Enterprise Architect

Title: Enterprise Architect/Senior Director

Location: Chicago, IL/MN (Onsite)

Duration: 8 Months

Role Overview:

• Client is seeking a Senior Director, Enterprise Architecture, to actively perform hands-on solution architecture and shape enterprise-level solutions aligned with our strategic business objectives.
• This role is expected to engage directly in solutioning, combining deep technical expertise with business acumen to deliver innovative and pragmatic architecture that drive measurable value.
• As a senior leader, the role also guides and develops a small, high-performing architecture team setting technical direction, mentoring talent, and fostering a culture of engineering excellence and close collaboration across business and technology partners.
• This role requires a strong grounding in TOGAF-aligned Enterprise Architecture practices, proven experience in operating within a Solution Train or comparable large-scale, multi-team delivery model, and the ability to guide architecture through execution.
• A background in engineering is required to ensure credibility with delivery teams. Insurance or financial services experience is highly desirable.
• Hands-on expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Agentic Architecture patterns is essential. Expertise in Agentic Architecture and an API-First mindset are required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and evolve the enterprise architecture direction and target-state vision for Client, setting the strategic technology agenda and aligning technology investment with business objectives.
• Drive and maintain the multi-year Client technology strategy and target-state architecture, modernizing the application portfolio while reducing complexity, technical debt, and operational risk.
• Maintain a holistic view of the Client application landscape business capabilities, technology stack, integrations, and technical health and develop modernization, consolidation, and lifecycle strategies that simplify the ecosystem and support future business growth.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, including AI, cloud-native platforms, and engineering tooling, and establish technology investment priorities that align with business objectives and long-term architectural direction.
• Serve as a hands-on solution architect directly designing, developing, and owning solution architectures for complex initiatives within Client, ensuring alignment with enterprise strategy, architecture standards, and governance processes.
• Apply TOGAF ADM and enterprise architecture principles to define current, transition, and target states, delivering actionable roadmaps.
• Act as a senior architecture leader within the the Solution Train, ensuring architectural runway, alignment across delivery teams, and collaboration with Solution Management, System Architects, and Engineering teams.
• Participate actively in Architectural Review Boards (ARB), ensuring solutions align to enterprise standards, governance, and compliance requirements.
• Champion Agentic Architecture patterns and API-First principles, ensuring reusable, scalable, and loosely coupled solutions.
• Create and maintain Solution Building Blocks, reusable patterns, and enablers that accelerate delivery and provide architectural consistency across programs.
• Partner with business stakeholders to identify opportunities where AI and advanced analytics can drive differentiation, efficiency, and risk management improvements.
• Define an AI architecture strategy that identifies opportunities to leverage AI across software delivery, testing, operations, and business capabilities, while establishing guidance for security, compliance, and responsible AI practices.
• Collaborate with Engineering leads, Data Architects, and Platform teams to design solutions leveraging cloud-native, microservices, API-First, and Agentic Architecture patterns.
• Partner with Engineering leadership to ensure architecture is practical and implementable, supporting adoption of modern engineering practices such as API-first development, CI/CD, DevSecOps, observability, and platform engineering, and using delivery metrics (e.g., DORA) to measure architecture adoption and impact.
• Ensure architectural compliance with security, risk management, and regulatory requirements.
• Present solution architectures, roadmaps, and recommendations to senior leadership and executive stakeholders, translating complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes.
• Mentor architects and engineers, fostering knowledge transfer and practice maturity.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 15+ years designing and delivering enterprise software solutions with at least 8 years in Solution or Enterprise Architecture roles.
• Proven success defining and executing enterprise technology strategy within large, complex organizations.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills, with a proven ability to engage and guide senior business and technology leaders.
• Strong engineering background with hands-on solutioning experience, able to engage directly in architecture design and delivery.
• Artificial Intelligence expertise hands-on expertise in AI/ML and Agentic Architecture patterns, including direct application of predictive analytics, natural language processing, and GenAI to solve complex business problems at enterprise scale.
• Demonstrated experience in working within a Solution Train or similar large-scale delivery structure, coordinating architecture across multiple concurrent delivery teams.
• Solid understanding of Agentic Architecture patterns, API-First design, Domain-Driven Design (DDD), and cloud-native architecture principles (Azure preferred), including microservices and modern integration patterns.
• Awareness of modern engineering practices and how architecture decisions influence engineering velocity, quality, and operational stability.
• Experience participating in Architectural Review Boards (ARB) and contributing to enterprise governance processes.
• Familiarity with insurance, reinsurance, or financial services industries is a plus.

Preferred Attributes:

• Experience in enterprise data platforms, data governance, and AI risk frameworks.
• Ability to balance innovation with practical delivery constraints.
• Simplifies technology landscapes and challenges existing approaches using sound engineering principles and data.
• Balances architecture governance with delivery speed, and builds consensus across Architecture, Engineering, Product, and Business stakeholders.
• Equally comfortable discussing enterprise strategy with executives and reviewing detailed solution designs with engineering teams.
• Skilled in ArchiMate, UML, or other modeling languages.
• Ability to work effectively across geographies and time zones.

Key Skills: Enterprise Architect, TOGAF, AI, API, Financial Services