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Chief Enterprise Architect (IT Architecture - Expert)



Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.2 (Download PDF reader), Washington State employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination as part of the hiring process, prior to their start date. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line.  

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Information Technology Services Office (ITSO) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Chief Enterprise Architect (IT Architecture - Expert) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
 
This position is the highest level designated technical expert role in ITSO. In this role, you will rely upon advanced technical acumen across a broad range of information technology disciplines (e.g., IT Architecture, Cloud, Infrastructure, Identity Management, Network, Security, Applications, Solution Integration, IT Service Delivery, Information Architecture and Business Architecture) to develop novel and innovative technology solutions that are new to Ecology and Washington State government.

As the Chief Enterprise Architect, you will be responsible for defining and documenting enterprise architecture processes and developing strategies to implement emerging technologies that align with state and industry best practices and direction. You will also be responsible for leading the integration of these processes with other related business and IT processes such as Project Portfolio and Infrastructure Portfolio Management. You will report to the Enterprise Portfolio Management and Architecture (EPMA) Section Manager and act as a trusted advisor to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and IT Leadership Team (ITLT). The position also serves as a technical consultant and advisor on several state-wide teams which collaborate with Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) and Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) staff to help establish state-wide technology standards and to advance state-wide IT initiatives.
 
Program Mission: The Information Technology Services Office (ITSO) is the central provider of strategic and tactical support for the use of Information Technology (IT) within Ecology. The mission of ITSO is to create and support useful technology services that adapt for the future and support Ecology's mission. ITSO’s mission is realized by focusing on the following strategic objectives and outcomes:
  • Modeling behavior that demonstrates trust and integrity, accountability, and adherence to Ecology’s Core Competencies.
  • Engaging in continuous learning, process improvement and proactive communication with our business partners so that we deliver high quality services that leverage modern technical solutions and meet the business needs.
  • Advancing the Portfolio Management program for transparent decision-making, and mission driven prioritization.
  • Managing agency systems to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability by evaluating business need, cyber threats, risk, and maintainability, so that agency data is accurate and reliable. 
  • Leading enterprise data management; promote agency defined data standards and industry best practices, architect technical systems integrations, and provide technical support for hardware and software tools allowing the agency to make data driven decisions.

Protecting Washington State's environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We are a culture that is invested in making a difference. Join a team that is highly effective and collaborative, with leadership that embraces the value of people.

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:

  • A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for most positions.
  • An Infants at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of infant-parent bonding and breastfeeding newborns.
  • Continuous growth and development opportunities. 
  • A wellness program that offers education, fitness classes, and an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings.
  • Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology’s work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.
 
Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions.
 
Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive.
 
Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work.
 
Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.
 
We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued. 

During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. Ecology is following current state guidance regarding mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. 

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of February 14, 2022. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before February 13, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
 
Duties


What makes this role unique? 
In this role as the Chief Enterprise Architect, you will serve as the highest level designated technical expert at ITSO. You will provide leadership in the area of enterprise architecture. This position advocates for and promotes Enterprise Architecture by helping others understand the value of Enterprise Architecture and demonstrating perseverance when leading people on the journey. The work is predominantly strategic in nature and this position is expected to develop high level strategies and also evaluate that the tactical implementation of the strategy is practical. 

The position requires expert multi-disciplinary knowledge of a broad range of information technology disciplines (e.g., IT Architecture, Cloud, Infrastructure, Identity Management, Network, Security, Applications, Solution Integration, IT Service Delivery, Information Architecture and Business Architecture), deep business knowledge and strategic thinking to plan and coordinate the transformation and maturation of an Enterprise Architecture (EA) Program. Furthermore, the position is responsible for devising novel, innovative solutions using emerging technologies that are new to Ecology and Washington State government; specifically leveraging new cloud technologies to fashion enterprise solutions that will work in the WaTech Enterprise Shared Tenant and other cloud platforms.

What you will do: 

  • Develop and evolve an Enterprise Architecture (EA) Program to include enterprise architecture review processes to ensure all technical solutions align with agency and IT strategic initiatives. 
  • Implement and oversee architectural review processes to ensure that implemented solutions align with approved architectural designs.
  • Recommend the design and direct the governance structure and compliance activities (such as exception and exemption handling) associated with ensuring compliance with the Enterprise Architecture Program.
  • Analyze technology, industry and market trends, and determine their potential impact on the Enterprise Architecture to ensure that planned technical solutions align with future industry trends such as Cloud-based solutions, Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Intelligence (AI) solutions, and other emerging technologies.
  • Develop architectural metrics and reports for the CIO and ITLT. 
  • Serve as lead technical advisor on Portfolio Intake Technical Team responsible for reviewing and providing actionable feedback on proposed IT projects/solutions in support of the Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (PPM). 
  • Serve as lead technical adviser on agency-wide IT governance bodies such as the Strategic Architecture Team (SAT) which consists of IT managers, senior IT staff and architects, with the responsibility for vetting the technical solution for all proposed software and infrastructure projects. 
  • Promote Enterprise Architecture and provide leadership and direction to agency IT architects to ensure adoption of a comprehensive IT Enterprise Architecture program; review other architects’ work and provide advice and guidance to them to ensure consistency and alignment with agency, OCIO, WaTech and ITSO strategic direction. 
  • Assess project proposals and conduct research to complete options analysis or white papers to make architectural recommendations. 
  • Drive and lead the development and maintenance of Enterprise Architecture templates and processes. 
  • Maintain in-depth knowledge of IT industry best practices, technologies, architectures and emerging technologies across a broad-range of IT. Use the knowledge to mentor and advise other enterprise architects and senior IT staff. 
  • Proactively identify highly complex technical problems and advise senior IT staff in resolving them by providing expert advice regarding the implementation of technical solutions which often requires concocting a new innovative solution that has not been done within the Ecology or WaTech infrastructure. 
  • Participate on state-wide teams led by the OCIO and WaTech such as the State Enterprise Architecture Review Team (SEART), Cloud Enablement Advisory Committee (CEAC), Active Directory (AD) Advisory Committee, and other state-wide teams. 
  • Serve as an advisor to the Ecology Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) on Office of Cyber Security (OCS) security reviews so that agency-proposed projects align with OCS, OCIO, WaTech and agency standards. 
  • Develop the Ecology technical roadmap which includes a detailed long-term strategy to implement cloud-based solutions to include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (Paas), and Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings. 
  • Provide guidance and reviews of network, system, and storage environment designs that effectively reflect business needs, security requirements and service level requirements. 
  • Develop and oversee implementation of an enterprise Active Directory (AD) design by adhering to industry and Microsoft recommended best practices. 
  • Assist business leaders in developing proper IT budgetary estimates for any proposed infrastructure investments.


Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment and educational experience. See below for how you may qualify.

Option 1: 
Fourteen (14) years of professional experience in one or more of the following Information Technology (IT) disciplines: data architecture, solutions architecture, application/software development, application security architecture, or business intelligence. At least two (2) years of experience must be at the Enterprise Architect or equivalent level within a medium to large agency, and can be obtained concurrently to other professional experience listed above.

Option 2: 
An Associate’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology (IT) or a closely related field; OR completion of a two (2) year accredited vocational training program in IT or related program AND 
Twelve (12) years of professional experience in one or more of the following Information Technology (IT) disciplines: data architecture, solutions architecture, application/software development, application security architecture, or business intelligence. At least two (2) years of experience must be at the Enterprise Architect or equivalent level within a medium to large agency, and can be obtained concurrently to other professional experience listed above.

Option 3: 
A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology (IT) or a closely related field AND 
Ten (10) years of professional experience in one or more of the following Information Technology (IT) disciplines: data architecture, solutions architecture, application/software development, application security architecture, or business intelligence. At least two (2) years of experience must be at the Enterprise Architect or equivalent level within a medium to large agency, and can be obtained concurrently to other professional experience listed above.

Option 4: 
A Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology (IT) or a closely related field AND 
Eight (8) years of professional experience in one or more of the following Information Technology (IT) disciplines: data architecture, solutions architecture, application/software development, application security architecture, or business intelligence. At least two (2) years of experience must be at the Enterprise Architect or equivalent level within a medium to large agency, and can be obtained concurrently to other professional experience listed above.

Note:
*Additional Education or accredited vocational training in Computer Science, IT or closely related field can substitute year for year for experience provided there is at least five (5) years of professional experience.

Desired Qualifications:
We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.

  • A Master’s degree with a focus on Information Technology, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering.
  • Two (2) years of recent experience leveraging expert-level knowledge in the Use of Private, Public, and/or Hybrid Cloud solutions to deliver innovative technical solutions, with a focus on scalable, reliable, and resilient platform design. 
  • Two (2) years of experience in Network and Server infrastructure administration or design as an enterprise architect.
  • Cisco Network Certification (or equivalent) experience with firewall architectures and Network\Cloud Security concepts.
  • Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Advanced Certification or equivalent.
  • Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation Certification. 
  • Organizational Change Management (OCM) Prosci Certification.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.


Supplemental Information

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.


Need an Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?

  • Please call: (360) 407-6186 or email: careers@ecy.wa.gov and we will be happy to assist.
  • If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can reach the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
  • If you need assistance applying for this job, please e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not send an email to this address to follow-up on the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile's main page.
  • If you are reading this announcement in print format, please enter the following URL to your search engine to apply: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Get-to-know-us/Jobs-at-Ecology 

Application Instructions:

It's in the applicant's best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

  • A cover letter describing your Enterprise Architecture experience and training and why you believe you would be a good fit for this position.
  • A resume outlining your experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to the minimum qualifications of this position.
  • Three professional references. 
  • Two (2) writing samples that you created related to your architecture work.

Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable. 
 
For Your Privacy:
When attaching documents to your application (such as Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):

  • Please be sure to remove private information such as your social security number, date of birth, etc. 
  • Do not attach documents that are password-protected, as these documents may not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded. 

Additional Application Instructions for Current Ecology Employees: 
 
Please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.

Application Attestation: 

The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed. 

Other Information:
If you have specific questions about the position, please email Bernadette Williams at: bernadette.williams@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Bernadette to inquire about the status of your application.
 
To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

Why work for Ecology?

As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State's environment. A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:

Student debt: how working for Ecology can help
The Department of Ecology is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.
To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagram or our blog.

Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.  

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment announcement are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.