Technical Architect

Connecticut Water Service, Inc.•Cromwell, CT

12d•$98,861 - $235,234

About The Position

H2O America is seeking a Technical Architect for its Enterprise Applications team. The role is the senior technical leader responsible for the architecture, governance, modernization, integration, and lifecycle management of critical systems supporting Finance, Human Resources, Legal, and Corporate Communications. The Technical Architect partners with business leaders, vendors, and project teams to advance strategic initiatives, improve application performance, support regulatory compliance, and deliver technology solutions across H2O America. The position is a subject matter expert in supporting, maintaining, and optimizing business applications to ensure reliability, performance, and alignment with organizational needs. It bridges technical teams, vendors, and business stakeholders; resolves issues; manages enhancements; and advises junior team members and stakeholders. The role requires balancing technical expertise with leadership, stakeholder engagement, and analytical skills. The Technical Architect owns application lifecycle management, including roadmap planning, technical debt reduction, application rationalization, end-of-life planning, upgrade strategy, and vendor product evaluation. The role designs and governs integrations across ERP, HRIS, ECM, reporting, and operational systems using APIs, middleware, ETL processes, and cloud integration technologies. It also supports IT general controls, SOX audits, remediation, and regulatory compliance, and identifies opportunities to automate manual processes using workflow automation, AI-enabled solutions, scripting, and low-code platforms. The position works under minimal supervision with considerable latitude for independent judgment, regularly mentors junior team members, and may assist management with leadership responsibilities. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to meet deadlines or address emergencies. The role is based at 55 Sebethe, Cromwell, Connecticut; salary ranges vary by state.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 10 or more years of relevant professional experience.
Proven ability to lead strategic planning and define technical standards for applications.
Relevant certifications as required by the team's needs or management direction.
Ability to translate business requirements into data models and reports.
Experience managing vendor relationships and large-scale application upgrades.
Advanced expertise in enterprise application management.
Expertise in process modeling and workflow documentation.
Expertise in business analysis methodologies, including gap analysis and solution design.
Proficiency with cloud environments, including Active Directory, Azure, and AWS.
Proficiency in compliance requirements and internal control frameworks, such as SOX.
Proficiency in DevOps practices, including CI/CD, automation, and coding.
Expertise in SQL for data analysis and reporting.
Expertise in automation and scripting languages, such as Python, PowerShell, and JavaScript.
Expertise with application upgrades, integrations, and optimization.
Proficiency in source control and familiarity with CI/CD workflow concepts.
Proficiency in ERP, HRIS, and CRM systems, and Agile/SDLC practices.
Proficiency in HTML/JavaScript to support troubleshooting.
Demonstrated ability to mentor team members and lead cross-functional initiatives.
Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, analytical thinking, and project leadership skills.
Strong project coordination skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in regulated utilities, energy, water, public services, or similar highly regulated industries.
Knowledge of ITIL 4 processes.

Responsibilities

Design and implement scalable, secure, and resilient technical architectures that meet enterprise needs and support operational continuity.
Lead application governance and long-term strategic planning, including application roadmaps, enterprise standards, policies, and best practices.
Lead major upgrades, migrations, and complex deployments, including environment strategy, cutover leadership, rollback design, and risk mitigation planning.
Build and improve automation frameworks, scripts, and utilities for monitoring, deployment workflows, and operational efficiency.
Design integration patterns and oversee API workflows, message queues, ETL pipelines, and system interoperability.
Lead performance engineering and optimization, including telemetry analysis and system tuning.
Provide technical leadership for security initiatives, including vulnerability remediation, identity architecture guidance, and application of security frameworks.
Oversee enterprise application backup, restoration, and disaster recovery architecture, including scenario leadership, version control, validation, and resiliency improvements.
Establish and enforce technical standards, documentation practices, and configuration governance.
Lead change management and release governance, including high-impact change reviews, risk assessments, and deployment validation.
Advise leaders on enterprise technology strategy by evaluating emerging tools, platforms, and architectural enhancements.
Lead vendor coordination and oversee compliance and ongoing vendor evaluation.
Develop and maintain architectural documentation, including diagrams, data flows, integration maps, system topology blueprints, and configuration or business process designs.
Communicate strategic priorities, present to senior leadership, and manage stakeholder relationships.
Own technology lifecycle governance, including capacity planning, end-of-life risk management, and platform modernization strategies.
Work independently on difficult assignments with minimal supervision.
Mentor junior team members and assist management with leadership responsibilities as requested.
Maintain adherence to cybersecurity principles, ethical practices, and company policies.
Complete occasional evening and weekend work to meet deadlines or address emergencies as needed.
Perform other duties or special projects as required or assigned.