Applications Architect

Metropolitan-Community-College; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Metropolitan Community College is seeking an Applications Architect to provide architectural leadership and oversight for enterprise and academic application systems, aligning with the College's mission and strategic goals. You will design, integrate, and govern solutions to ensure reliability, scalability, security, and regulatory compliance in a public higher education environment.

You will collaborate with stakeholders, developers, and DevOps to translate requirements into effective tech

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or closely related field required.
• 5–10+ years of software development with focus on architecture and system design.
• Experience with enterprise application architectures and data exchanges.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural direction and leadership for application development and enhancement initiatives.
• Review code and designs to ensure standards, security, and best practices.
• Design and maintain architectures for enterprise systems, integrations, and data exchange.
• Plan migrations and upgrades including cloud-based and SaaS environments.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation for design, architecture, integrations, and security controls.
• Establish and promote architectural standards to reduce technical debt and improve maintainability.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, business analysts, developers, and DevOps to translate requirements into effective technical solutions.

Skills

Java

C#

SQL

Azure

AWS

SOA

Microservices

APIs

Security

Architectural patterns

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or closely related field

Tools

Ellucian Banner SaaS

Job description

The Applications Architect is responsible for providing architectural leadership and oversight for enterprise and academic application systems in support of the mission and strategic goals of the College. This position designs, integrates, and governs application solutions to ensure reliability, scalability, security, and regulatory compliance in a public higher education environment. The Applications Architect collaborates with internal stakeholders, development teams, and technical partners to deliver high quality application solutions that support student success, instruction, and administrative operations.

• Provides architectural direction and leadership for application development and enhancement initiatives.
• Reviews code and technical designs to ensure adherence to established standards, best practices, and security requirements.
• Designs and maintains application architectures that support enterprise systems, integrations, and data exchange.
• Plans and oversees application integrations, migrations, and upgrades, including cloud based and SaaS environments.
• Develops and maintains technical documentation related to application design, system architecture, integrations, and security controls.
• Establishes and promotes architectural standards to reduce technical debt and improve maintainability.
• Works collaboratively with stakeholders, business analysts, developers, and DevOps teams to translate business requirements into effective technical solutions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a closely related field
• Five (5) to ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible experience in software development, with emphasis on application architecture and system design.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, preferably at a community college.
• Experience with Ellucian Banner SaaS or other enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
• Familiarity with public sector compliance requirements, such as FERPA, accessibility standards, and data security regulations.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of software development languages, frameworks, and technologies, including Java, C#, SQL, and related application development tools.
• Knowledge of cloud computing platforms and services, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and cloud-based application architectures.
• Knowledge of software architecture principles and design patterns, including layered architectures, service-oriented architecture (SOA), and microservices.
• Knowledge of application programming interfaces (APIs), system integrations, security protocols, and industry best practices for secure application development.
• Skill in analyzing complex technical issues, identifying solutions, and implementing effective problem-solving strategies.
• Skill in organizing, prioritizing, and managing multiple projects and assignments while meeting established deadlines.
• Ability to evaluate business and technical requirements and translate them into effective technology solutions.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams in a diverse public sector and higher education environment.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, administrators, vendors, and other stakeholders.

Physical Requirements

Positions in this class typically require grasping, hearing, keyboarding, reaching, repetitive motion, standing, talking, visual acuity, and walking. The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects.

EEO Statement

Metropolitan Community College is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, birth, ancestry, national origin, or disability. EOE/M/F/Vets/Disabled

Accommodations

MCC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, MCC will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations in all aspects of employment, including the application process. To request an accommodation and/or a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act applicant procedures, please contact the Office of Human Resources.