Director, IT Solution Architecture

we are looking for a strategic and hands-on Director of Solution Architecture to define and drive the evolution of our IT landscape. This role will be the primary authority for recommending and approving the architecture and systems used to address complex business needs, ensuring alignment with business needs, security best practices, and technology trends. This role reports to the VP of Business Applications.

Responsibilities:

Develop and maintain enterprise architecture principles, standards, and roadmaps.
Create and maintain current and future state architecture diagrams and documentation.
Recommend and approve the architecture and systems (existing or new) used to address complex business needs.
Engage from the earliest stages of new application software engagements to ensure alignment with architectural standards and business requirements.
Approve new software solutions, considering all aspects including fit to the business need, alignment with the enterprise architecture, adherence to the technology roadmap, compliance with security standards, total cost of ownership, and long-term maintainability.
Evaluate and recommend technology solutions, including cloud platforms, SaaS applications, and integration technologies.
Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, and maintainable, with a strong emphasis on security in line with core mission.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to project teams and development staff.
Address technical debt by defining and executing modernization strategies.
Promote platform-based approaches over excessive customization.
Define and enforce integration strategies to minimize Shadow IT and ensure data integrity.
Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand their needs and translate them into technical requirements.
Manage the Development and Integration team, providing technical direction and ensuring alignment with the enterprise architecture.
Analyse and document the existing complex application landscape of over 150 integrated applications, including legacy systems with heavy customizations and technical debt, as well as newer systems with varying levels of implementation maturity.
Develop strategies to address knowledge gaps related to certain applications within the portfolio and prioritize modernization efforts based on business value and technical risk.