Senior Director, Architecture

La Description

The Senior Director of Architecture for Corporate Systems provides leadership and strategic architectural direction for a large and globally scalable complex technology footprint at a multi-billion dollar enterprise level. This leader is responsible for nurturing an architecture that improves the quality, simplicity, and time-to-market that solve complex business problems.  The Senior Director of Architecture designs high-level solutions, monitors emerging technologies, assists in evaluating purchased software products and services, and developing long-term roadmaps.  This role is focused on integrating our ServiceNow, Human Capital Management and multiple Financial/Billing platforms with internal systems, financial institutions, and other external services.  Mergers and Acquisitions experience is preferred as this is a strategic initiative for the organization.

The Senior Director of Architecture is a leader who can effectively guide and build teams to be successful by fostering an environment of trust, collaboration, and high-performance, while delivering excellent customer experience.   This leader must have deep knowledge of back office functions and have worked in a complex and advanced technology organization.  This person must knock down technical, cultural, or organizational impediments, mentor and influence technology outcomes while collaborating with other agile, product, architecture and engineering leaders to develop a healthy organization.   The Senior Director should have a passion for delivering results and learning how new technology and processes can deliver better software to our customers, internal and external. 

Reporting to the VP of Engineering for Enterprise Platforms – Corporate Systems, , the Senior Director of Architecture is a part of a strategic organization tasked with building global, scalable solutions to support the growth plans of Cox Automotive.  As a member of the Delivery Stream leadership team, the Sr. Director of Architecture works with counterparts in Engineering and Product Management to define, plan, and execute the product engineering work for their Delivery Stream, with a focus on guiding the architecture of the software and solutions towards the architectural vision. The Sr. Director of Architecture collaborates with stakeholders across the company to ensure that the solutions delivered meet both business and technical objectives and are aligned with the long-term technology roadmap and strategic priorities of the company.

The Senior Director of Architecture will lead a group of teams primarily located in Atlanta, GA.  The successful candidate must have a demonstrable track record of achieving success in a dynamic, fast-paced technology environment.  They must be able to adapt to rapidly changing priorities and make approapriate architectural decisions quickly.

Primary Duties/Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the Architecture leader for the Delivery Stream, in partnership with Product, Engineering, and Business leadership 

• Responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, including executive leadership, engineering, architecture, product management and external partners.

• Provides thought leadership and technical expertise to the teams and execution of the strategic vision for the platform and expansion of its capabilities.

• Set the Delivery Stream architectural direction, long-term vision, and guiding principles  

• Designs solutions that involve complex, multi-system integrations across business units

• Frame technical or architectural alternatives in business terms, clearly articulating both business and technical implications of various options  

• Champion sound architectural solutions and effectively advocate for them at an executive level 

• Manage technical debt and advocate with Product and Engineering for its retirement 

• Drive creation, adoption and reuse of enterprise technology assets 

• Works through a team of Release Train Architects, technical architects, and other Directors and Managers in her/his organization to provide architectural stewardship for the software products of the Delivery Stream.

• Participates and leads architectural roadmap for potential mergers and acquisitions to support the back office functions

• Builds a positive working environment and culture of learning to ensure team’s overall morale and productivity continually improve

• Promotes and cultivates an agile mindset and the adoption f agile practices.

• Manages conflict effectively and able to positively represent the team to others

• Other duties as needed or required

Required Experience & Specialized Knowledge and skills

• BA/BS Degree in Business or Computer Science with advanced degree preferred + 12 or more years of relevant experience with at least 7 years experience in a leadership role

• OR MS degree + 10 years of experience

• OR Ph.D. degree + 7 years of experience

• OR 16+ years of experience with no degree

• 10+ years experience in full development life cycle and significant experience in delivering applications and architecture services in a production environment  

• 5+ years experience in the implementation of structured design and architecture processes in a corporate environment.  

• Deep understanding of the architecture discipline, processes, concepts and best practices 

• Experience in API first design, distributed systems integrations, and cloud computing platforms

• A solid understanding of IT Operations, Human Capital Management and Financial Processes is strongly desired

• Demonstrated proficiency in at least three of the following areas: business architecture, application architecture, data architecture, technical/infrastructure architecture, security disciplines, or operational disciplines.  

• Exemplary consulting skills and a track record of applying these skills as a practicing architect. Outstanding verbal, written, presentation, facilitation, and interaction skills, including ability to effectively communicate architectural issues and concepts to multiple organization levels.  

• Exemplary relationship skills and with a track record of being a trusted advisor.  

• Great time management and a passion for delivering on commitments. 

• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with stakeholders and peers at all levels

• Requires physical ability and mental acuity to execute the duties of the position successfully within required timeframes in order to meet business requirements.

Drug Testing:

To be employed in this role, you'll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

About Cox Automotive Canada

Cox Automotive is transforming the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. In Canada, the Cox Automotive family includes Clutch®, Dealertrack®, Dealer.com®, HomeNet®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, Modix®, NextGear Capital®, Ready Logistics®, RMS Automotive®, vAuto®, VinSolutions® and Xtime®, along with a host of other brands in other countries. The global company has 34,000 team members in more than 220 locations and is a partner to more than 50,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of 120-year-old Cox Enterprises, Inc., and serving the automotive industry since 1926, which has revenues exceeding $20 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises’ other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive Canada, visit coxautoinc.ca.