Enterprise Architect

Enterprise Architect 
Houston, TX (4 days a week) No Remote-No Exceptions.  Must start onsite from Day 1 and provide written confirmation for the same)

No Visa restrictions 
JOB SUMMARY:
The Enterprise Architect is responsible for supporting the development, maintenance, and execution of the enterprise architecture vision, principles, standards, reference models, and technology roadmaps. This role works across business and technology teams to ensure that technology solutions align with enterprise strategy, architecture standards, security requirements, business capabilities, and long-term technology direction.
The Enterprise Architect contributes to current-state and target-state architecture documentation across application, data, integration, infrastructure, cloud, security, and business architecture domains. This role supports architecture governance, solution design reviews, application portfolio management, technology lifecycle planning, and emerging technology evaluation.
The Enterprise Architect acts as a bridge between business stakeholders, solution architects, platform teams, domain architects, cybersecurity, infrastructure, data teams, and delivery teams. This role helps promote reuse, standardization, simplification, and alignment across the enterprise technology landscape.
This position is expected to work with moderate independence, contribute to architecture deliverables, provide recommendations, and escalate complex architecture decisions to Senior, Lead, or Principal Enterprise Architects as needed.
Key Responsibilities
Support the definition, maintenance, and communication of enterprise architecture principles, standards, guidelines, reference architectures, and design patterns.
Develop and maintain current-state, target-state, and transition-state architecture views across assigned business or technology domains.
Assist in creating and maintaining enterprise architecture assets, including capability maps, application maps, technology roadmaps, integration diagrams, conceptual data models, infrastructure views, and architecture decision records.
Partner with business stakeholders and technology teams to understand business capabilities, processes, requirements, pain points, and strategic objectives.
Participate in solution architecture reviews to ensure alignment with enterprise architecture standards, security requirements, data standards, integration patterns, and approved technologies.
Support Architecture Review Board, Technology Innovation Review, Engineering Review, and other architecture governance forums.
Review project and product designs for compliance with enterprise architecture standards, patterns, and technology guardrails.
Identify architecture gaps, redundant capabilities, technical debt, technology risks, and opportunities for reuse or modernization.
Support application portfolio management by helping assess application health, lifecycle status, business criticality, cost, usage, duplication, risk, and modernization needs.
Assist in developing technology roadmaps that align current-state technology capabilities to target-state architecture direction.
Evaluate vendor solutions, platforms, emerging technologies, and architecture patterns under the guidance of senior architecture resources.
Support proof of concept and minimum viable product activities to assess new technologies and determine potential business value.
Maintain accurate architecture information in enterprise architecture tools and repositories.
Promote standardization, reuse, interoperability, scalability, resiliency, security, and operational supportability in solution designs.
Collaborate with solution architects, domain architects, platform architects, cybersecurity architects, data architects, infrastructure architects, and engineering teams.
Contribute to architecture documentation standards and ensure architecture artifacts are clear, complete, and usable.
Support the development and communication of enterprise technology standards and approved technology catalogs.
Assist in standards exception reviews by documenting risks, rationale, mitigation plans, and recommended next steps.
Participate in business capability planning, technology investment discussions, and portfolio planning activities.
Communicate architecture recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders in a clear and practical manner.
Contribute to the Architecture Community of Practice by sharing lessons learned, best practices, reusable patterns, and industry trends.
Stay current with technology trends, architecture practices, regulatory considerations, and industry developments relevant to the enterprise.
EDUCATION DESCRIPTION:
Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Business Technology, Data Analytics, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
EXPERIENCE:
7+ years of experience in information technology.
3+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, application architecture, systems analysis, cloud architecture, data architecture, infrastructure architecture, cybersecurity architecture, or related technology roles.
Experience participating in architecture design, technical design, system integration, application delivery, infrastructure planning, or technology modernization initiatives.
Working knowledge of enterprise architecture concepts, architecture frameworks, design patterns, technology standards, and architecture governance processes.
Experience creating technical documentation, architecture diagrams, roadmaps, process flows, integration diagrams, or system context diagrams.
Working knowledge of at least two or more architecture domains, such as:
Application architecture
Data architecture
Cloud architecture
Infrastructure architecture
Integration architecture
Security architecture
Business architecture
Experience collaborating with cross-functional technology and business teams.
Ability to analyze complex technology environments and communicate findings clearly.
Ability to work independently on assigned architecture deliverables with guidance from senior architects.
Experience with Enterprise Architecture Management tools such as LeanIX, Ardoq, BiZZdesign, Sparx Enterprise Architect, Orbus, Apptio, ServiceNow APM, or similar platforms.
Experience with cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, or Google Cloud Platform.
Experience with application portfolio management, technology lifecycle management, capability mapping, or technology rationalization.
Experience working in regulated industries such as utilities, energy, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, or government.
Experience with Agile, SAFe, DevOps, ITIL, or product-based delivery models.
Experience supporting Architecture Review Boards or other technology governance forums.
Preferred Certifications
TOGAF certification.
Certified Enterprise Architect or equivalent architecture certification.
Cloud certification such as AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, or Google Cloud Architect.
ITIL, SAFe, COBIT, CISM, CISSP, or PMP certification preferred.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Able to communicate either written and verbal communications either in person or through technical equipment such as telephone.
Able to demonstrate and apply the manual dexterity to operate a personal computer and common office equipment.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Required to participate in CenterPoint Energy’s Emergency Operation Plan (EOP).
Able to work regular hours, with occasional or mandatory overtime; may be required to work rotating shifts.
Able to work in a fast-paced environment.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
Enterprise Architecture
Solution Architecture
Application Architecture
Data Architecture
Cloud Solutions
Infrastructure Architecture
Integration Architecture
Security Architecture Awareness
Business Architecture Awareness
Application Portfolio Management
Technology Roadmap Support
Architecture Governance
Architecture Documentation
Reference Architecture Support
Business Capability Mapping
Technical Analysis
Emerging Technology Evaluation
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Communication
Decision Making
Risk Identification
Standards Compliance
Agile Methodology
Technology Lifecycle Management
Continuous Improvement