems, platforms, products, integrations, data domains, or delivery teams. Facilitate technical and product knowledge transfer across teams and stakeholders. Ensure architectural documentation contains sufficient context, rationale, and detail to support implementation, support, and future enhancement activities. Pursue continuous education to master new technologies, agile processes, programming languages, industry best practices, and tools that are needed within First Command. Lead architectural design for new systems and major enhancements, enabling delivery teams to decompose approved architectures into executable work. Perform peer reviews of architecture deliverables and solution designs to ensure alignment with architectural standards, design principles, and approved solution direction. Support resolution of complex technical issues by contributing to root-cause analysis, evaluating architectural impacts, and recommending long-term corrective actions. Maintain current knowledge of First Command business processes and apply that context to solution architecture and design decisions. What skills & qualifications do you need? Education Bachelor's degree preferred. 5 years of experience may be considered in lieu of degree. Work Experience 7+ years of progressive experience in technology with a focus on software development, systems integration, or solution delivery. 5+ years of experience with Business Analysis and Systems Design 3+ years of experience leading solution architecture engagements and providing technical direction across cross-functional teams. Certifications N/A Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Solution Architecture: Experience defining solution architectures across systems, integrations, data domains, security, scalability, reliability, operational support, and shared technology capabilities. Platform Architecture: Experience designing scalable enterprise technology platforms and solutions with a strong understanding of architectural frameworks, design patterns, and engineering best practices. Integration and Data Design: Experience designing integrations, APIs, data flows, and cross-system interactions across enterprise technology platforms. Development Expertise: Strong background in software development and familiarity with multiple programming languages, frameworks, and engineering practices. Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead architecture engagements and technical decision-making without direct organizational authority. Skilled at driving alignment, resolving ambiguity, influencing stakeholders, facilitating cross-functional engagements, and progressing solutions from concept through delivery. Decision Quality: Ability to evaluate competing alternatives and make architecture recommendations using risk, cost, complexity, feasibility, operational impacts, and long-term maintainability considerations. Stakeholder Alignment: Ability to facilitate collaboration across cross-functional teams, resolve dependencies, build alignment, and support informed technical decision-making. Architecture Governance: Experience defining, implementing, and evolving architecture standards, reference patterns, governance processes, and best practices. Communication: Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences and facilitate informed decision-making. Delivery Enablement: Ability to provide architectural direction that delivery teams can decompose into executable work while maintaining alignment with approved solution designs. Technology Context: Ability to connect technology decisions to product requirements, process requirements, security requirements, data architecture, integration architecture, operational support models, and user experience considerations across enterprise technology platforms. Continuous Learning: Commitment to staying current with architecture practices, integration approaches, emerging technologies, industry trends, and enterprise technology capabilities. Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and operate effectively with a high degree of autonomy and accountability. Leadership Influence: Ability to lead cross-functional teams, influence decision-making, enable other leaders, and drive alignment across organizational boundaries.

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