Director, Enterprise Architecture

RTD • Plaza, ND

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is a strategic partner to business and IT leadership, guiding enterprise-wide technology and capability decisions that balance near-term operational demands with the organization’s long-term mission and strategy. The role defines and communicates architectural principles, target state models, roadmaps, and standards; ensures portfolio alignment; and drives measurable business value from technology investments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or Information Technology required or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
• Ten (10) years of combined IT and business experience, including substantial enterprise architecture experience and demonstrated success leading large cross‑functional programs.
• Five (5) years of direct supervisory or management experience.
• Experience defining enterprise AI strategy, including architectural principles for AI adoption, AI lifecycle governance, model observability, and responsible AI frameworks.
• Ability to assess AI readiness across business units and establish guardrails for safe, ethical, and effective AI deployment at scale.
• Experience in cloud‑native architectures (Azure/AWS), containerization/microservices, API ecosystems/iPaaS, data platforms and governance, Zero Trust security, and modern integration patterns across on‑premise, cloud, and SaaS.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, or relevant field of study, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience
• Fifteen (15) years of combined IT and business experience, including substantial enterprise architecture experience and demonstrated success leading large cross‑functional programs.
• Certifications in one or more of the following: TOGAF (or equivalent), COBIT/ITIL for governance, and cloud architecture certifications (Azure/AWS)
• Experience in SAFe or similar Agile framework
• Transit industry business and/or technology experience
• Proficiency across holistic EA domains (business, application, data, technology/security); capability modeling and value stream mapping; platform strategy; roadmap development; and enterprise standards management.
• Proficiency across holistic EA domains (business, application, data, technology/security); capability modeling and value stream mapping; platform strategy including shared capability delivery models; roadmap development; enterprise standards management; and responsible AI governance frameworks.
• Working knowledge of agile at scale (e.g., SAFe) and modern product operating models; ability to align architecture with product portfolios and delivery cadence.
• Working knowledge of agile at scale (e.g., SAFe) and modern product operating models; ability to align architecture with product portfolios and delivery cadence.
• Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code as architectural enablers
• Proficient with EA tools and repositories; ability to produce executive‑quality visualizations and narratives.
• Exceptional executive communication, storytelling, and influence skills; able to translate complex tradeoffs into business‑friendly recommendations.
• Experience shifting governance from manual gate-based reviews toward automated compliance, continuous observability, and policy-as-code approaches.
• Demonstrated enterprise influence without formal authority; change leadership across functions; and stewardship of architectural outcomes tied to measurable business value.
• Ability to manage time and workload effectively which includes planning, organizing, and prioritizing with attention to details.
• Strong organizational and strategic planning skills.
• Has aptitude for problem solving and bringing creative ideas to the table, and ability to facilitate move from ideas/concepts to working technical solutions.
• Ability to identify resources, motivate participation, clearly communicate one’s vision, and drive execution.
• The ability to self-manage, independently identify program goals, assess risks, and achieve results
• The ability to keep appraised of latest developments and updates in enterprise architecture and IT governance.

Responsibilities

• Leads enterprise architecture for transit technology platforms including scheduling and dispatch systems, real-time passenger information systems, fare collection technologies, fleet telemetry, rail and bus operations platforms, and enterprise mobility data platforms.
• Operates and Chairs the Enterprise Architecture Review Board and leads enterprise governance: establishing architectural principles, target‑state reference models, standards, and exception management; developing an enterprise architecture communication plan; and ensuring solutions align to target‑state with traceability to business outcomes.
• Partners with domain architects to build business capability maps, value streams, and transitional architectures; integrates cybersecurity (i.e. Zero Trust), data strategy and governance, integration platforms (API/iPaaS), and cloud‑native patterns across portfolios; and ensures conceptual completeness of designs.
• Aligns architecture governance with enterprise risk, compliance, and service management (e.g., COBIT/ITIL); drives architectural controls into change and asset processes; and assures traceability from standards to platform lifecycles and configurations.
• Identifies and evaluates opportunities to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve transit operations, including predictive maintenance, service planning, ridership forecasting, customer experience, and operational efficiency; establishes architectural patterns, data requirements, and governance frameworks to support responsible AI adoption across the organization.
• Ensures configuration and lifecycle management are aligned to reference architectures and roadmaps; maintains authoritative enterprise architecture repositories (diagrams, patterns, principles, standards) with version control and reuse metrics.
• Owns multi‑year technology roadmaps and modernization initiatives (cloud migration, platform consolidation, security‑by‑design, data interoperability); prioritizes replatforming/retirement; and drives innovation scouting and proofs‑of‑concept for emerging technologies with business relevance.
• Provides strategic consultation to business and IT leaders—advising on options, risks, cost‑benefit tradeoffs, and timing; influences capital planning and investment prioritization to ensure architecture initiatives receive appropriate funding; approves tools and components consistent with enterprise standards.
• Develops and executes an enterprise architecture communication and adoption plan; promotes EA process, outcomes, and value to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Maintains appropriate staffing levels and reviews progress to ensure the quality and quantity of work meet standards and deadlines for deliverables to meet program goals and objectives.
• Recruits staff to include interviewing, hiring, assigning work, training, coaching, and counseling to ensure consistent application of Employee Guidelines, processes, and procedures.
• Conducts performance reviews and holds employees accountable for optimal performance of their responsibilities.
• Fosters a safety-first culture, prioritizing prevention, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Takes action to advance the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity, Small/ Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Title VI and ADA Plans, thereby ensuring RTD's hiring programs, work environment, contracting and procurement practices, and transit services/programs are fair, equal, and non-discriminatory.
• All job-related duties as assigned

Benefits

• RTD Employee Benefits: https://www.rtd-denver.com/careers/benefits (RTD Represented Employee Benefits: Please refer to the Labor Agreement included in the above link for details.)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director