Principal Enterprise Architect

Principal Enterprise Architect

Higher Education Client
Location: 100% Remote (U.S.-based)
Engagement: 6-Month Contract-to-Hire
Reporting Line: VP of Digital Innovation & SVP of Digital Innovation
Clearance/Work Authorization: U.S. Citizen or Green Card required

Role Context & Strategic Purpose

This is a newly created, high-impact leadership role within a large, complex, enterprise higher education environment. The Principal Enterprise Architect will serve as the institution’s lead architectural authority, setting the technical, structural, and systems-thinking standard for the entire architecture function.

This role is not a people manager — instead, it is a model role:

• The architectural benchmark

• The reference point for standards, patterns, and decisioning

• The example for how all system and enterprise architects should operate

The position sits at the intersection of digital transformation, enterprise systems, research operations, cloud strategy, AI enablement, and institutional modernization.

This role is designed to evolve into a Chief Architect position as the digital innovation organization matures.

Position Overview

The Principal Enterprise Architect will lead enterprise-level architecture strategy across academic, administrative, research, and digital innovation domains. The role focuses on systems design, integration architecture, interoperability, governance, and enterprise alignment.

You will operate as a strategic systems thinker, ensuring that platforms, data flows, integrations, and technologies function as a cohesive enterprise ecosystem — not disconnected solutions.

This role requires deep experience working across:

• Complex enterprise environments

• Research-affiliated institutions

• Cross-functional stakeholders

• Distributed technical teams

• Multi-platform ecosystems

• Large-scale integrations

• Cloud-first architectures

• AI-enabled platforms and services

Core Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Leadership

• Define and maintain the institution’s enterprise architecture vision, principles, and standards

• Establish architectural governance frameworks for system design, integrations, data flow, and platform alignment

• Serve as the architectural authority for enterprise initiatives, transformations, and modernization programs

• Lead architecture review processes for major initiatives, integrations, and platform changes

• Create and maintain reference architectures, target-state models, and enterprise roadmaps

• Drive consistency in design patterns, interoperability models, and integration strategies

Systems & Integration Architecture

• Lead enterprise-level systems thinking across academic, research, administrative, and digital platforms

• Design and oversee large-scale integration strategies across platforms including:

  • Salesforce

  • ServiceNow

  • Ellucian Banner ERP

  • Cloud platforms

  • Data platforms

  • Research systems

• Ensure data integrity, interoperability, and scalability across the enterprise ecosystem

• Define API strategies, middleware patterns, data pipelines, and integration frameworks

• Partner with development teams to ensure architecture standards are embedded in delivery models

Cloud, AI & Modern Architecture Enablement

• Lead cloud architecture strategy and enterprise cloud governance

• Guide AI platform integration, adoption, and enablement across institutional systems

• Ensure secure, scalable, compliant, and future-ready architecture models

• Align infrastructure, platforms, and applications with long-term digital innovation strategy

Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Leadership

• Partner with:

  • IT leadership

  • Digital innovation teams

  • Research leadership

  • Academic leadership

  • Administrative leadership

  • External vendors and partners

• Translate complex technical concepts into clear business and operational language

• Align technical strategy with institutional mission, research objectives, and academic priorities

• Act as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on enterprise systems and digital strategy

Architecture Governance & Risk Management

• Establish architectural controls, compliance frameworks, and governance models

• Ensure security, privacy, and regulatory considerations are embedded into architecture decisions

• Lead enterprise risk assessments related to systems architecture and integrations

• Ensure resilience, reliability, and continuity planning at the architecture level

Required Qualifications & Experience

Enterprise Architecture Experience

• 10+ years in enterprise architecture, systems architecture, or large-scale solution architecture roles

• Proven experience operating at enterprise scale

• Demonstrated success in complex integration environments

• Experience working within higher education and/or research-affiliated organizations strongly preferred

Technical & Platform Experience

• Enterprise platforms such as:

  • Salesforce

  • ServiceNow

  • Ellucian Banner ERP (or comparable higher-ed ERP)

• Strong background in:

  • Cloud architecture

  • Enterprise integration patterns

  • Data architecture

  • API ecosystems

  • Platform interoperability

• Experience working in cloud-first environments

• Experience supporting or enabling AI-driven systems and platforms

Architecture & Governance Expertise

• Enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF or equivalent)

• Systems modeling and enterprise design methodologies

• Enterprise governance models

• Digital transformation initiatives

• Large-scale modernization programs

Preferred Credentials

• Master’s degree or higher (strongly preferred)

• Advanced academic credentials beyond bachelor’s degree highly valued

• TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification

• Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• Architecture certifications or advanced systems design training

• Experience in research-intensive or research-affiliated institutions

Candidate Profile

This role is ideal for someone who is:

• A systems thinker, not a siloed technologist

• A strategic architect, not a tactical implementer

• Comfortable operating at enterprise and executive levels

• Highly credible across technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Structured, principled, and standards-driven

• Collaborative, consultative, and cross-functional by nature

• Able to lead without authority through influence, clarity, and trust

• Oriented toward long-term institutional transformation

Why This Opportunity Is Unique

• Brand-new, foundational leadership role

• Direct influence on enterprise digital strategy

• Executive-level visibility and impact

• Opportunity to define architecture standards from the ground up

• Enterprise-scale transformation environment

• Clear growth path toward Chief Architect

• Mission-driven institution with long-term digital investment

• Research-integrated ecosystem

• 100% remote flexibility

• Strategic role rather than delivery-heavy role

• High trust, high autonomy position