Head of Solutions Architecture

Janus Henderson • Denver, CO

19h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Head of Solutions Architecture leads, coaches and develops the Solution Architecture team, including setting objectives, supporting performance, planning succession, developing capabilities and allocating architecture resources to organisational priorities. The role owns and continually improves the Solution Architecture operating model, engagement approach, quality standards, methods and measures of effectiveness.

The position is accountable for coherent, end-to-end solution design across business, data, integration, application, security, resilience and operational domains. It ensures designs align with enterprise target architectures, principles, standards, technology strategy and multi-year roadmaps, in collaboration with Business, Data and Technology Architecture colleagues. The role establishes proportionate architecture governance and assurance, makes material decisions and trade-offs transparent, and leads or contributes to governance forums that support sound outcomes and timely decisions.

The Head of Solutions Architecture influences senior business and technology stakeholders and creates alignment across product, engineering, data, security, operations and delivery teams. The role provides architecture leadership for strategic investment-management transformation, including Aladdin, its integrations and data flows, and medallion data architecture. It also promotes reuse, interoperability, simplification and application rationalisation to support a sustainable technology estate. Other duties may be assigned.

The role includes supervisory responsibilities and requires understanding and adherence to the firm's regulatory obligations, regulated-entity requirements and applicable JHI policies. The position is described as hybrid, with flexibility requests considered where possible.

Requirements

• Significant architecture leadership experience in a complex, regulated, global organisation, ideally within investment management or financial services.
• Demonstrable experience leading and developing architecture teams and building an outcome-focused professional community.
• Deep understanding of investment-management capabilities, operating models, data and technology platforms.
• Proven accountability for enterprise-scale, end-to-end solution design across business, data, integration, applications, security, resilience and operations.
• Experience defining and operating architecture governance that is proportionate, transparent and effective.
• Evidence of influencing senior stakeholders, resolving ambiguity and constructively challenging delivery in a matrix organisation.
• Ability to translate strategy and target architectures into practical transition states, reusable patterns, decision records and delivery roadmaps.
• Strong judgement in balancing strategic alignment, control, delivery pace, cost, risk and pragmatism.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make complex design choices clear to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Willingness to adhere to the provisions of the Investment Advisory Code of Ethics relating to personal securities activities and disclosure and certification requirements, including past political contributions and political activities.
• Applicants are subject to background checks.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with cloud and data platforms such as Azure, Snowflake and Databricks, and modern integration and API patterns.
• Experience with BlackRock Aladdin, its integration landscape and associated data capabilities, and practical understanding of medallion data architecture.
• Experience with strategic finance, distribution or investment data platforms relevant to a global asset manager.
• Experience working with AI-enabled technology teams and delegated governance models.
• Relevant architecture qualification or professional accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the Solution Architecture team, including objective setting, performance support, succession planning, capability development and allocation of architecture resources.
• Own and continually improve the Solution Architecture operating model, engagement approach, quality bar, methods and measures of effectiveness.
• Be accountable for the quality and coherence of end-to-end solution design across business, data, integration, application, security, resilience and operational domains.
• Ensure solution designs align with enterprise target architectures, principles, standards, technology strategy and multi-year roadmaps, working with Business, Data and Technology Architecture colleagues.
• Establish proportionate architecture governance and assurance, ensuring material decisions, risks, exceptions and trade-offs are transparent, recorded and addressed at the appropriate level.
• Chair or contribute to architecture governance forums, ensuring reviews improve outcomes, accelerate decisions and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Influence senior business and technology stakeholders, constructively challenge proposals and create alignment across product, engineering, data, security, operations and delivery teams.
• Provide architecture leadership for strategic investment-management transformation, including Aladdin, associated integrations, data flows and medallion data architecture.
• Promote reuse, interoperability, simplification and application rationalisation to improve the long-term sustainability of the technology estate.
• Carry out other duties as assigned.
• Understand the firm's regulatory obligations and abide by regulated-entity requirements and applicable JHI policies.

Benefits

• Hybrid working and reasonable accommodations.
• Generous holiday policies.
• Health and wellbeing benefits, including corporate membership to Wellhub.
• Paid volunteer time.
• Professional development courses and tuition or qualification reimbursement.
• Maternal/paternal leave benefits and family services.
• Employee events, including networking opportunities and social activities.
• Lunch allowance for use within the subsidized onsite canteen.
• Potential eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus award from the profit pool.
• Competitive compensation.
• Pension/retirement plans.
• Health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits.
• Mentoring, leadership development programs, regular training, career development services and continuing education courses.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed