IT Enterprise Architect, IT Architecture-Senior/Specialist

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has an exciting opportunity within our Information Technology Division (ITD) as a Senior Enterprise Architect. We are looking for a motivated self-starter to lead the design, development, and ongoing stewardship of DNR’s enterprise-wide architecture. You would report to the IT Operations Manager within the Information Technology Division (ITD) and partner with teams across ITD (including network, infrastructure, cybersecurity, development, and the project management office (PMO), as well as with DNR business partners, to design solutions that support mission-critical operations.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or other closely related field AND five (5) years of IT architecture experience supporting complex/enterprise technology environments; OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and professional experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Experience in conducting proof-of-concept evaluations and developing current-state and target-state architectural models.
Experience in the development of multi-year technology roadmaps.
Experience with architecture modeling tools and diagramming platforms.
Knowledge of principles and practices of multiple IT disciplines including data management, IT security principles, local and wide area networks, data storage, and application architecture principles.
Knowledge of IT governance, standardization, and lifecycle management.
Experience in evaluating technologies and aligning architecture with business strategy.
Experience with on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud infrastructure (e.g., Microsoft ecosystems, Azure, AWS).
Experience evaluating business capabilities, processes, workflows, dependencies, and technology enablement to identify architectural needs and opportunities.
Experience in conducting architecture reviews, applying enterprise architecture principles and standards, evaluating alternatives, identifying architectural risks, and developing actionable recommendations and decisions.
Experience evaluating technology portfolios and investments for strategic alignment, business value, lifecycle risk, duplication, dependencies, technical debt, interoperability, supportability, and total cost of ownership.
Accustomed to evaluating technology as an interconnected enterprise ecosystem and considering relationships among business capabilities, applications, data/information, security, integrations, infrastructure, operations, people, and processes.
Accustomed to defining complex and ambiguous problems, evaluating relevant information, identifying assumptions and dependencies, considering multiple perspectives, and developing well-supported conclusions and recommendations.
Accustomed to communicating complex architecture and technology information clearly and concisely in verbal, written, and visual formats; adapt communication for executive, business, technical, and external audiences; and professionally represent the agency in committees, workgroups, forums, and other collaborative settings.
Advanced ability to establish trusted working relationships, facilitate management- and technical-level discussions, influence and negotiate without direct authority, constructively challenge proposed approaches, and build consensus among stakeholders with differing priorities, while professionally collaborating with executives, managers, business partners, technical teams, vendors, committees, workgroups, and external government partners.
Accustomed to interpreting and applying applicable Washington State enterprise IT policies, standards, guidelines, technology requirements, and enterprise services.
Commitment to fostering and supporting an environment that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice practices.
Perform assigned duties in a manner consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and public records retention, and ensure requests are followed.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field AND 7 years of IT experience in one or more of the following Enterprise Architecture domains: business, data, application, or technology; OR an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
Experience working in a public sector, government agency, or highly regulated environment.
Advanced knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman, FEAF).
Experience modernizing legacy systems or leading digital transformation initiatives.
Experience in enterprise-level IT governance or standards development.
MSCE, CITA, CCNA, EACOE, CISSP, Security+, ITIL, TOGAF certifications. One certification counts toward 1 year of total experience required, up to three certificates.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain enterprise-wide architecture models, diagrams, and standard documentation across business, application, information, and technology domains to ensure alignment with Agency goals.
Build and maintain a two-year rolling IT technology roadmap, in coordination with leadership, that identifies modernization priorities, end-of-life risks, funding requirements, and opportunities for efficiency and standardization.
Develop conceptual and logical models of future-state architecture, incorporating hardware/software frameworks to support long-term modernization aligned with the Agency's mission and IT strategy.
Ensure platform changes and technology additions align with existing Agency systems, strategy, and outcomes, and support long-term planning and growth.
Align enterprise architecture and engineering efforts with business strategy and agency outcomes.
Define and enforce enterprise architecture principles, standards, and compliance for architectural consistency across all initiatives.
Develop and maintain a standardized documentation repository of architectural artifacts to ensure institutional knowledge is accessible and reusable across the enterprise.
Lead and support enterprise-wide IT initiatives that drive strategic alignment and technology adoption.
Establish and enforce enterprise architectural policies, standards, and governance practices to reduce technical debt, improve lifecycle management, and ensure consistent, supportable environments.
Advise agency leadership, service owners, and business partners on technology decisions, ensuring alignment with mission, strategy, and performance for business objectives.
Communicate architecture perspectives (conceptual, logical, physical) in language and format tailored for both executives and technical teams.
Develop and present visual models and strategic plans to support IT decision-making.
Engage with business and technical partners to ensure technology decisions are transparent, aligned, and well-understood.
Provide consultation to project teams and service owners to ensure early alignment with enterprise architecture.
Advise leadership in understanding return on investment (ROI), total cost of ownership, and value of technology initiatives.
Drive enterprise-wide IT initiatives and ensure architectural consistency across projects.
Monitor and improve enterprise architecture performance through measurable outcomes and partner feedback to drive service and technology quality improvements through data-informed decisions.

Benefits

Commitment to organizational health and wellness
Work/life balance
DNR Employee Resource Groups (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, Women’s Employee Resource Group, Veterans Employee Resource Group, etc.)
Statewide Employee Business Resource Groups
Leadership that empowers and supports employees
Professional development opportunities
Educational and career development aid
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
Opportunities to participate in wildland fire suppression assignments
A comprehensive benefits package includes employer contributions toward health insurance, paid holidays, retirement plans, sick leave, and vacation days.