Director of Enterprise Architecture

Husch Blackwell • Kansas City, MO

21h • Hybrid

About The Position

Husch Blackwell LLP is a full-service litigation and business law firm with multiple locations across the United States, serving clients with domestic and international operations. Our firm is committed to attracting and retaining professionals who value each other and the service we provide by embracing Teamwork, Collaboration, Client Service, and Innovation. If you are a motivated professional looking for a long-term fit where you can grow in a role, and will be valued and empowered, then we invite you to apply to our Director of Enterprise Architecture position. This position is open in a hybrid capacity in our Kansas City, MO office.

The Director of Enterprise Architecture (EA) leads the firm’s enterprise architecture function—setting direction, establishing decision-making mechanisms, and ensuring technology investments result in cohesive, consistent, and appropriate solutions across the enterprise. This role is responsible for building and advancing an EA practice that is pragmatic, high-trust, and outcome-oriented, enabling the firm to move faster with less rework by making architecture an integral part of how decisions get made—not an after-the-fact review.

Operating as the coordinating hub for architecture, the Director convenes and drives cross-domain design exchanges (Infrastructure/Operations, Software Engineering, and Legal Technology) to surface trade-offs, converge on shared patterns, and establish clear design parameters before delivery begins—including clarifying build-versus-buy paths and implementation constraints.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of progressive technology experience with significant time in architecture leadership roles, experience in a law firm or professional services environment preferred.
• 7+ years of management experience.
• Demonstrated experience building or advancing an enterprise architecture function.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, provide insight to executive leadership, and deliver results in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Effective management skills, including proven ability to lead and motivate people.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent problem-solving, strategic thinking, and analytical skills, with the ability to assess complex technical challenges and propose effective solutions.
• Experience with contract negotiation and vendor management.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a law firm or professional services environment

Responsibilities

• Build and advance the enterprise architecture function, including governance models, standards, principles, and engagement rules.
• Lead and mature EA governance and cross-domain design forums to ensure early alignment and clear architectural decisions.
• Directly lead, coach, and develop Domain Architects across infrastructure, software engineering, and legal technology.
• Establish and maintain shared design patterns that become precedent across initiatives.
• Guide portfolio rationalization, modernization roadmaps, and platform strategy.
• Influence build-versus-buy decisions and vendor strategy through architecture-led evaluation.
• Ensure alignment with information security, privacy, risk, and information governance obligations.
• Communicate architectural trade-offs clearly to executive, attorney, and business audiences.
• Lead and influence effectively across a complex, matrixed organization without relying solely on formal authority.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees