Head of Architecture, Direct Platform

Morningstar•Chicago, IL

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Head of Architecture is the senior-most architecture leader for Morningstar’s Direct Platform, responsible for defining and executing its long-term technology vision. The role ensures architecture decisions support business growth, scalability, innovation, and operational excellence, and partners with executive leadership to shape technology investment priorities and the future of the platform’s products, platforms, data, and cloud ecosystem. Leading a team of approximately six architects, this leader establishes enterprise architecture standards, governs major technology decisions, and drives modernization to improve agility, resilience, developer productivity, and speed to market. The scope spans application, cloud, integration, and data architecture, with accountability for reducing technical debt, enabling platform scalability, and aligning technology capabilities with business objectives. The role works closely with Product, Engineering, Infrastructure, Security, Data, and Operations teams, and champions responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including AI and automation.

Requirements

15 or more years of progressive technology leadership experience, including significant enterprise, platform, solution, or application architecture experience in complex, global organizations.
At least 5 years of experience leading architecture organizations or teams, or enterprise-wide technology transformation initiatives.
Recent hands-on architecture experience designing and governing complex cloud, application, data, and platform solutions.
Proven success defining and executing enterprise architecture and modernization strategies across cloud, application, data, and platform domains that improve scalability, operational efficiency, and business outcomes.
Ability to influence executive stakeholders and partner across Technology, Product, Operations, Security, Data, and Business functions to drive strategic technology initiatives and operating-model improvements.
Experience leading and developing high-performing architecture teams, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
Track record establishing architecture governance, technology standards, and decision-making frameworks that balance innovation, risk management, and execution speed.
Strong understanding of modern software development practices, platform engineering, DevSecOps, API-first architectures, microservices, event-driven architectures, and cloud-native technologies.
Experience evaluating emerging technologies, including AI-enabled capabilities, and influencing technology investment decisions through business cases, financial analysis, and strategic prioritization.
Excellent communication and executive presentation skills, including the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business recommendations.
Strategic thinking and ability to connect technology decisions to business outcomes and enterprise objectives.
Ability to influence, build alignment, challenge conventional thinking, and drive decisions across diverse stakeholder groups.
Sound judgment and ability to balance long-term architectural vision with practical execution in complex and ambiguous environments.
Passion for developing talent and fostering technical excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Ability to remain a hands-on architect, contributing to design, review, and delivery of high-impact platform initiatives and maintaining technical credibility through direct engagement with engineering teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading architecture functions in high-growth SaaS, fintech, financial services, data, analytics, or technology-driven organizations.
Experience supporting large-scale, mission-critical platforms serving global customers in regulated environments.
Cloud certifications such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud certifications, and architecture-related certifications.
An advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Define and maintain the Direct Platform target-state architecture in alignment with business priorities, product strategy, and long-term growth objectives.
Develop and execute multi-year architecture and modernization roadmaps to reduce technical debt, simplify the technology landscape, and improve scalability, resiliency, maintainability, and operational efficiency.
Establish enterprise architecture principles, reference architectures, technology standards, and cloud strategy across applications, data, infrastructure, and platform services.
Evaluate existing systems and technologies, identifying opportunities for consolidation, standardization, modernization, and cloud-native capabilities.
Serve as the final escalation point for significant architectural decisions and trade-offs, balancing speed, scalability, resiliency, security, customer experience, and total cost of ownership.
Establish and monitor architecture success metrics tied to business outcomes, including speed to market, platform reliability, operational efficiency, technology cost optimization, and customer experience.
Facilitate alignment among Product, Engineering, Data, Security, Infrastructure, and Operations teams, and lead cross-functional architecture reviews for major initiatives and strategic investments.
Influence technology investment planning and capital allocation, including developing business cases and financial models for major architecture investments.
Provide architectural direction and executive oversight for strategic vendor and partner technology relationships.
Partner with Product and Engineering leaders to evolve organizational structures, delivery models, and platform operating practices that improve delivery velocity and developer effectiveness.
Advise executive leadership on technology strategy, platform investment priorities, transformation risks, and emerging technology opportunities, including AI-enabled capabilities.
Lead, mentor, and work alongside a small team of senior architects on design and delivery.
Foster technical excellence, collaboration, accountability, and innovation; develop architectural capability through coaching, technical thought leadership, and communities of practice.
Build organizational capability through talent assessment, succession planning, coaching, and development of future architecture leaders.
Establish governance for evaluating emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning, and approving major platform investments.
Ensure compliance with security, regulatory, privacy, and operational requirements.
Establish architecture review processes and governance forums that balance innovation, delivery speed, risk management, and long-term platform sustainability.
Contribute hands-on to the design, review, and delivery of complex platform initiatives, including prototypes and reference architectures when appropriate.
Engage directly with engineering teams to inform architectural decisions and help resolve complex performance, scalability, reliability, and operational challenges.

Benefits

100% 401(k) match up to 6% of salary.
Stock ownership potential.
Company-provided life insurance of 1x salary plus commission.
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, with potential premium discounts and company HSA contributions of up to $500–$2,000 annually for specific plans and coverages.
Medical wellness incentives of up to $300–$600 annually.
Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance.
Trust-Based Time Off.
Six-week paid sabbatical program.
Six-week paid family caregiving leave.
Paid parental leave of 8–24 weeks.
Adoption assistance.
Leadership coaching and formal mentorship opportunities.
Annual $1,000 flex stipend for personal education and well-being expenses.
Tuition reimbursement.
Charitable matching gifts program.
Dollars for Doers volunteer program and paid volunteering days.
More than 15 Employee Resource and Affinity Groups.