Description
The Enterprise Architect defines and guides the platform foundation and architecture that accelerate Central's data, analytics, AI, and digital transformation. This is a senior individual-contributor role for a seasoned enterprise architect who can hold the whole enterprise picture in view - connecting decisions across domains, seeing where the roadmap leads, and understanding the downstream implications of the choices we make today. You bring deep architecture fundamentals like governance, integration, portfolio discipline, cost-effectiveness and treat AI as the top priority woven through every decision rather than a separate workstream.
You'll partner with technology and business leaders across the enterprise to develop the enterprise architecture vision and strategy, establish practical standards, and guide teams toward a cohesive, cost-effective technology ecosystem. In a multi-brand, multi-business-unit environment, you'll design architecture that is adaptable, reusable, and ready to absorb acquisitions or carve out divestitures with minimal disruption. Success here is measured less by authority than by influence - the clarity of your thinking and the strength of your partnerships across a matrixed organization.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Define enterprise architecture strategy across business and technology domains, aligning business capabilities, application landscape, data/AI platforms, and cloud infrastructure into a cohesive, outcome-driven architecture.
- Lead application and platform architecture evolution, driving modernization of legacy systems, rationalization of the application portfolio, and adoption of scalable, API-first and event-driven integration patterns.
- Architect a modern enterprise data strategy (data mesh / data fabric), enriched with a context layer, enterprise knowledge graphs, and shared ontologies, that makes cross-brand data clean, unified, semantically connected, and ready to power AI use cases.
- Designing comprehensive system architectures for vertical Agentic AI applications, establishing technical standards, patterns, and best practices for autonomous agents.
- Establish balanced hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, aligning cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), SaaS/PaaS solutions, and on-prem environments to enable agility, resilience, and cost-effective scale.
- Drive cross-domain architecture standards and reference models spanning applications, integration, data/AI, security, and infrastructure - ensuring consistency while enabling flexibility for business innovation.
- Translate business strategy into executable architecture roadmaps, prioritizing initiatives across business capability gaps, application modernization, and platform investments with clear ROI and measurable outcomes.
- Lead enterprise architectural governance (ARB/STARC) to guide design decisions, resolve trade-offs across business and technology domains, manage exceptions, and ensure alignment to risk, security, and compliance requirements.
- Design composable, reusable architecture with an architecture framework built for adaptability, scalability, and reuse, with a repeatable "plug-and-play" blueprint that enables fast M&A onboarding and clean divestiture without disrupting the business.
- Drive value realization and technical debt reduction, continuously measuring architecture effectiveness, business impact, and simplification of the technology estate.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated track record leading IT transformation or large-scale change initiatives.
- Experience establishing and chairing architecture governance bodies (ARB or equivalent).
- Background in CPG, retail, manufacturing, or distribution ideally a complex, multi-brand, multi-business environment - preferred.
- Executive presence, with the ability to translate complex technology concepts into business terms and influence decision-makers in a matrixed environment.
- Deep expertise in cloud architecture (Azure preferred), integration patterns, and API design.
- Strong understanding of key business processes and their technology dependencies.
- Strong analytical, evaluative, and problem-solving capabilities, with sound architectural judgment on trade-offs across risk, value, complexity, and long-term sustainability.
MINIMUM EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION
- 10+ years of progressively responsible IT experience spanning strategy, integration, and application domains.
- 5+ years in an enterprise architecture leadership role developing strategy and roadmaps.
- Experience in a complex, multi-business, multi-brand, manufacturing, distribution, retail, or consumer products environment.
- Experience with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Snowflake, Microsoft Purview, Power BI, Azure AI Foundry, or similar platforms.
LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
- AI as a Priority Lens - treats AI as a first-class consideration in architectural decisions and champions its responsible adoption across the enterprise.
- Architectural Judgment - makes pragmatic trade-off decisions across risk, value, complexity, and long-term sustainability.
- Forward & Second-Order Thinking - anticipates where technology and the business are heading and reasons clearly about the implications of today's decisions.
- Systems Thinking - understands how any single architecture decision ripples across the broader enterprise.
- Influence & Collaboration - builds alignment across Enterprise Applications, Software Development, Infrastructure, Security, Data, and business teams without relying on formal authority.
- Executive Communication & Accountability - translates complex technology into clear business terms, communicates decisions, standards, and risks precisely, and ensures they are documented and followed through.
POSITION INFORMATION
- This position pays $155,000-$200,000 per year depending on experience and location
BENEFITS PACKAGE & EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Free Life and Disability Insurance
- Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- 401k with 3% company match and annual employer discretionary contribution
- Paid vacation, holidays and sick time
- Employee Assistance Program
- Access to thousands of free online courses
- Discounts on cell phones, movie tickets, gym memberships, and more!
- Education Assistance (both college degrees and professional certifications)
- Referral Program with cash bonus
- Access to on-demand pay
- Paid parental leave
Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries. Guided by the belief that home is central to life, the Company''s purpose is to proudly nurture happy and healthy homes. For over 45 years, its innovative and trusted solutions have helped lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier, and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands including Amdro, Aqueon, Best Bully Sticks, Cadet, C&S, Farnam, Ferry-Morse, Kaytee, Nylabone, Pennington, Sevin and Zocon. With fiscal 2025 net sales of $3.1 billion, Central has strong manufacturing and logistics capabilities supported by a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture. The Company is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, and employs over 6,000 people, primarily across North America. Visit www.central.com to learn more.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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