Enterprise Architect

Talbots is a leading omni-channel specialty retailer of women's clothing, shoes and accessories. Established in 1947, the company is known for modern classic style that's both timeless and timely, fine quality craftsmanship and gracious service. At Talbots relationships are the key to our business, we hire individuals who bring new ideas to the table, understand smart risk taking and can enhance an already thriving culture. With a commitment to offer modern classic style for every body type, through a full range of sizes, inclusive to every woman in your life.

The Enterprise Architect is an experienced, diverse, and highly qualified solutionist who will provide strategic IT leadership for the transformation and architecture of the KnitWell Group IT portfolio. The Enterprise Architect will establish a vision that helps determine the direction for the IT organization, continually enhances the health of our IT landscape, and fulfills business objectives. Being a senior member of the IT Strategy Team, the Enterprise Architect will be responsible for the health and effectiveness of key architecture processes such as standards management, lifecycle management and architecture governance, and drive the IT architecture, strategy and governance of technology selection and delivery across all the company brands, businesses, applications, platforms, and technology services. The Enterprise Architect will play a critical role in modernizing all the KnitWell Group technology portfolio to drive an improved experience for our customers and employees. In addition, he/she will serve as the expert for Enterprise Architecture tools and technology and will provide strategic consulting in the areas of external trends, architectural best practices, and adherence to standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the IT Senior Leadership team and technology teams to develop an Enterprise Architecture vision and strategy that is aligned with the KnitWell Group
• Establish and chair an architecture governance board responsible for ensuring effective and efficient use of IT resources and assets, and architecture and portfolio decisions that enable the long-term business strategy.
• Partner with IT leaders to ensure that architecture roadmaps continually align with business objectives.
• Turn business strategy into systems design by developing an architecture framework that enables adaptability, scalability, availability, security, and re-use.
• Manage and mentor a highly technical team responsible for the creation, implementation, and maintenance of architectural strategies.
• Direct the development and documentation of the strategy linking the KnitWell Group application, data, solution, digital and technical architectures.
• Maintain a full understanding of all the KnitWell Group technology implementations and integration with external service providers.

• Lead the development of an IT simplification strategy for a multi brand business, including the integration strategy and playbook for future acquisitions.

• Identify emerging technologies to help drive solutions that increase business value.

Experience:

• 10 years as an Enterprise Architecture leader, developing architecture strategy and roadmaps, and leading a team of architects.
• 15+ years of progressively responsible IT experience and leadership roles, including IT strategy, integration management and application development.
• Effective partnerships with key IT and business leaders and teams.
• History of effective recruiting, management, coaching and development of high performing multidisciplinary teams.
• Developing business cases for technology investment.
• Leading an IT transformation or other substantial change initiatives successfully.
• Establishing and/or chairing the architecture review board.
• Portfolio management and project management leadership.

Skills:

• Visible leadership skills and executive presence; can motivate individuals and teams to achieve program and project objectives.
• Strong business awareness, a sound understanding of key business operations and the way they impact business performance.
• Expertise in current and emerging technologies, and their potential business impact.
• Expertise with continuous delivery tools and DevOps practices.
• Expertise with serverless and microservices architecture.
• API design and integration skills leveraging modern data architecture methodologies and tools.
• Ability to build and sustain strong working relationships with both business and IT professionals, and to influence decision makers and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated collaboration skills, evidenced by the ability to get things done in a matrixed environment.
• Proven people leadership abilities and a prominent level of emotional intelligence (EQ).
• External orientation: able to focus on the needs of customers and build external relationships that benefit the business.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to explain technology solutions in business terms; an effective listener and communicator.
• A strategic thinker focused on solutions, continuous improvement and problem solving.

Talbots is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from diverse candidates. Hiring decisions are based upon a candidate's qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration and are made without regard to race, sex, national origin, color, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, religion, or any other category protected by applicable law. Talbots is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position you are seeking or to participate in the application process please contact recruiting@talbots.com. Talbots will make reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified applicants or employees, unless such accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the operations of the Company’s business.