DIRECTOR OF SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE

NiSource Inc., a leader in the development of natural gas technology and products, as well as innovative programs such as Customer  CHOICEsm,  the largest energy provider program of its kind in the United States. We currently have opportunities at our Merrillville, INor Columbus, OH operations for:

 

DIRECTOR OF SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE

 

 

 

Purpose:
The Director, Systems Architecture job’s primary responsibility and accountability is providing system architecture vision and leadership at an enterprise level in the current and future NiSource technology environments.  This includes working with business leaders and service providers to develop and implement system architecture strategies, as well as developing methodologies to ensure compliance to those strategies.

Key outcomes for success include:
* Proactive plans for future architecture needs, innovative solutions, and projects, based on anticipated NiSource business needs and IT industry future directions
* Defined solution/applications, information/data, technical/infrastructure architectures, and is some instances the business/process architecture for major areas of development.
* Defined processes to ensure compliance to the technical standards and procedures by service providers and NiSource
* Defined technical standards and procedures
* A strategic enterprise architecture that enables efficient and effective application and infrastructure deployment.

Essential Responsibilities:

* Apply enterprise vision to all system, technical and application projects
* Remain continuously aware of business, technical, and infrastructure issues, along with architecture trends and best practices and incorporate this knowledge into systems architecture strategy and plans
* Conceive innovative solutions, build consensus and sell / execute solutions to meet business needs
* Develop and maintain the business models, strategies and architectures to support the definition and implementation of the applications and infrastructure
* Recommend proactive courses of action to maintain cost effectiveness and competitiveness, and use influence and negotiation skills to implement them effectively
* Perform situation analysis and recommendations for problem solving
* Provide architectural consulting and guidance for all technology projects at NiSource
* Oversee all projects within the architectural domain
*Design and direct the governance activities associated with ensuring EA compliance.
* Establish mechanisms for ongoing identification and management of technical risks
* Ensure that the business models, strategies and architectures are coherent and consistent with other (including outsourced) project strategies and architectures
* Enable rapid prototyping and proof-of-concept work to validate proposed architectures
* Provide advice and consultancy across the service provider’s project team on the business models, strategies and architectures
* Ensure that the relevant requirements are clearly allocated to the business-oriented subsystems, and provide clear definitions of the scope and boundaries of each of the business-oriented subsystems
* Participate in reviews and provide guidance to service provider(s) teams to ensure that NiSource architecture blueprint is followed
* Sought out as a systems architecture expert
* Assist in the development of IT Strategies and their associated IT Initiatives, Principles and Guidelines
* Develop a strong Architecture team, capable of meeting or exceeding performance objectives
* Participate and in some case led senior management strategic architecture technology planning sessions.

 

Qualifications

 

* Bachelor’s Degree in a technical (Computer Science, Engineering or related discipline) or business field required
* 12+ years total experience:
* 7+ years experience in IT systems architecture/ systems design and development and maintenance of large-scale systems, preferably across multiple hardware and software platforms and/or business unit management experience that includes working closely with IT in the development and implementation of large-scale systems
* 5+ years of experience in project management of multiple major development projects
* Strong experience working with SOA, object-oriented analysis and design
* Experience leading and developing a staff of professionals
* Ability to work effectively in an outsourced IT environment and support continuous transformation
* Experience in creating and defining new architectural models and explaining complex problems or situations
* Significant experience with and knowledge of new computing architectures and networked computing structures
* Previous experience in business process re-engineering or process improvement involving broad-based information systems, utilizing tools and techniques to effect business change
* Excellent project management skills
* Strong strategic thinking, innovation, judgment, risk assessment, consultative and decision-making skills
* Business systems analysis experience
* Expert knowledge of information systems
* Ability to identify group conflict and facilitate resolution

Additional Information (optional):
* Graduate degree in Computer Sciences, Engineering or related discipline preferred
* Familiarity with the standards and best practices bodies  i.e. The Open Group, IEEE, OMG, ITIL, CoBIT, CMMi/Six Sigma/LEAN is preferred
* Familiarity with the Energy Industry i.e. FERC and PUC is preferred

 

 

 

 

We offer an outstanding total package that includes paid holidays,
vacation, medical/rx drugs, dental, vision, life insurance 401(k) and pension.

 

 

 

For immediate consideration please email your resume to: jobs@bluestarpartners.com

 

Referencing Job # 903419

We value workforce diversity and are an equal opportunity employer.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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