Senior Architect, COTS Applications
Core
Lead the architecture for the COTS application portfolio, defining strategy and roadmaps for enterprise application platforms, integrations, and vendor ecosystems.
Role type
Senior Architect, COTS Applications (Team Lead)
Builds
COTS application strategies, integration roadmaps, reference architectures, and governance frameworks.
Domain
Enterprise Software Architecture, COTS, Integration, SaaS, Regulated Industries (Pharmaceuticals)
Required skills
COTS application architecture, Integration architecture, Team leadership, Strategic roadmap planning, Vendor ecosystem management, Configuration vs customization strategy, Enterprise governance, Modernization planning, API/Event-driven integration, Security-by-design
Preferred skills
Regulated industry experience (Pharmaceuticals)
Technologies
SaaS, iPaaS, API, Event-driven integration
Responsibilities
Lead and develop a team of architects responsible for architectural oversight of COTS applications, integrations, and the technology roadmap within the group; Define and advance the group's COTS application and integration strategies, translating long-term business and technology goals into actionable, multi-year architectural roadmaps; Provide architectural leadership and oversight across major programs and initiatives — from vendor selection and COTS implementation through configuration, extension, integration, and lifecycle management; Establish and articulate 'what good looks like' for COTS architecture, integration patterns, and configuration-vs-customization decisions through reference architectures, design patterns, and decision frameworks the team can consistently apply; Partner closely with Business Relationship Managers (BRMs), Business System Consultants (BSCs), Business System Analysts (BSAs), and internal Software Engineering teams on ongoing projects, future project planning, demand intake, and solutioning; Serve as a senior architectural authority in governance and design forums, clearly framing trade-offs, risks, and recommendations across vendor capabilities, integration approaches, build-vs-buy-vs-configure decisions, and roadmap sequencing; Guide the evolution of the group's COTS and integration landscape, balancing modernization, resilience, security, compliance, total cost of ownership, and vendor roadmap alignment in complex, regulated environments; Mentor and develop architects and senior technologists, raising overall architectural maturity, integration/platform thinking, and modern application practices across the group.
Seniority
Senior, hands-on IC with team leadership
