Director, Enterprise Architecture

Job Summary:

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.

Reporting to the CIO, the Enterprise Architect establishes and maintains the enterprise architecture framework, standards, and governance processes that guide technology decisions across the organization. The role works closely with engineering, infrastructure, security, and enterprise application teams to ensure technology solutions are coherent, scalable, and aligned with ICANN’s strategic priorities.

The Enterprise Architect also provides architectural leadership for emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, automation, data platforms, and advanced analytics, ensuring these capabilities are adopted in a secure, scalable, and sustainable manner.

The Enterprise Architect does not replace domain architecture within engineering teams but provides the enterprise-level architectural direction and governance necessary to ensure consistency, interoperability, and disciplined technology investment.

Key Responsibilities & Duties:

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 syste