Director, Enterprise Architecture

ICANN’s mission requires a technology environment that is secure, resilient, and capable of evolving with the global Internet ecosystem. The Enterprise Architect plays a critical role in shaping and governing the organization’s technology landscape to ensure that technology design, platform selection, and investment decisions align with ICANN’s mission and long-term operational needs.

Responsibilities

• Enterprise Architecture Framework
  • Establish and maintain ICANN’s enterprise architecture framework, principles, and reference models.
  • Develop and maintain architecture standards across key technology domains including business, application, data, and technology architectures.
  • Document and maintain the enterprise technology landscape, including system dependencies, lifecycle status, and platform capabilities.
• Architecture Governance
  • Lead architecture governance processes that review major technology initiatives, platform changes, and system design decisions.
  • Review and provide architectural oversight for AI-enabled solutions, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture standards, security requirements, data governance practices, and operational sustainability.
  • Facilitate architecture reviews to ensure alignment with architecture principles and technology standards.
  • Provide architectural guidance for major technology investments and transformation initiatives.
• Technology Strategy Alignment
  • Work with the CIO and technology leadership to translate organizational priorities into a coherent technology architecture roadmap.
  • Develop technology roadmaps that incorporate emerging capabilities such as artificial intelligence, automation, advanced analytics, and intelligent platforms.
  • Ensure technology investments align with ICANN’s broader strategy for resilience, operational stability, and scalability.
  • Identify opportunities for platform consolidation, technology modernization, and reduction of technical complexity.
• Emerging Technology and AI Architecture
  • Establish enterprise architecture principles, standards, and reference architectures for artificial intelligence, automation, machine learning, and data-driven technologies.
  • Evaluate emerging AI platforms, services, and capabilities to determine their alignment with ICANN’s technology strategy and business objectives.
  • Define architectural patterns for AI-enabled applications, intelligent automation, enterprise search, knowledge management, and data-driven decision support.
  • Provide guidance on AI platform selection, integration approaches, and build-versus-buy decisions.
  • Partner with Product Management, Security, Data, and Engineering teams to ensure AI capabilities align with enterprise architecture standards and long-term technology strategy.
  • Maintain awareness of emerging technology trends and advise leadership on opportunities, risks, and strategic implications.
• Integration and Platform Architecture
  • Define architectural approaches for system integration, API management, and interoperability between enterprise systems and internally developed platforms.
  • Define architectural patterns for integrating AI services, enterprise data platforms, APIs, and business applications.
  • Guide architectural decisions related to build-vs-buy evaluation and platform adoption.
• Collaboration with Engineering and Infrastructure
  • Partner with software engineering, infrastructure, security, and enterprise platform teams to ensure architectural alignment across delivery initiatives.
  • Support engineering teams with enterprise-level guidance while enabling domain teams to maintain ownership of solution architecture within their services.
• Technology Portfolio Visibility
  • Maintain visibility into ICANN’s technology portfolio, including lifecycle risk, technical dependencies, and architectural alignment.
  • Provide leadership with insights to support informed technology investment and modernization decisions.

Requirements

• Experience with architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, ArchiMate, or similar enterprise architecture methodologies.
• Understanding of artificial intelligence, machine learning, intelligent automation, and emerging technology trends within enterprise environments.
• Experience evaluating technology platforms and defining enterprise architecture standards for emerging technologies.
• Knowledge of enterprise data architecture principles supporting AI and analytics capabilities.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, systems architecture, or technology strategy roles within complex enterprise environments.
• Experience designing and governing large-scale technology environments across cloud, applications, infrastructure, and security domains.
• Strong understanding of modern architecture practices including distributed systems, cloud platforms, and API-driven architectures.
• Experience establishing architecture governance processes and enterprise architecture frameworks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in mission-driven or global organizations with complex technology ecosystems.
• Experience defining enterprise AI architecture strategies, governance frameworks, or technology standards.
• Experience supporting adoption of AI-enabled business, workplace, or operational capabilities.
• Experience working in environments with strong security, compliance, or operational resilience requirements.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms, distributed system design, and enterprise integration patterns.

Skills

• Strategic thinking with strong systems-level perspective.
• Ability to translate complex technical environments into clear architectural direction.
• Strong collaboration skills across engineering, infrastructure, and security teams.
• Ability to balance governance discipline with pragmatic technology delivery.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken); preference for candidates with additional language skills.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in a normal office environment with limited privacy and some exposure to background noise.
• Frequent standing, walking, sitting, talking, hearing, and use of hands to reach, handle, or feel.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Occasional lifting and/or moving of up to 25 pounds.

ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers, including domain names and protocol addresses. A nonprofit public benefit corporation, ICANN values diversity and encourages applications from candidates with multilingual skills.