The client supports multiple business units. The hired Architect creates and leverages Business Capability Modelling artifacts, creates Customer Journey Maps as needed and facilitates Business and IT Strategic planning in collaboration with Business Relationship Managers and Senior Leadership. Architectural guidance must be provided for new projects and ensure that current projects follow the client technical and application standards and is in alignment with enterprise strategy. Conduct market research, Technology evaluation and tool comparison and operationalize modern technology and application standards. OIS is focused on Modernization and Cloud Smart Strategy execution projects, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), AI/ML including Virtual Assistants and Generative AI, in Family Assistance, Unemployment Compensation, Workforce Development, Community Support Services and other areas.

Job Overview:

Roles and Responsibilities
Facilitate and drive Business and IT Strategic Planning discussions with Senior Leadership, Business Relationship Managers and subject matter experts ensuring alignment with organization’s goals and objectives.
Partner with IT staff and technology experts to create IT Strategy, establish technology standards and guidelines for design and implementation of projects
Plan, Initiate and spearhead proof of concept initiatives using emerging technologies
Partner with business and technology experts to understand business requirements, analyze market trends, conduct technology evaluation and comparison analysis and provide recommendations to senior leadership
Maintain a holistic view of the organization’s strategy, processes, information and technology assets.
Require Technical Architecture skills and experience in Generative AI, Conversational UI, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Cloud services such as Microsoft Azure, Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to enable digital business transformation and provide guidance for modernization efforts.
Technical writing leveraging Word, Powerpoint, Lucid Chart, Visio, Avolution ABACUS, Sharepoint

The Architect will be working with business strategists’/process owners/SMEs comprised of Business Unit managers across Family Assistance, Unemployment Compensation, Workforce Development and various admin areas like Finance. SMEs are within OIS at various roles eg: Application Development managers/leads, Requirements teams, Client Partners, Operations leads. The Senior Architect role will be primarily aligned to one or more Business Units while providing backup support to others.

Scope of Activities:
Provide strategic consultation to assigned line-of-business (LOB) customers for business and IT strategies as well as in researching, internally marketing and enabling the use of standard technologies based on customer requirements.
Create IT Strategies and guidelines by collaborating with subject matter experts across different IT teams
Provide architectural input and technical consultation services to implement the strategies and guidelines in projects
Participate in business opportunity identification and business innovation portfolio development by conducting research, leveraging emerging technologies and adhering to market trends.
Participate in enterprise architecture development, including business architecture, information architecture, application portfolio and technical architecture and create models to drive informed business and IT decisions.
Assess near-term needs, using structured interview processes, to establish business priorities; consult with technical subject matter experts and develop alternative technical solutions; advise on options, risks, costs vs. benefits, and impact on other business processes and system priorities.
Conduct informal learning sessions for the organization on developed strategies and cutting-edge technologies
Collaborate with other IT functional areas to remain informed of project status and inform LOB customer management of progress; conversely, keep IT's technology and service managers aware of key LOB customer issues, identifying and resolving potential problems and conflicts.
Facilitate development of cross-LOB (enterprise) solutions that combine knowledge of business processes and issues, general technological options, and process facilitation techniques.
Collaborate with the enterprise program management office on reporting project status, issues, risks and benefits.

Skills and Credentials:
Experience developing strategic technology plans and roadmaps, business capability models and customer journey maps
Ability to present and communicate both business and technical concepts
Ability to lead and conduct emerging technology analysis initiatives
Experience in leading efforts to create technology solutions and architectures impacting critical areas of the business
Strong leadership and negotiation skills with business and technical groups
Ability to establish and maintain a high-level of customer trust and confidence.
Strong analytical and conceptual skills; ability to create original concepts and theories for a variety of projects.
Ability to think critically and solve problems
Demonstrated technology skills across multiple IT domains (e.g. application, security, infrastructure)
Strong consultative skills at a cross-functional level

Experience
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information systems or related discipline, or equivalent and extensive related project experience; master’s degree preferred.
TOGAF Certification preferred
Five to seven years of experience in IT, with a minimum of two years’ Enterprise Architecture experience and two years’ Solution Architecture experience.
Technical Experience, leading AI implementations that include Generative AI, RPA and Virtual Assistants
Experience providing EA Governance for Cloud modernization efforts
Exposure to multiple, diverse technologies and processing environments
Solution Architecture Experience using AWS, GCP and (/or) Azure ecosystems for AI and Robotic Process Automation technologies such as UI Path
Enterprise Architecture experience using ABACUS EA tool is preferred

Skill - Required / Desired - Amount of Experience
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information systems or related discipline, or equivalent & extensive related project experience; master’s pref - Required
TOGAF Certification preferred - Highly desired
5-7 of experience in IT, with a minimum of 2 years’ Enterprise Architecture experience and 2 years’ Solution Architecture exp - Required - 7 Years
Technical Experience, leading AI implementations that include Generative AI, RPA and Virtual Assistants - Required
Experience providing EA Governance for Cloud modernization efforts - Required
Exposure to multiple, diverse technologies and processing environments - Required
Solution Architecture Experience using AWS, GCP and (/or) Azure ecosystems for AI and Robotic Process Automation technologies such as UI Path - Required
Enterprise Architecture experience using ABACUS EA tool is preferred - Highly desired

Notes:
Remote - within Eastern Standard Time zone