Director, Architecture

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Grade: Executive Technical 716

Pay Range: $185,500.00 - $333,900.00

Job Description

The Director of Architecture is part of a forward-thinking team that leverages innovative technology, data-driven insights, and personalized learning pathways to create a truly life-changing educational experience. This leader will use their proven expertise to drive technology strategy and deliver microservices and event-based architecture while leading our Solutions Architecture team.

In this role, you will be a strategic, innovative thinker who can align technology solutions with business goals, drive innovation, and set the vision for long-term technology transformation. You will play a key role in shaping our technology landscape, leading architecture governance, and collaborating with senior leadership to ensure our architecture supports the organization’s strategic objectives.

This individual will develop deep expertise across the domains that EdTech supports—Pre (enrollment), Intake, Learn, Assess, and Post (graduation or completion). They will skillfully balance when to dive deep and provide hands-on technical guidance versus when to operate at a higher, strategic level.

 

What You’ll Do

• Define and evolve the enterprise architecture strategy to support business agility, scalability, and growth

• Lead technology strategy, driving modern microservices, event-driven, and SOA-based architecture

• Establish and oversee architecture governance, standards, and best practices across the organization

• Partner with senior leadership to align technology investments with long-term business objectives

• Drive digital transformation initiatives, including modernization, API strategy, data, and automation

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Infrastructure, and Security to deliver integrated solutions

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing architecture team while fostering innovation and accountability

What You’ll Bring

• 15+ years in technology delivery, including 8+ years in leadership and 5+ years in enterprise architecture

• Proven experience defining and executing enterprise-wide technology strategy in complex organizations

• Deep expertise in SOA, microservices, API design, and enterprise integration patterns

• Strong background in architecture governance, frameworks (e.g., TOGAF), and technology standards

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and modern distributed systems

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate complex technical concepts into business value

• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, with experience managing teams and vendors

Bonus Points if you have

• Certifications in Enterprise Architecture (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman) or Cloud Architecture

• Experience with DevOps, CI/CD practices, and agile methodologies.

• Familiarity with data governance, security frameworks, and compliance standards.

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.