Director, Architecture

Western Governors University•Salt Lake City, UT

About The Position

The Director, Architecture is part of a forward-thinking team that leverages innovative technology, data-driven insights, and personalized learning pathways to create a truly life-changing educational experience. The Director, Architecture will use their proven expertise to drive technology strategy and delivering micro-service and event-based architecture to lead our Solutions Architecture team. The Director will be a strategic and innovative thinker who can align technology solutions with business goals, drive innovation, and set the vision for long-term technology transformation. They will play a key role in shaping our technology landscape, leading architecture governance, and collaborating with senior leadership to ensure the architecture supports our business’s strategic objectives. The Director will become an expert in the various domains that Ed Tech supports: Pre (enrollment), Intake, Learn, Assess, and Post (graduation or completion). This role will be able to delicately balance when and where to dive deep and provide technical guidance versus provide heads-up, strategic leadership.

Requirements

Strong people and management skills to interact with staff, colleagues, cross-functional teams, and third parties.
Ability to drive a culture of quality and personal accountability through development and delivery teams.
Demonstrates commitment to quality through the ability to translate complex technical requirements into functional software using best practices.
Expert in vendor contract management and management of distributed development teams and resources.
Expert in Agile methods including SCRUM and TDD.
Experience in application architecture and making rational buy vs. build and interface decisions.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work equally well in self-managed and team-based projects.
Deep technical knowledge of web applications using web services.
Excellent presentation, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Deep understanding of SOA principles, architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF) and API management.
Strong strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills, with a proven ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders.
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
15 years of experience in a technology delivery role, with a preference in software development
8 years of experience in a Leadership Role
5 years of experience in enterprise architecture, with a focus on SOA, technology strategy, and large-scale system design.
Proven leadership experience in defining and executing technology strategy at the enterprise level.
Experience delivering for a large, global enterprise in a regulated industry.
Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), microservices architecture, and containerization.
Strong background in architecture governance, technology standards, and enterprise integration patterns.
Experience in lieu of education Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
Certifications in Enterprise Architecture (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman) or Cloud Architecture
Experience with DevOps, CI/CD practices, and agile methodologies.
Familiarity with data governance, security frameworks, and compliance standards.

Responsibilities

Develops, implements, and evolves an enterprise-wide architecture strategy that supports business agility, operational excellence, and growth.
Leads the creation of a technology strategy that aligns with business goals and supports the development of scalable, reusable, and robust systems.
Defines and champions the adoption of SOA principles and standards, ensuring the architecture is modular, flexible, scalable, secure, and capable of quickly supporting new services and business capabilities.
In partnership with the Head of Enterprise Architecture, establishes and leads the architecture governance framework, ensuring alignment with business objectives and compliance with industry standards.
Conducts regular architecture reviews to validate technical design, promote best practices, and manage architecture compliance across the organization.
Collaborates closely with executives, department heads, and technical leaders to guide technology investments and influence long-term technology direction.
Designs and oversees the implementation of SOA to enable flexible, scalable, and reusable services that enhance interoperability and integration across systems.
Partners with the Director of Enterprise Services & Innovation to identify and lead the development of core services and ensure effective integration within a distributed systems environment.
Defines and enforces best practices for API design, data management, and service orchestration, ensuring secure and efficient service delivery.
Drives technology innovation by identifying and implementing emerging technologies and trends.
Partners with Product, Engineering, Infrastructure, and Security teams to develop a roadmap that includes modernization initiatives, system upgrades, and technology consolidation.
Guides enterprise-wide initiatives for digital transformation, including framework adoption, standards enforcement, API management, data analytics, and automation, to increase operational efficiency and business agility.
Builds, mentors, and manages a team of architects and technical experts, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
Leads cross-functional teams in designing and implementing technology solutions that meet both technical and business requirements.
Collaborates with IT, product, and business teams to ensure alignment and integration of technology initiatives across the enterprise.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.