Head of Architecture, Direct Platform

About the Role

Morningstar's mission is to empower investor success. At the heart of that mission is the Direct Platform, which delivers the data, research, analytics, and software solutions relied upon by investors worldwide. As the scale, complexity, and pace of technological change continue to accelerate, Morningstar is investing in the modernization of its platforms, architecture, and engineering capabilities to power the next generation of investor experiences. The Head of Architecture is the senior-most architecture leader responsible for defining and executing the long-term technology vision for the platform, ensuring architecture decisions enable business growth, scalability, innovation, and operational excellence. This role serves as a key partner to executive leadership, influencing technology investment priorities and shaping the future state of the organization’s products, platforms, data, and cloud ecosystem. Leading a small team of approximately six architects, the Head of Architecture will establish enterprise architecture standards, govern major technology decisions, and drive modernization initiatives that improve agility, resilience, developer productivity, and speed to market. The role spans application, cloud, integration, and data architecture, with accountability for reducing technical debt, enabling platform scalability, and ensuring technology capabilities align with strategic business objectives. This leader will work closely with Product, Engineering, Infrastructure, and Security teams to evolve the technology operating model and accelerate delivery of high-impact business outcomes. They will champion the responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including AI and automation, while building a high-performing architecture function that balances innovation, governance, and long-term organizational capability.

Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Strategy & Transformation

• Define and maintain the target-state Direct Platform architecture aligned to business priorities, product strategy, and long-term growth objectives.
• Develop and execute multi-year architecture and modernization roadmaps that reduce technical debt, simplify the technology landscape, and improve scalability, resiliency, maintainability, and operational efficiency.
• Establish enterprise architecture principles, reference architectures, technology standards, and cloud strategy across applications, data, infrastructure, and platform services.
• Lead evaluation of existing systems and technologies, identifying opportunities for consolidation, standardization, modernization, and adoption of cloud-native capabilities.
• Serve as the final escalation point for significant architectural decisions and trade-offs, balancing speed, scalability, resiliency, security, customer experience, and total cost of ownership.
• Establish and monitor architecture success metrics tied to business outcomes, including speed-to-market, platform reliability, operational efficiency, technology cost optimization, and customer experience.

Technology Leadership & Business Partnership

• Facilitate alignment with Product, Engineering, Data, Security, Infrastructure, and Operations teams.
• Lead cross-functional architecture reviews for major initiatives and strategic investments.
• Influence technology investment planning and capital allocation decisions, including development of business cases and financial modeling for major architecture investments.
• Provide architectural direction and executive oversight of strategic vendor and partner technology relationships.
• Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to evolve organizational structures, delivery models, and platform operating practices that improve delivery velocity and developer effectiveness.
• Act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on technology strategy, platform investment priorities, transformation risks, and emerging technology opportunities, including AI-enabled capabilities.

Team Leadership & Technical Excellence

• Lead and mentor a small team of senior architects, working alongside them on design and delivery.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
• Develop architectural capability across the organization through coaching, technical thought leadership, and communities of practice that promote consistency and knowledge sharing.
• Build long-term organizational capability through talent assessment, succession planning, coaching, and development of future architecture leaders.

Architecture Governance & Risk Management

• Establish governance processes for evaluating emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning capabilities, and approving major platform investments.
• Ensure compliance with security, regulatory, privacy, and operational requirements.
• Establish architecture review processes and governance forums that balance innovation, speed of delivery, risk management, and long-term platform sustainability.

Required Experience

• 15+ years of progressive technology leadership experience, including significant experience in enterprise, platform, solution, or application architecture roles within complex, global organizations.
• At least 5+ years of experience leading architecture organizations, architecture teams, or enterprise-wide technology transformation initiatives, with recent hands‑on architecture experience designing and governing complex cloud, application, data, and platform solutions.
• Proven success defining and executing enterprise architecture and modernization strategies across cloud, application, data, and platform domains that improve scalability, operational efficiency, and business outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders and partner effectively across Technology, Product, Operations, Security, Data, and Business functions to drive strategic technology initiatives and operating model improvements.
• Experience leading and developing high‑performing architecture teams, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Proven track record establishing architecture governance, technology standards, and decision‑making frameworks that balance innovation, risk management, and execution speed.
• Strong understanding of modern software development practices, platform engineering, DevSecOps, API‑first architectures, microservices, event‑driven architectures, and cloud‑native technologies.
• Experience evaluating emerging technologies, including AI-enabled capabilities, and influencing technology investment decisions through business case development, financial analysis, and strategic prioritization.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business recommendations.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect technology decisions to business outcomes and enterprise objectives.
• Ability to influence, build alignment, challenge conventional thinking, and drive decisions across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrates sound judgment, balancing long‑term architectural vision with practical execution in complex and ambiguous environments.
• Passion for developing talent and fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Hands‑On Technical Skills

• Demonstrated ability to remain a hands‑on architect, contributing to the design, review, and delivery of complex, high‑impact platform initiatives, including prototypes and reference architectures when appropriate.
• Maintains deep technical credibility through direct engagement with engineering teams, enabling informed architectural decisions and resolution of complex performance, scalability, reliability, and operational challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading architecture functions in high‑growth SaaS, fintech, financial services, data, analytics, or technology‑driven organizations.
• Experience supporting large‑scale, mission‑critical platforms serving global customers in regulated environments.
• Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and architecture‑related certifications preferred.
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.

Location

This role is based at our global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Regardless of office, there is an expectation of four days per week in the office. Morningstar operates a flexible in‑office model in which employees select one preferred remote workday per week.

Compensation and Benefits

• Financial Health 100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
• Stock Ownership Potential
• Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
• Physical Health Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company‑provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
• Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
• Company‑provided long‑and short‑term disability insurance
• Emotional Health Trust‑Based Time Off
• 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
• 6‑Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
• Competitive 8‑24 Week Paid Parental Leave
• Adoption Assistance
• Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
• Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well‑being expenses
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Social Health Charitable Matching Gifts program Dollars for Doers volunteer program
• Paid volunteering days 15+
• Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Total Cash Compensation Range $263,475.00-403,991.66 Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in‑person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in‑office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.

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Morningstar is a global independent investment research and financial data company. Here, you'll help uncover what’s hidden, simplify what’s complex, and create insights that empower investor success.

Company overview

Morningstar Development Program Morningstar is strongly committed to creating and preserving equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We make all employment decisions—including recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination, and other personnel matters—without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship, gender identity and expression, parental status, or other legally protected characteristics or conduct.