Lead Enterprise Architect

RWE•Austin, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

In your role as Director, IT/OT Strategy & Portfolio Management – Enterprise Architect, you will play a critical role in shaping and guiding the technological roadmap and architecture of RWE Americas. This requires a visionary approach to structuring and planning IT/OT systems, business processes, data flows, and technologies, ensuring alignment with business strategies and objectives and implementation of technology standards. You will work collaboratively across the organization to ensure seamless integration, optimize technology investments, and foster innovation. You will do this by representing RWE Americas interest in the Global Architecture Board (GAB), steering the demand management process and prioritizing in-house developed products and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) applications, while defining technology standards in alignment with business requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field of study
Minimum of 11 years of relevant experience within an IT function in progressively more technical roles e.g., analyst -> developer -> team lead -> solution architect
Greater than 5 years in enterprise architecture; increasing responsibilities in modern architecture principles and proven skills in developing and leading architecture frameworks with a focus on platforms, e.g. cloud, data
Proven experience in creating and managing architecture models, roadmaps, and technical standards
Experience in IT/OT infrastructure and solutions, ensuring operational excellence, availability and reliability for large-scale energy / utility companies
Ability to drive consensus among peers and influence technical strategic decisions
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
Effective communication skills and ability to engage with stakeholders at various levels
Familiarity with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and architecture management systems
Must be able to sit, walk, or stand for long durations of time

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field of study (or equivalent) preferred
Additional applicable certifications (TOGAF, Zachman) are a strong plus

Responsibilities

Define RWE Americas IT/OT technology standards, set up architecture principles and guidelines, and safeguard the implementation of guidelines within the application landscape
Taking design decisions on all levels, driving the transition toward DevOps methodologies, while applying management best practices for commercial off-the-shelf applications
Create and manage future-state architecture blueprints that enable digital transformation initiatives, operational efficiency, and enterprise scalability
Evaluate the enterprise technology portfolio to identify standardization and consolidation opportunities, reduce redundancy, and optimize cost
Lead complex enterprise-scale initiatives such as, IT/OT convergence, OT modernization, Data & AI Transformation, etc.
Develop and maintain enterprise-wide technology standards, reusable design patterns, and architectural guidelines to ensure consistency and reusability
Conduct innovation sensing and competitive benchmarking to inform adoption of innovative solutions, including AI / ML, autonomous operations, etc..
Work closely with business departments to understand business needs and provide architectural solutions supporting those requirements (e.g., architecture reviews, business capability mapping)
Maintain comprehensive documentation of architectural frameworks, provide regular reports on progress and changes, as well as consultation on creating and updating technical design documents
Oversee architecture governance processes, including architecture review boards, demand intake committees, compliance audits, and design approval gates
Represent enterprise architecture in steering committees, governance forums, and executive strategy sessions to influence funding and investment decisions
Align IT/OT technological strategies in collaboration with the Strategy Manager and execute group-level architecture decisions, ensuring all architectural elements support and enhance strategic objectives
Steer the demand intake process in collaboration with the Portfolio Manager and the team leads of Digital Solutions, prioritizing in-house developed products and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) applications
Lead RWE Americas Architect guild in partnership business domain Solution Architects to own overall enterprise architecture target roadmap, architectural initiatives, and new software request (NSR) processes
Act as the primary architecture advisor to senior leadership and executives, presenting strategic options, technology investment plans, and risk analyses
Engage with external vendors and Group IT to influence product roadmaps, negotiate strategic capabilities, pilot POCs, and align solutions with enterprise requirements