AI Enterprise Architect (Hybrid)

Securian Financial • Saint Paul, MN

3d • $138,900 - $257,600 • Hybrid

About The Position

The AI Enterprise Architect is a senior technical leader within Securian Financial’s Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence (AI CoE), responsible for shaping enterprise AI architecture strategy and driving adoption of scalable, secure, and reusable AI solutions. The role establishes and leads enterprise AI architecture patterns, standards, and governance practices aligned with long-term technology strategy and evolving business needs. It guides architectural decisions, evaluates emerging AI technologies, and helps teams maximize existing platforms and capabilities while promoting consistency, innovation, and responsible AI adoption.

As a trusted architectural advisor, the AI Enterprise Architect partners with Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Data and Analytics (eDNA), technology leaders, and delivery teams to provide consultation, influence strategic decisions, and accelerate AI adoption across the organization. Success requires deep technical expertise, strong collaboration and communication skills, leadership through influence, and the ability to bring clarity and direction to a rapidly evolving AI landscape. The position is hybrid, with at least three days per week in the office for associates within a 90-minute commute.

The estimated base pay range is $138,900 to $257,600. Pay may vary based on job-related factors and individual experience, skills, and knowledge.

Requirements

• Extensive, progressive experience architecting and designing enterprise solutions using AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics, with a track record at principal or lead-architect level.
• Demonstrated experience establishing or running an architecture pattern, standards, or governance practice, including authoring, reviewing, approving, and publishing reusable patterns or reference architectures.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with experience mentoring and coaching solution architects, delivery teams, and enterprise leaders.
• Experience leading through influence and driving architectural strategy.
• Proven ability to lead architecture reviews and drive adoption of standards and patterns across multiple teams while balancing enterprise consistency with pragmatic, negotiated deviations.
• Deep understanding of common architecture and integration patterns and their application within modern AI and data ecosystems.
• Experience with cloud services; AWS is preferred. Familiarity with AI-related cloud capabilities such as model hosting, vector databases, event streaming, agentic platforms, and generative AI platforms.
• Strong experience evaluating technical capabilities, assessing platform fit, and recommending solutions and buy-versus-build approaches aligned with enterprise strategy.
• Broad knowledge of business, application, data, technology, and security architecture domains, and ability to partner effectively with Enterprise Architecture.
• Ability to translate ambiguous business needs into clear architectural options, patterns, and decisions and guide senior technical and business partners toward alignment.
• High curiosity, adaptability, and willingness to continually research and learn about emerging AI technologies.
• Experience working in agile environments and on cross-functional product teams.

Nice To Haves

• Background in financial services or another regulated industry.
• Preferred skills: AI architecture, Amazon Web Services (AWS), architecture development, coaching, communication, mentorship, results delivery, and results-oriented execution.

Responsibilities

• Establish, evolve, and drive the enterprise target-state AI platform architecture and design, providing senior architectural direction for patterns and reference architectures.
• Define, document, and own a library of reusable AI solution and architecture patterns and assets, including processes to author, review, approve, publish, version, and retire them.
• Serve as the enterprise approval authority for AI patterns by reviewing proposals, adjudicating deviations, and determining alignment with the target-state AI architecture.
• Ensure approved patterns are applied during architecture reviews, coaching delivery teams to cite relevant patterns, identify deviations, and focus review discussions on those deviations.
• Define, maintain, and champion AI development and deployment standards, guardrails, and blueprint patterns for scalable and adaptable solutions.
• Lead solution design and validation consultation for AI delivery teams designing, integrating, and deploying use cases with approved patterns and platforms.
• Partner with Enterprise Architecture to co-own AI platform architecture and design and align AI patterns with enterprise principles, templates, and long-term technology strategy.
• Work with Enterprise Architecture to embed AI patterns in established architecture review venues and align AI architecture with enterprise purpose, vision, and guiding principles, including reuse of existing tools.
• Advise on AI platform and tool evaluation, supporting assessment of platform fit, scalability, and architectural impact.
• Contribute architectural perspective to buy-versus-build decisions, balancing reuse and extensibility with new development or third-party procurement.
• Embed responsible, ethical, and well-governed AI practices into patterns and standards, promoting trustworthy AI development and use.
• Define architecture and metadata standards for the AI solution inventory and connect patterns to a registry of enterprise AI assets.
• Research and assess emerging AI technologies for maturity, enterprise applicability, and architectural fit, translating promising capabilities into candidate patterns.
• Support intake and prioritization of AI opportunities from an architectural perspective, helping shape use cases and their mapping to reusable patterns.
• Provide architectural leadership across AI delivery and scaling so solutions move from experimentation to production on reusable foundations.
• Contribute to the AI platform and pattern roadmap, sequencing shared capability evolution to reduce redundancy and accelerate delivery.

Benefits

• Paid time off, with additional PTO based on length of service.
• Flexible leave programs, including parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military leave.
• Nine company-paid holidays.
• Company-funded pension plan.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution tied to company performance, up to 10% of eligible earnings, with a target of 5%.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for associates and eligible family members, effective from the first day of employment.
• Paid volunteer time and a dollar-for-dollar matching gift program.
• Associate Resource Groups supporting interests and affinities including environmental health and sustainability, mental wellness and disability, LGBTQ+ pride, young professionals, multicultural communities, women and allies, and servicemembers.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed