Technology Architect

Job Title: Technology Architect, Principal Location: Oakland, CA Pay: $147,000.00 - $182,950.00 This position is hybrid, remote and in-person at the Oakland General Office (OGO) based on business needs. Department Overview • ***'s Information Technology (IT) organization is a unified organization comprised of various departments which collaborate effectively to deliver high-quality technology solutions. • The Digital Workplace Team, part of the Infrastructure & Cloud Services organization, delivers the technologies and support that power a best-in-class Digital Employee Experience--enhancing joy at work through reliable devices, seamless collaboration tools, and responsive services that drive productivity. Position Summary • The Digital Workplace Team is seeking a visionary Principal Technology Architect to lead the future-state architecture for the Coworker User-Technologies domain. • This role partners with Enterprise Architecture on strategic direction and sets the tactical roadmaps for Digital Workplace, aligning with industry trends, business needs, and ***'s enterprise goals. • The Technology Architect is instrumental in shaping the Coworker digital experience through modern, secure, and scalable technology solutions. • This role translates the Digital Workplace vision into actionable solutions by aligning processes, IT funding guidelines, program portfolios, and IT infrastructure to drive business maturity and prioritize strategic investments. • The desired candidate is a strategic thinker, strong collaborator, and advocate for digital employee experience - someone who can operate independently while influencing cross-functional outcomes. Job Responsibilities • Define and align Digital Workplace technology strategies with enterprise goals and key stakeholders, enabling a multi-year roadmap of scalable solutions. • Develop and maintain architectural artifacts, including current/future state models, standards, and reference architectures. • Collaborate on Digital Workplace portfolio planning and budgeting to ensure alignment with strategic roadmaps and business priorities within the annual Business Plan Development process. • Create and maintain Technology Standards and ensure Governance compliance. • Monitor industry trends and bring innovative ideas to improve the digital employee experience. Stay current on emerging technologies (e.g., AI, cloud, mobile, virtualization, endpoint monitoring). • Partner with Enterprise Architects and Solutions Engineers to guide solution design from concept through implementation. • Support project delivery by reviewing designs and providing technical leadership to business and IT teams. • Lead change initiatives for Digital Workplace technologies, from business case to execution. • Solve complex challenges across the Digital Workplace stack, ensuring productivity, reliability, and security. • Understand business problems and proactively identify technology solutions through collaboration with peer architects, subject matter experts, business partners, and/or vendors. • Provide expert consulting on the full Digital Workplace stack, including architecture, usage, and optimization. • Collaborate with Digital Workplace teams on roadmap plans to incorporate customer feedback and pain points to shape future-state solutions while managing conflicts and dependencies. • Present strategies and solutions effectively to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders. • Actively contribute to architectural governance processes such as Communities of Practice and Architecture Review Boards. • Produce clear documentation and communicate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences. • Manage Microsoft Enterprise Agreement contracts and associated services, ensuring alignment with business needs. • Offer strategic direction and mentorship to technical teams within the Digital Workplace organization. Qualifications • Minimum: BA/BS in Computer Science, Business, Engineering or equivalent work experience. Experience in Information Technology architecture, 10 years. • Desired: • Strategy & Architecture: Understands how Digital Workplace technologies align with business goals; balances long-term vision with short-term needs. • Translates business needs into scalable, secure, user-centric architectures. • Experienced in Digital Workplace portfolio planning (5-10-year cycles). • Designs integrated solutions across identity, security, collaboration, and support ecosystems. • Understands dependencies between networking, security, cloud infrastructure, and end-user experience. • Leads technical governance, standards development, and vendor evaluations. • Measures success and communicates value through quantifiable outcomes. Technical Expertise: • Mastery of Microsoft 365, Citrix, Azure Virtual Desktop, Intune, SCCM, endpoint monitoring, application packaging, device lifecycle, zero-touch deployment, Windows, macOS, and iOS. • Leverages Power Platform, scripting, and AI to automate onboarding, support, and provisioning. • Applies Lean/Agile principles and automation to solve complex problems and reduce manual processes. • Stays current with trends like Copilot, Zero Trust, and AI-driven IT support. Coworker Experience & Empathy: • Advocates for employee experience and IT satisfaction (CSAT), using telemetry and feedback to guide design. • Designs with empathy, accessibility, usability, and hybrid work in mind. • Partners with change managers to drive adoption through analytics and support metrics. • Collaborates with Tier-1 and Tier-3 teams to create support content and promote digital adoption. Communication & Leadership: • Communicates clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. • Demonstrates strong leadership, communication, and influencing skills. • Takes ownership, drives results, and overcomes challenges independently. • Exercises sound judgment, shares candid feedback, and thrives in ambiguity. • Manages multiple priorities and maintains strong documentation and administrative discipline. • Education & Experience: Master's degree in business administration/engineering or equivalent experience. Relevant experience in the utility industry.