Job Description:

Our client has a great opportunity available for an Architecture Assistant Director. The Assistant Director, Architecture owns enterprise architecture strategy and leads the consolidated architecture function. The Assistant Director sets the IT architecture roadmap across software, infrastructure, integration, and cybersecurity, and partners with product and business leadership to align technology investment with enterprise strategy. The role is accountable for architecture standards, cost discipline, and delivery quality across the function.

The Assistant Director operates as a peer to executive leaders across IT, Product, RA/QA, Cybersecurity, and the business, and represents architecture in vendor selection, contract terms, and strategic technology decisions. The role is responsible for developing architecture leadership talent and raising the maturity of the function to enterprise scale.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Owns the enterprise architecture strategy and IT roadmap, including solution design standards, integration frameworks, and technology direction across software, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Accountable for financial review and approval of architecture investments. 
• Directs the Architecture Review Board and sets the governance and decision rights that align architecture work with the Product Design and Development Process (PDDP), cybersecurity requirements, and financial oversight. 
• Leads the consolidated team of architects. Defines the architecture principles, reference architectures, and statements of position that shape how builds, buys, and integrates technology. In addition, owns the talent strategy for the architecture function, including workforce planning, hiring, performance management, coaching, and succession planning. Builds the bench of architecture leaders needed to support enterprise growth. 
• Owns strategic third-party relationships across architecture. Negotiates and approves Statements of Work, master agreements, and managed-service contracts that meet business requirements and deliver measurable value. 
• Partners with executive stakeholders across IT, Product, Customer Care, Marketing, RA/QA, and Cybersecurity to align architecture decisions with enterprise strategy and drive cross-functional initiatives. 
• Defines and reports the KPIs that measure architecture program performance. Ensures architecture decisions and artifacts are documented for audit and compliance. 
• Ensures architecture decisions hold up in production by partnering with IT Operations, Testing, RA/QA, and Customer Support Services to validate that delivered solutions meet customer and functional requirements. 
• Drives a security-first mindset in the architecture function. Reviews solution designs, integration patterns, and vendor selections against cybersecurity standards, data protection requirements, and regulatory obligations (HIPAA and HiTrust). Partners with Cybersecurity to close audit and risk findings.
• Defines the enterprise data and integration architecture in partnership with the DBA function and product leadership. Sets standards for canonical data, master data, integration patterns, and event-driven architecture so data flows consistently across the application portfolio.
• Other Duties as Assigned

Travel Percentage: 11-25%

Mental/Cognitive Requirements: High cognitive demands- Involves frequent decision-making, managing multiple priorities, and interpreting complex information. Requires planning, organizing, and effective communication.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree Technology, engineering, or business discipline Required. Master’s degree Technology, engineering, or business discipline Preferred.
• 10+ years of prior relevant experience including 5+ years leading architecture teams or programs at the enterprise level, Required.
• 5+ years of prior relevant experience public cloud experience on AWS or Azure, including direct accountability for enterprise cloud strategy, Required
• May include experience in the Armed Forces.
• Cloud Solution Architect Professional or Specialty certification (AWS or Azure) preferred. TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification is a plus.
• Experience leading enterprise architecture programs, including application portfolio rationalization, integration strategy, and vendor consolidation.
• Track record of partnering with executive stakeholders and influencing technology investment decisions.
• Experience in a regulated healthcare environment (HIPAA, HiTrust) preferred.
• Presents architecture strategy and trade-offs to senior leadership and translates technical decisions into business outcomes for non-technical audiences.
• Deep understanding of enterprise architecture frameworks, integration patterns, and cloud platform strategy across AWS, Azure, and on-premise environments.
• Strong technical depth in infrastructure as code (CloudFormation, Terraform, Ansible), CI/CD, configuration management, and DevOps practices, with the judgment to evaluate and direct teams working in these areas.
• Working knowledge of network and TCP/IP routing, directory services (AD, LDAP, SAML), backup and disaster recovery, and IT security and compliance in public cloud environments.
• Understanding of cloud financial management, observability, and governance.
• Familiarity with Agile and product-oriented delivery methodologies.
• Leadership presence and ability to develop architecture talent.
• Executive influence, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making.
• Drives cost discipline and value realization across the application lifecycle.
• Operates effectively under pressure and across competing executive priorities.
• Ownership and accountability for enterprise outcomes.
• Detail-oriented with strong follow-through.

Salary/Rate: $80-$100/HR (depends on experience level). This is a contract position with candidates expected to work 40 hours/ week.

About Us

Peterson Technology Partners (PTP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a transparent, inclusive, and human-centered hiring experience.

For more than 28 years, PTP has operated as one of the top IT staffing and recruiting firms in the USA—built on trust, long-term partnerships, and technical excellence.

Based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, IL, our team of more than 500 employees and consultants is dedicated to:

• Helping every client make the best hiring decisions possible
• Matching professionals with the right IT jobs and career opportunities

As part of that commitment, we believe in providing clear information about how our hiring technologies work and how your data is used. The following section outlines our AI-assisted interview process and your rights as a candidate.

AI-Assisted Interview Experience (Pete & Gabi – Rebecca):

To provide a consistent, fair, and flexible experience for all candidates, we use AI-assisted tools to support parts of the interview process. This includes our proprietary AI platform Pete & Gabi, which includes AI recruiter Rebecca.

These AI hiring tools help us:

• Conduct recorded video interviews
• Transcribe interviews
• Summarize candidate responses
• Generate job-related insights
• Streamline communication and scheduling

Please note that:

• The AI does NOT make hiring decisions; all decisions are made by our human recruiters, hiring managers, or client partners.
• The AI does not evaluate facial expressions, emotions, or physical traits; it is used only to support fairness, consistency, and efficiency.

If you prefer a non-AI interview format, we will gladly provide an alternative.