Manager, Application Domain Architecture

Job Description The Manager, Application Domain Architecture leads the application architecture strategy, governance, and roadmap for assigned business and technology domains. This role is accountable for ensuring application solutions, integrations, and technology investments align with enterprise architecture standards, business objectives, cybersecurity requirements, and Mazda's long-term digital transformation strategy.

The position provides architectural leadership across the application portfolio, establishing architecture standards, guiding technology decisions, overseeing solution governance, and driving application modernization initiatives.

Working closely with business leaders, product owners, development teams, maintenance and support teams, infrastructure teams, supplier/partners and Mazda Corporation (MC), the Manager translates business capabilities into scalable, sustainable technology solutions that support current and future organizational needs.

The role influences enterprise technology direction through strategic planning, architecture governance, portfolio management, and leadership of architectural best practices, while developing technical capability across the organization through mentoring, coaching, and matrix leadership. Major Responsibilities

• (25%) Application Domain Strategy & Roadmap
  • Define and maintain the target-state architecture and multi-year technology roadmap for assigned application domains.
  • Evaluate current-state capabilities, technical debt, application lifecycle needs, and modernization opportunities.
  • Partner with business and IT leaders to translate strategic objectives into technology capabilities and investment priorities.
  • Ensure application architecture supports enterprise objectives, scalability, operational efficiency, and long-term business needs.

• (25%) Architecture Governance & Standards
  • Develop and maintain application architecture principles, standards, reference architectures, and design patterns.
  • Lead architecture reviews and provide governance across technology initiatives and solution designs.
  • Ensure compliance with enterprise architecture standards, cybersecurity requirements, data governance, and operational best practices.
  • Provide architectural oversight throughout the solution lifecycle to promote consistency, quality, and maintainability.

• (20%) Cross-Functional Solution Alignment
  • Collaborate with business stakeholders, product owners, development teams, infrastructure teams, and enterprise architects to define scalable technology solutions.
  • Ensure application portfolios support evolving business capabilities and operational requirements.
  • Facilitate integration strategies and solution alignment across applications, platforms, and enterprise services.
  • Partner with Mazda Corporation (MC) and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with global technology direction and standards.
  • Ensure alignment between application technical architecture and enterprise architecture team(s)

• (15%) Emerging Technologies & Drive Innovation
  • Monitor emerging technologies, industry trends, and architectural practices to identify opportunities for business value.
  • Lead technology evaluations, proof-of-concept initiatives, and architecture assessments.
  • Recommend adoption strategies that improve agility, scalability, security, and operational effectiveness.
  • Identify opportunities to reduce technical debt and improve long-term platform sustainability.
  • Drive continuous improvement and modernization efforts across the application portfolio.

• (15%) Leadership & People Management
  • Lead, develop, and retain a team of architects and technical professionals, establishing clear goals and expectations aligned with department and organizational objectives.
  • Manage employee performance through coaching, feedback, development planning, and formal performance management processes; accountable for team performance outcomes.
  • Allocate resources, prioritize work, and balance team capacity to ensure delivery of strategic initiatives and operational objectives.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement while promoting technical excellence and knowledge sharing.
  • Lead workforce planning, succession planning, talent acquisition, and employee development efforts to build current and future organizational capability.
  • Manage team budgets, staffing plans, and resource investments, ensuring alignment with business priorities and financial objectives.
  • Reinforce Mazda's values, leadership expectations, and organizational culture through day-to-day leadership, recognition, communication, and talent decisions.

• Perform other duties as assigned

• Comply with all policies and standards

• The preceding functions have been provided as examples of the types of work performed by employees assigned to this job classification. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job

Work Experience

• 7+ years experience in application development, software engineering, solution architecture, enterprise architecture, systems integration, or related information technology disciplines required
• 5+ years experience designing and implementing enterprise application solutions, integrations, and technology platforms required
• 5+ years experience developing application architecture strategies, technology roadmaps, and architecture governance frameworks required
• 3+ years experience partnering with business and technology stakeholders to align technology solutions with organizational objectives required
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives within a complex, matrixed environment preferred

Education

• Bachelor Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) Computer and Information Science Preferred

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Knowledge of application architecture principles, technology roadmaps, and architecture governance practices (Advanced-Authority)
• Knowledge of enterprise application platforms, systems integration, and cloud technologies such as Microsoft Azure or AWS (Advanced-Authority)
• Ability to partner with business and technology stakeholders to deliver solutions aligned with organizational goals. (Intermediate-Advanced)
• Leadership, communication, and relationship management skills in a matrixed environment (Intermediate-Advanced)
• Ability to evaluate emerging technologies and recommend scalable, secure, and sustainable solutions (Intermediate-Advanced)

Physical Demands

• Stationary Position/Seated: Constantly
• Communicate/Talking: Constantly
• Communicate/Hearing: Constantly
• Repetitive Motions: Constantly
• Seeing/Observing: Constantly

Travel Requirements

• 20% Flying Domestic: Essential

#LI-Remote

We support Remote work in the following states:

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

Pay Range

Salary to be determined by education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

Learn more about MNAO’s comprehensive benefits package here