Enterprise Architecture Director jobs in Ohio

We are looking for a visionary leader to serve as our Director of Enterprise Architecture. In this role, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our technology landscape by developing and implementing enterprise architecture strategies that support our business objectives, optimize our IT infrastructure, and drive digital transformation. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Enterprise Architecture Development: Lead the development and maintenance of comprehensive enterprise architecture frameworks tailored to the unique needs of the student transportation industry. This includes architecture for electric school buses, digital platforms, enterprise applications, integration and on-bus technology. 

Shared Digital Services:   Oversee the development and operations of “Shared Digital Services” and First Students integration layer.   Ensure the delivery of shared data and backend application functions across our digital applications and analytics environment.   

Strategic Planning: Collaborate with senior leadership to define and communicate the enterprise architecture vision, strategy, and roadmap. Align architecture initiatives with business goals, particularly focusing on enhancing safety, efficiency, and service quality. 

Governance and Compliance: Establish and enforce enterprise architecture governance processes to ensure compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal policies. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of architecture practices and recommend improvements. 

Technology Assessment and Selection: Evaluate emerging technologies and trends relevant to student transportation, including electric vehicle technology, IoT, and digital platforms. Provide recommendations for technology investments and partnerships to drive innovation and competitive advantage. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with business stakeholders, operations teams, and technology vendors to understand requirements, prioritize initiatives, and integrate systems and applications seamlessly. Ensure that architecture solutions meet the needs of various stakeholders and support efficient operations. 

Change Management: Drive organizational change by promoting the adoption of standardized architecture principles, methodologies, and best practices. Provide leadership and support for architecture-related initiatives and projects, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. 

Performance Measurement: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of enterprise architecture initiatives. Track progress, analyze data, and provide regular reports to executive management to demonstrate the value of architecture investments.   Budget, forecast, report on, Cloud spend.   Oversee cloud spend reduction efforts.  

Team and Supplier Management:   Oversee the current outsourced EA team.   Rationalize Insourced vs outsourced team construct.   Build business case to adjust team as needed.      

Major Responsibilities as a Director in IT,: 

• Manage an IT group, overseeing multiple IT teams.  

• Define the strategy and roadmap for one or more IT products and services. Understand broader corporate strategies and identify dependencies.  

• Oversee complex projects with multi-departmental and cross-functional stakeholders. 

• Manage IT budgeting, financial management, contract negotiations, and asset allocation. Identify cost saving initiatives and contribute to business case development.  

• Recruit, develop, and retain top IT talent and leadership; participate in organizational design.  

• Optimize current technology utilization and develop retirement strategies for outdated systems. 

• Establish IT policies, governance models, procedures, and best practices for the group.  

• Identify and source vendors. Oversee vendor performance.  

• Lead the evaluation of emerging technologies and industry trends to identify innovation opportunities. 

• Direct business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management programs. 

• Develop executive-level reports, dashboards, and recommendations on technology investments. 

• Manage IT compliance with all legal, regulatory, and data governance requirements. Identify new governance requirements.  

• Identify and lead research on emerging technologies and industry trends to identify innovation opportunities. 

• Collaborate with senior leadership as a strategic partner on how technology can enable business goals. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree. 

• Experience overseeing an architecture practice. Electric vehicle technology, IoT, digital platforms, and on-bus technology solutions is highly desirable. 

• 10 years of technology leadership experience, spanning one or more IT groups. 

• Expert knowledge of multiple IT domains with demonstrated depth and breadth. 

• Record of successfully leading large-scale technology groups and transformations  

• Excellent executive presence, leadership, project management, and communication abilities. Ability to engage at multiple levels within the organization.  

• Strong financial management skills including budgeting and contract negotiation. 

• Experience developing talent, managing and motivating IT teams. 

• History of developing strong partnerships with stakeholders and vendors.  

• Experience with IT frameworks (ITIL, PRINCE 2, TQM, Six Sigma, SCRUM, etc. Architecture specific:  TOGAF, Zachman, or FEAF).  Certification in enterprise architecture (e.g., TOGAF certification) is a plus. 

• Passion for technology innovation and ability to assess emerging technologies. 

• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate IT activities into business terms. 

Join our team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of student transportation technology at First Student. Apply now and be part of our mission to provide safe, efficient, and innovative transportation solutions for students.