Technical Enterprise Architect

Technical Enterprise Architect

Software Guidance & Assistance, Inc., (SGA), is searching for a technical enterprise architect for a full-time assignment with one of our premier utility clients. Can sit in any office location but must be local and willing to work hybrid: San Jose CA, Connecticut, Maine, or New Braunfels TX. Onsite three days per week. We are looking for someone with utility experience (water, electric, or gas) who is platform agnostic!

Role Summary

The enterprise technical architect plays a central role in shaping and advancing an evolving enterprise architecture capability within a regulated, multi-subsidiary utility organization. This position serves as the principal technical design authority across enterprise platforms, with a strong focus on Oracle-based utility and ERP systems as well as hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Blending strategic vision with hands-on technical leadership, this role influences technology direction, promotes architectural consistency, and supports scalable growth across operating companies. The architect partners closely with IT leadership and business stakeholders to align solution design with long-term objectives, guide investment decisions, and strengthen architecture governance. Success in this role requires deep technical acumen alongside the ability to communicate complex concepts, drive cross-functional alignment, and mature organizational capabilities.

Primary Duties and Accountabilities

• Define and evolve enterprise-wide technical architectures spanning applications, integrations, cloud platforms, and data domains.
• Create robust, scalable, and secure solution designs supporting utility platforms, cloud ERP systems, and related enterprise applications.
• Establish reference architectures, integration standards, and forward-looking roadmaps that enable consistency and future growth.
• Partner with business and IT leaders to translate strategic objectives into executable architectural plans and standardized platforms.
• Design solutions leveraging native cloud services, application extensibility frameworks, and supported enterprise utility platforms.
• Provide architectural leadership and governance for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, including infrastructure, security, networking, and automation models.
• Shape enterprise integration approaches connecting cloud applications, legacy systems, and operational technologies.
• Develop and enforce architectural principles, standards, review processes, and guardrails to support a formal EA practice.
• Review and guide solution designs produced by internal delivery teams and third-party vendors to ensure alignment with enterprise direction.
• Evaluate architectural risk, technical debt, and strategic fit to inform portfolio planning and prioritization.
• Support system and process alignment across acquired or newly integrated operating entities.
• Create and maintain architecture decision documentation to ensure traceability, transparency, and compliance.
• Collaborate across IT leadership, delivery teams, and business partners to establish a unified architectural vision.
• Work with finance and executive stakeholders to analyze cost models, total cost of ownership, and long-term financial implications of technology choices.
• Coach and enable distributed technical teams to improve architectural understanding, alignment, and technical capability.
• Define and monitor metrics related to platform standardization, resilience, cost efficiency, and risk management; communicate results as appropriate.
• Build strong working relationships with business and support functions to understand service effectiveness and emerging needs.
• Identify opportunities for modernization, process optimization, and platform enhancement to increase operational effectiveness.
• Ensure solutions and practices align with cybersecurity standards, ethical guidelines, and internal policies.