Enterprise Architect

North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT); North Dakota; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) is seeking an Enterprise Architect to collaborate with state agencies on building, buying, modernizing, or retiring IT solutions. You will map processes, review options, and write recommendations to leadership within an established EA team.

You’ll own one or more technology areas over time. Success means engaging agencies within 90 days, leading solution reviews by six months, and owning a strategy for at least one area by 12 months.

Qualifications

• Requires an associate degree in Computer Science or an Information Technology related field.
• At least five years of current and progressive work experience designing, evaluating, and implementing IT solutions across multiple technology domains.
• Ability to explain technical and business tradeoffs to leadership and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Understand business needs, evaluate options, and define a solution path with agencies.
• Review IT solutions for fit with state standards and architectural direction.
• Build and maintain roadmaps and standards for one or more technology areas.
• Identify applications and services for consolidation, modernization, or retirement.
• Research technologies and write findings and recommendations for leadership.
• Explain tradeoffs to non-technical and business audiences.

Skills

Business analysis

Solution architecture

Stakeholder management

Education

Associate degree in Computer Science or Information Technology related field

Tools

TOGAF

Job description

Help improve the lives of North Dakota citizens by partnering with our customers to meet business needs and deliver transformational customer and state constituent experiences across Team ND.

North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) is hiring an Enterprise Architect to work with agencies across state government on what to build, buy, modernize, or retire.

When an agency has a business problem, you help them understand it, look at the realistic options, and land on a path that works for them and fits the state's broader technology direction. Day to day, that is a mix of mapping how an agency's work gets done, reviewing proposed solutions, comparing products, and writing up recommendations for leadership.

You will not be doing this alone. You will join an established Enterprise Architecture team with existing standards, review processes, and colleagues who cover other domains. New architects get time to learn the state's environment before taking ownership of an area.

What You Will Do

• Work with agencies to understand business needs, evaluate options, and define a solution path
• Review proposed IT solutions and changes for fit with state standards and architectural direction
• Build and maintain roadmaps and standards for one or more technology areas
• Identify applications and services across the state that are candidates for consolidation, modernization, or retirement
• Research technologies the state is considering and write up findings and recommendations
• Explain technical tradeoffs to people who are not technical, and business tradeoffs to people who are

What Success Looks Like

• First 90 days: learn the state's environment, meet your agency contacts, and take part in reviews alongside experienced team members.
• By six months: start carrying agency engagements and solution reviews on your own, with the team available for support.
• By 12 months: own the strategy and roadmap for at least one technology area and bring recommendations to NDIT leadership.

Over time, you help shape how the state approaches IT planning, portfolio management, and enterprise governance.

Minimum Qualifications

Requires an associate degree in Computer Science or an Information Technology related field, and at least five years of current and progressive work experience designing, evaluating, and implementing IT solutions across multiple technology domains. Additional work experience as described may substitute for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.

What Strong Candidates Bring

If you have worked as a senior engineer, systems analyst, business analyst, project manager, solution architect, or agency IT lead, and part of your job was deciding what technology to use and explaining why, that experience carries over here.

The areas below are what the work draws on. They are not a checklist. Most candidates are strong in two or three of them and pick up the rest on the job.

• Understanding how work gets done. Sitting with business or program staff, documenting how a process runs today, and translating what they need into technical terms. Formal methods like capability modeling or value stream mapping are useful here but are not a prerequisite.
• Evaluating and choosing technology. Comparing products, running a selection or RFP, weighing build against buy, or making the case to retire something.
• Seeing across more than one system. Consolidation, migration, application rationalization, or planning IT spend across a portfolio rather than a single project.
• Working with structure and standards. Familiarity with TOGAF or a similar framework, or simply a habit of writing down standards, patterns, and reference designs so other people can follow them.
• Working in regulated environments. Government, higher education, healthcare, finance, or any environment with regulation, audit requirements, procurement rules, or public accountability.
• Communicating so a decision gets made. Writing up a recommendation and presenting it to people who control budget or direction.

Location and Travel

• This position can be based anywhere in North Dakota, or in a border community such as Moorhead, MN or East Grand Forks, MN.
• Preference is given to candidates living in, or able to relocate to, the Bismarck/Mandan area.
• If you live within 50 miles of the Bismarck or Fargo office, you will work a hybrid schedule of onsite and remote days.
• If you live elsewhere in the state, expect to travel to Bismarck about once a quarter. State fleet vehicles are provided for that travel.

Benefits

This role is identified as a hard-to-fill position, making it eligible for an enhanced annual leave accrual rate.

Total Rewards: The State of North Dakota is committed to providing team members with a strong and competitive rewards package that support you, your health and your family.

About Team ND

"Far and away the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt

More than 7,500 talented, hard-working people across sixty-three agencies have come together as Team North Dakota. At Team ND, we are driven to succeed through gratitude, humility, curiosity and courage. Our purpose is to empower people, improve lives, and inspire success. Join us in being legendary.

The answers given on this application are to be reflective of your work experiences. Any use or suspected use of AI during the application process may affect the outcome of the hiring decision.

Please make sure that your resume includes information to demonstrate how you meet the minimum qualifications as posted. Your work history will not be given credit if North Dakota Information Technology cannot determine that you meet the minimum qualifications.

All application material, including your resume, must be received on or before the closing date by 11:59 PM Central Standard Time (CST).

North Dakota Information Technology does not offer or provide sponsorships. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

For more information or if you need an accommodation, please contact [e-mail] or [phone].

Equal Employment Opportunity

The State of North Dakota and this hiring agency do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), genetics, religion, age or disability in employment or the provisions of services and complies with the provisions of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.

As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. Sect. 23-12-10.