Chief Enterprise Architect (CEA)

OmegaHires•Deerfield, IL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Enterprise Architect (CEA) is a senior IT leader responsible for translating enterprise strategy into executable business and technology outcomes. This role ensures alignment between business objectives and IT strategy, driving long-term technology evolution, simplification, and cost optimization across the enterprise. The CEA plays a critical role in shaping the organization’s future-state architecture, enabling scalability, innovation, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in IT, Engineering, or related field
15+ years in enterprise architecture, IT strategy, or digital transformation
Proven track record delivering multi-year transformation roadmaps
Experience leading architecture in complex, global environments
Enterprise architecture design (business + technology)
Technology roadmap planning and business case development
Expertise in modern technologies: Cloud platforms, SaaS ecosystems, Data & AI, Platform-based architectures
Strong executive communication and stakeholder management
Enterprise-first, outcome-driven mindset
Influential and credible with senior executives
Strategic thinker with strong execution focus
Commercially aware and pragmatic
Proven ability to build teams, trust, and cross-functional alignment

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the enterprise architecture community with clear governance and mission
Establish and enforce architectural principles focused on: Enterprise-wide reuse, Simplification and scalability, Speed and agility, Risk management
Promote a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement
Partner with CIO and executive leadership to translate strategy into: Target operating models, Capability roadmaps, Investment priorities
Define and maintain: Current-state and target-state architecture landscapes, Enterprise-wide process and IT ecosystem
Develop sequenced, executable roadmaps aligned to business priorities
Identify dependencies, risks, and optimization opportunities across domains
Ensure alignment across: Business capabilities and value streams, Product portfolios and platforms, Technology standards and delivery teams
Lead technology governance and architecture review processes
Sponsor the Technical Assessment Council (TAC) for evaluating new technologies
Drive reuse-first approach before introducing new tools or platforms
Oversee: Solution architecture validation, Technical debt reduction strategies, Modernization initiatives
Ensure continuous improvement of CMDB accuracy and completeness
Promote innovation through targeted experiments tied to business outcomes
Scale successful innovations into enterprise capabilities
Act as a trusted advisor to: CIO and IT Leadership, Business and Functional Leaders, Finance, Strategy, and Transformation teams
Influence executive decision-making with data-driven insights
Balance strategic vision with practical execution