Director, Enterprise Architecture

Director, Enterprise Architecture -  Austin, TX (Hybrid)

Do you thrive in strategically driving architecture?  Are you interested in joining a globally diverse organization where our unique contributions are recognized and celebrated, allowing each of us to thrive? Then it’s time to join Western Union as a Director, Enterprise Architecture!

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Western Union will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

Western Union powers your pursuit. 

In this critical role, you will lead the development, governance, and execution of architecture frameworks that enable business agility, innovation, and operational excellence. Based in Austin, this leadership role will shape the technology direction of the enterprise by orchestrating scalable cloud architectures, secure integration platforms, and a future-ready digital ecosystem that spans business domains globally.

This role is instrumental in accelerating cloud transformation, building standardized architectural practices, and fostering cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate brings a powerful mix of technical expertise, business acumen, and leadership to drive architecture modernization at scale.

Role Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Leadership

• Define, maintain, and govern enterprise-wide architecture standards, frameworks, and reference models.
• Align architectural strategies with organizational goals and collaborate with business leaders to support long-term growth.

Cloud Architecture & Engineering

• Lead cloud architecture strategy and adoption, particularly on AWS, with emphasis on automation, resilience, and cost optimization.
• Enable engineering teams to build and deploy cloud-native solutions rapidly using infrastructure as code and CI/CD practices.

Engineering Enablement & Standards

• Develop and disseminate reusable architectural patterns, blueprints, and best practices to standardize solution design across engineering teams.
• Foster faster deployments by enabling platform self-service capabilities and consistent engineering workflows.
• Partner closely with product teams to improve architecture of existing applications and drive modernization initiatives.

Security Architecture & Compliance

• Design cloud and API security architecture to ensure robust protection, compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with InfoSec and compliance stakeholders to align architecture with internal and regulatory standards.

Integration & Platform Strategy

• Lead the enterprise integration architecture, designing frameworks that promote reusability, scalability, and interoperability.
• Implement microservices and event-driven design principles to future-proof business systems.

Strategic Initiatives & M&A

• Play a critical role in technology due diligence, integration planning, and architecture alignment during mergers and acquisitions.
• Drive technology consolidation efforts post-acquisition to streamline and align platforms.

Agile Architecture & Delivery Oversight

• Embed architectural oversight within Agile delivery frameworks to support continuous delivery and iterative development.
• Facilitate architectural reviews and cross-functional collaboration to accelerate delivery velocity.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead and mentor a high-performing team of architects, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Promote architectural excellence and knowledge sharing across engineering and product teams.

Role Requirements 

• 10+ years of progressive IT experience, including enterprise/cloud architecture roles.
• Extensive hands-on expertise in AWS cloud architecture, DevOps tooling, and infrastructure automation.
• Deep expertise in enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF), cloud security, and integration platforms.
• Strong track record in developing and implementing enterprise architecture standards and reusable design patterns.
• Experience enabling product-aligned teams through shared architecture and platform guidance.
• Background in cloud and API security, integration platforms, and scalable solution architectures.
• Proven leadership in global, cross-functional environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline; advanced certifications or degrees preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience guiding architecture during M&A transactions and technology consolidations.
• Familiarity