Lead Enterprise Datacenter Architect

Role: Lead Enterprise Datacenter Architect

Location: Onsite NJ Metro

Role summary Executive-facing architect to lead the Cloud Assessment & Data Center Strategy program for an investment-management client. Own discovery options analysis roadmap; orchestrate cross-tower delivery (Compute Storage VDI Network Security Identity and Access Management BCDR) and ensure regulatory/security overlays remain first-class across designs and recommendations.

Key Accountabilities:

Design and evolve the Enterprise Architecture across business applications data integration infrastructure VDI IP Telephony cloud and security domains ensuring a scalable integrated and future-ready digital landscape with AI capabilities embedded where they add business value.

Drive simplification standardization and modernization of the enterprise technology landscape by leading application rationalization legacy modernization platform and tool standardization cloud adoption and integration across entities improving cost efficiency resilience and delivery speed.

Define and govern enterprise roadmaps and migration plans from the current heterogeneous environment to the target state balancing business priorities delivery constraints security and risk.

Provide enterprise-wide architectural governance and leadership translating business and digital requirements into coherent solutions overseeing demand prioritization ensuring compatibility and alignment across initiatives and resolving cross-domain or systemic issues.

Support strategic decision-making by maintaining clear architecture visibility (principles standards repositories and roadmaps) producing executive-level architecture artifacts and advising senior leadership on emerging technologies and their business impact.

Additional Responsibilities:

Translate business and digital requirements into enterprise-wide architectural solutions and technology choices.

Conduct architecture assessments to ensure continuous alignment between business strategy digital & IT strategy and transformation objectives.

Govern compatibility and integration across applications data and platforms; identify structural gaps and improvement opportunities.

Monitor enterprise architecture health and intervene to resolve systemic or cross-domain issues.

Collaborate closely with business digital IT security and AI stakeholders to ensure alignment and execution.

Define and maintain enterprise architecture principles standards policies and reference architectures.

Produce clear high-quality architecture artifacts (e.g. diagrams blueprints roadmaps heatmaps) for both executive and delivery audiences.

Provide architectural leadership and hands-on guidance for major digital & IT programs.

Lead the implementation and ongoing maintenance of an Enterprise Architecture repository/tool to ensure transparency traceability and decision support.

Experience:

Minimum of 15 years of overall IT experience with 6 years in Enterprise Architecture leading role

Demonstrated ability to apply cross-domain technical experience to enterprise-level architecture design analysis and decision-making.

Education:

A Bachelors degree in Computer Science Information Technology Engineering or a closely related technical discipline is required. A Masters degree such as an MBA with a focus on Information Systems or a relevant technical field is strongly preferred and demonstrates the ability to align technical strategy with broader business objectives.

Core Architecture Certifications: Mastery of frameworks like TOGAF 9/10 or Zachman is highly preferred to lead standardized architecture development.

Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure: Advanced certifications in VMware (VCAP); Azure Cloud Architecture (e.g. AZ-305) or Nutanix Multi-Cloud (e.g. NCAP) are essential for managing modern unified private cloud and DR strategies like NC2 on Azure.

Service & Governance: Certifications in ITIL (Master/Expert level) COBIT or Lean Six Sigma are a plus for ensuring operational excellence and compliance with ISO/NIST frameworks.

Emerging Technologies: Formal training or certifications in AI/Machine Learning (for anomaly detection in security) and Data Governance (for multi-tier storage lifecycle management) are significant assets.

Architecture Design Tools: Proficiency in LeanIX or Alfabet for application portfolio management and portfolio modernization is highly valued.

Visual Design & Modeling: Advanced skills in Microsoft Visio Lucidchart or Archi (ArchiMate) for creating detailed technical blueprints such as 25 GbE leaf-spine topologies microsegmentation policies and immutable backup flows.

Key Skills:

Knowledge in Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks for banking & Trading such as BAIAN (Banking Industry Architecture Network); FICO (Financial Industry Compliance Ontology); NIST Financial Services Profile beyond standard TOGAF & Zachman architecture frameworks.

Project Management

Behavioral Competencies:

Analytical and Problem-Solving

Business Acumen

Communication and Collaboration

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

Governance and Accountability

Ecosystem Builder

Data Integrator

Technical Competencies:

Program & project planning

Enterprise Architecture Frameworks

Cloud Architecture & Platforms

Data Architecture & Management

Risk assessment & reporting

AI & Advanced Technologies

Data management

IT Infrastructure and Applications