Solution Architect - Shared Services

Empower; United States; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work environment

Volunteer time

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Empower is seeking a senior Solution Architect to lead architecture across HR, Legal, Compliance, and the CIO Office. You will translate business needs into secure, scalable end-to-end designs spanning SaaS, cloud services, data, and integrations.

The role emphasizes ServiceNow and AWS, with responsibilities from discovery to implementation, along with IaC via CloudFormation or Terraform. You will ensure observability, security, and cost efficiency in enterprise solutions.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of progressive experience designing and delivering enterprise technology solutions.
• ServiceNow solution or platform architecture experience in a large enterprise environment.
• Deep knowledge of the ServiceNow platform architecture (RBAC, APIs, Script Includes, etc.).
• Strong AWS architecture experience across core cloud domains.
• IaC experience with CloudFormation and/or Terraform.
• DevOps/DevSecOps with Git-based delivery, CI/CD, testing, and observability.
• Experience with SaaS, cloud, and on-premises integration patterns.
• Experience with SQL Server and PostgreSQL including HA/DR considerations.
• Ability to define functional/nonfunctional requirements including privacy and security.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end solution architecture for complex initiatives across HR, Legal, Compliance, and CIO Office.
• Lead discovery and translate requirements into architecture options and recommendations.
• Create architecture deliverables: current/target state views, diagrams, roadmaps, and patterns.
• Serve as ServiceNow architecture lead across platforms, data models, security, and governance.
• Design AWS solutions aligned with Well-Architected framework and cost optimization.
• Define and guide infrastructure automation using CloudFormation and/or Terraform.
• Embed DevOps/DevSecOps practices including CI/CD, testing, monitoring, and incident readiness.
• Architect secure, reusable integration patterns across SaaS, cloud, and on-premises systems.
• Guide relational database architecture (SQL Server, PostgreSQL) for performance and DR.
• Review designs, lead proofs of concept, and ensure alignment with standards.
• Evaluate technologies and vendor solutions to simplify and optimize the portfolio.

Skills

Solution architecture

ServiceNow

AWS architecture

DevOps / DevSecOps

Data integration

SQL Server

PostgreSQL

Security & compliance

CloudFormation / Terraform

Jira / Confluence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field

Tools

Terraform

AWS CloudFormation

Jira

Confluence

Palantir Foundry

SQL Server

PostgreSQL

Job description

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

Job Summary

As a Solution Architect at Empower, you will be a hands-on technical leader and solution-shaping architecture contributor supporting Human Resources, Legal, Compliance, and the Office of the CIO. You will partner with business leaders, Business and Enterprise Architects, product owners, cybersecurity, engineering, operations, data, and vendor teams to translate business outcomes, regulatory obligations, and operational needs into secure, scalable, resilient, and cost-effective end-to-end solutions.

The role spans SaaS platforms, cloud services, applications, integrations, data, and infrastructure, with particular emphasis on ServiceNow and AWS. You will guide initiatives from discovery through implementation, define target-state and reference architectures, document decisions and trade-offs, and establish reusable patterns and guardrails. You will also support the broader shared-services technology landscape, including Atlassian Jira and Confluence, Palantir Foundry, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL, while ensuring solutions are supportable, observable, maintainable, and aligned with enterprise standards.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end solution architecture for moderately to highly complex initiatives across Human Resources, Legal, Compliance, and the Office of the CIO, connecting business capabilities and processes to application, integration, data, security, and technology designs.
• Lead discovery and translate functional and nonfunctional requirements - including security, privacy, records retention, auditability, availability, recovery, performance, scalability, supportability, and cost - into practical architecture options and recommendations.
• Create and maintain architecture deliverables such as current-state and target-state views, context and logical diagrams, deployment models, data flows, integration designs, nonfunctional requirements, architecture decision records, reference architectures, roadmaps, and transition plans.
• Serve as a ServiceNow architecture lead, defining scalable platform and solution designs across workflows, the platform data model, CSDM and CMDB, integrations, identity and security, custom applications, environment strategy, performance, upgradeability, and platform governance. Evaluate fit-to-platform and minimize unnecessary customization.
• Design AWS solutions aligned with AWS Well-Architected principles across identity and access management, networking, compute, storage, databases, integration, observability, backup and recovery, high availability, disaster recovery, and cost optimization.
• Define and guide infrastructure automation using AWS CloudFormation and/or Terraform, including reusable templates and modules, source control, automated validation, environment promotion, secrets handling, policy guardrails, and stack, state, and drift management.
• Embed DevOps and DevSecOps practices into solution designs, including CI/CD, automated testing, security scanning, release and rollback strategies, monitoring and logging, alerting, incident readiness, and operational handoff.
• Architect secure, reusable integration patterns across SaaS platforms, AWS, on-premises systems, and vendor ecosystems using APIs, events, messaging, files, and data pipelines. Define contracts, authentication, error handling, observability, and lifecycle governance.
• Guide relational database architecture for SQL Server and PostgreSQL, including data design, performance, security, high availability and disaster recovery, backup and recovery, migration, and appropriate use of AWS managed database services.
• Provide architecture oversight through delivery by reviewing detailed designs, guiding engineering teams, leading proofs of concept, resolving cross-system dependencies, and verifying implementation against approved architecture.
• Evaluate technologies and vendor solutions, advise on build, buy, and configure decisions, and identify opportunities to simplify, modernize, rationalize, and optimize the shared-services application portfolio and run cost.
• Contribute to architecture standards, design-review forums, reusable patterns, decision records, and lessons learned. Communicate recommendations, risks, and trade-offs clearly to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• At least 5 years of progressive experience designing and delivering enterprise technology solutions, including ownership of end-to-end solution design for multiple moderately to highly complex initiatives.
• Demonstrated ServiceNow solution or platform architecture experience in a large enterprise environment - not solely platform administration or development - including translating business requirements into platform capabilities and governing implementation.
• Deep knowledge of the ServiceNow platform architecture, including but not limited to, application scopes, Business Rules, Script Includes, ACLs, APIs, and platform configuration.
• Strong AWS architecture experience and working knowledge across core cloud domains, with the ability to evaluate security, resilience, operational, performance, and cost trade-offs.
• Hands-on experience with infrastructure as code using AWS CloudFormation and/or Terraform, including reusable components and automated deployment workflows.
• DevOps or DevSecOps experience with Git-based delivery, CI/CD, automated testing, deployment automation, observability, and production supportability.
• Enterprise application and integration architecture experience across SaaS, cloud, and on-premises systems, with strong knowledge of API, event, identity, and data integration patterns.
• Experience designing solutions using both SQL Server and PostgreSQL, with an understanding of performance, security, high availability and disaster recovery, backup and recovery, and migration considerations.
• Ability to define and evaluate functional and nonfunctional requirements and to design for privacy, security, auditability, segregation of duties, records management, and other controls appropriate to sensitive or regulated environments.
• Strong architecture modeling and documentation skills, with experience in design reviews, architecture decision records, reference patterns, and implementation governance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, and communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and explain technical decisions, risks, and trade-offs to varied audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• ServiceNow Certified Technical Architect (CTA) or comparable architecture-level experience; Certified System Administrator (CSA), Certified Application Developer (CAD), or relevant Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) credentials.
• Architecture experience with ServiceNow capabilities relevant to shared services, such as ITSM, ITOM, Strategic Portfolio Management, HR Service Delivery, Integrated Risk Management or GRC, Legal Service Delivery, App Engine or Workflow Studio, Integration Hub, MID Server, CSDM, and CMDB.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate or Professional, and/or a HashiCorp Terraform certification.
• Enterprise architecture or administration experience with Atlassian Jira and Confluence, including workflows, permissions, automation, integrations, Marketplace app governance, and cloud or data-center lifecycle management.
• Palantir Foundry experience, including data integration and pipelines, Ontology modeling, application or workflow enablement, security and governance, and production lifecycle practices.
• Experience supporting Human Resources, Legal, Compliance, Risk, Finance, or Office of the CIO technology capabilities in a regulated enterprise.
• Experience with containers, serverless computing, event-driven architecture, microservices, and scripting or automation languages.
• Familiarity with architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Agile or product operating models, SaaS and platform lifecycle management, vendor evaluation, cloud financial management or FinOps, and application rationalization.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience. A master’s degree is a plus.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions

• Normal office working conditions.

Do we want to call out another qualification: Deep knowledge of the ServiceNow platform architecture, including but not limited to, application scopes, Business Rules, Script Includes, ACLs, APIs, and platform configuration.

We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, religion, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.