Summary:
We are seeking an Application Architect to design and structure the software applications that run our business - ensuring they align with our strategic objectives, industry standards, and security requirements while remaining scalable and adaptable as we grow. The Application Architect bridges the gap between business needs and technical solutions. You will translate complex business requirements into actionable architectural strategies, providing the blueprint that guides how applications are selected, delivered, and maintained across the enterprise - spanning core business platforms and the cloud and integration layers that connect them.
This is a balanced role. You will set architectural direction and standards, and you will also go hands-on - solutioning incoming work, shaping delivery, and going deep on configuration when the situation calls for it. We have found that the architects who can work at depth are the ones best able to drive delivery on our most significant applications, and that combination of strategic vision and hands-on credibility is exactly what this role requires.
This position reports to the Director, IT Applications Architecture
General Description Duties & Responsibilities
- Evaluate incoming demand and intake items, assessing technical approach and recommending solutions - including whether new software is needed.
- Maintain a strong understanding of current portfolio capabilities and speak credibly to fit/gap when new needs arise.
- Lead scoping for new application implementations, defining approach, requirements, and architecture.
- Conduct software selection and vendor evaluation for specific intake items - performing fit/gap analysis and weighing fit, total cost of ownership, and long-term maintainability - within the selection framework owned by the Applications Architecture function.
Architecture, Standards and Delivery:
- Define the application-level structure and blueprint that guides how individual applications are built, deployed, and maintained.
- Ensure every new application meets enterprise delivery standards - regardless of whether it is hosted or cloud-based - including security, permissions, authentication methods, master data, and integrations.
- Design scalable, secure, and maintainable solutions, and lead design reviews at the application and project level against standards for performance, security, reliability, and cost.
- Attend to the full set of delivery considerations during implementation, ensuring solutions are sound end-to-end rather than only at the design level.
- Create clear architectural documentation, conduct risk assessments, and provide technical leadership across the project lifecycle.
- Work closely with business analysts, developers, project managers, and other stakeholders to gather requirements and ensure architecture translates into successful delivery.
- Architect cloud and hybrid solutions, defining patterns for hosting, scalability, and resilience.
- Lead integration design from the application and process side: identify source data, define data mappings, and shape the integration solution based on deep application and process knowledge.
- Engage and direct integration engineers to build interfaces, providing the design and requirements they need rather than constructing the interfaces directly.
- Apply enterprise integration standards and governance (owned by the Applications Architecture function) to ensure consistency and maintainability.
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership, and mentor other team members.
Hands-on Technical Depth:
- Go deep on applications where needed - handling configuration, master data, and workflows - and use that depth to drive delivery on larger, business-critical applications.
- Serve as a senior technical authority across enterprise platforms, guiding configuration, extension, and integration decisions.
- Guide customization vs. standardization decisions to avoid unnecessary technical debt.
Other Essential Functions:
- Provides project management and leadership to staff and external resources in support of established goals and objectives, improved efficiencies, and problem resolution.
- Ensures accomplishment of all objectives in accordance with VGLNG policies, procedures, and strategic direction, as well as regulatory standards governing VGLNG.
- Maintains current knowledge of industry and regulatory trends and developments for the enterprise technology.
- Performs other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Required experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 8+ years in application development, engineering, or architecture, including 3+ years in an architecture-focused role.
- Demonstrated experience architecting solutions across enterprise application platforms (e.g., ERP and other core business systems).
- Hands-on depth with application configuration, master data, and workflows.
- Strong application architecture experience (e.g., SaaS, On-Premise), including hybrid scenarios.
- Strong integration solution-design skills: identifying source data, defining data mappings, and designing interfaces between applications (working knowledge of APIs, middleware/iPaaS, and event-driven patterns).
- Working knowledge of application security, permissions models, and authentication methods.
- Experience leading software selection, scoping, and fit/gap analysis.
- Proven ability to balance strategic direction-setting with hands-on technical work.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence both engineers and executives.