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Start-Up Vibes with The Stability of a Fortune 100 Company.
The Role
Lead enterprise and business architecture to align strategy, capabilities, and technology across the firm. Define architecture principles, roadmaps, and standards; guide solution design and risk reduction; translate business strategy into capability maps and value streams; support portfolio planning and transformation; advise senior leaders and mentor architects to enable compliant, scalable technology and business solutions.
Summary Generated by Built In
Principal Enterprise Architect / Business Architect
Northwestern Mutual is seeking an Enterprise Architect with strong Business Architecture capabilities to help shape and evolve the firm's enterprise-wide strategy, capabilities, and technology landscape. This role bridges business vision and execution by aligning business strategy, operating models, and capabilities with technology platforms and architectural standards.
The ideal candidate combines deep experience in enterprise technology architecture with a pragmatic, value-driven approach to business architecture-supporting a complex financial services organization focused on insurance, investment, and wealth management solutions.
What's the role?
Enterprise Architecture
Business Architecture
Strategic Partnership & Influence
Qualifications
Required
Preferred
A successful individual in this role will be...
Compensation Range:
Pay Range - Start:
$176,000.00
Pay Range - End:
$264,000.00
Geographic Specific Pay Structure:
Structure 110:
$193,600.00 USD - $290,400.00 USD
Structure 115:
$202,400.00 USD - $303,600.00 USD
We believe in fairness and transparency. It's why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you're living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.
Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!
Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.
Skills
Compliance (NM) - Advanced, Architecture Expertise (NM) - Advanced, Cross Functional Partnering & Planning (NM) - Advanced, Learning Agility & Critical Thinking (NM) - Expert, Enterprise Architecture (NM) - Expert, Customer Centricity (NM) - Expert, Business Acumen (NM) - Advanced, Decision Making (NM) - Expert, Technical Problem Solving (NM) - Expert, Analytical Thinking (NM) - Expert, Technical Leadership (NM) - Expert, Stakeholder Relationship (NM) - Expert, Strategic Thinking (NM) - Expert, Adaptive Communication (NM) - Expert, Architecture & Technology Planning (NM) - Advanced
FIND YOUR FUTURE
We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and our commitment to a culture of belonging.
Northwestern Mutual is seeking an Enterprise Architect with strong Business Architecture capabilities to help shape and evolve the firm's enterprise-wide strategy, capabilities, and technology landscape. This role bridges business vision and execution by aligning business strategy, operating models, and capabilities with technology platforms and architectural standards.
The ideal candidate combines deep experience in enterprise technology architecture with a pragmatic, value-driven approach to business architecture-supporting a complex financial services organization focused on insurance, investment, and wealth management solutions.
What's the role?
Enterprise Architecture
- Define and maintain enterprise architecture strategies, principles, standards, and target-state roadmaps that support Northwestern Mutual's business objectives.
- Partner with technology, data, security, and platform teams to guide solution design and ensure alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
- Provide architectural oversight and consultation for major initiatives, transformations, and investment decisions.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and architectural patterns (e.g., cloud, API-based architectures, data platforms, AI enablement) and assess their business impact.
- Reduce technical complexity and risk by rationalizing applications, platforms, and integrations across the enterprise.
- Collaborate with risk, security, and compliance partners to ensure architectures meet regulatory and resiliency requirements common to financial services.
Business Architecture
- Translate enterprise and business-unit strategies into clear business capabilities, value streams, and operating models.
- Develop and maintain business capability maps and link them to technology roadmaps and investment portfolios.
- Partner with business leaders, product owners, and transformation teams to clarify business outcomes, dependencies, and trade-offs.
- Support portfolio planning and prioritization by connecting strategic objectives to capabilities, initiatives, and technology investments.
- Enable business transformation by identifying capability gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for simplification or acceleration.
Strategic Partnership & Influence
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior business and technology leaders across Northwestern Mutual.
- Facilitate architecture and strategy discussions that balance long-term vision with near-term execution.
- Communicate complex architectural and business concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Mentor architects and contribute to the maturity of enterprise and business architecture practices.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, or related technology leadership roles.
- Demonstrated experience discovering and applying business architecture concepts such as capabilities, value streams, and information concepts.
- Experience working in large, complex enterprises; financial services, insurance, or wealth management experience is strongly preferred.
- Strong understanding of modern enterprise technologies (cloud platforms, integration patterns, data architectures, security).
- Proven ability to influence without authority and work effectively across organizational boundaries.
Preferred
- Experience with architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, SAFe, or similar).
- Exposure to business architecture practices or certifications (BIZBOK, IIBA, or equivalent).
- Experience supporting large-scale business or digital transformation initiatives.
- Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills.
A successful individual in this role will be...
- Business-outcome focused, not just technology driven.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and complexity.
- Able to challenge the status quo constructively.
- Collaborative mindset aligned with Northwestern Mutual's culture of mutual success and long-term value creation.
Compensation Range:
Pay Range - Start:
$176,000.00
Pay Range - End:
$264,000.00
Geographic Specific Pay Structure:
Structure 110:
$193,600.00 USD - $290,400.00 USD
Structure 115:
$202,400.00 USD - $303,600.00 USD
We believe in fairness and transparency. It's why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you're living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.
Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!
Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.
Skills
Compliance (NM) - Advanced, Architecture Expertise (NM) - Advanced, Cross Functional Partnering & Planning (NM) - Advanced, Learning Agility & Critical Thinking (NM) - Expert, Enterprise Architecture (NM) - Expert, Customer Centricity (NM) - Expert, Business Acumen (NM) - Advanced, Decision Making (NM) - Expert, Technical Problem Solving (NM) - Expert, Analytical Thinking (NM) - Expert, Technical Leadership (NM) - Expert, Stakeholder Relationship (NM) - Expert, Strategic Thinking (NM) - Expert, Adaptive Communication (NM) - Expert, Architecture & Technology Planning (NM) - Advanced
FIND YOUR FUTURE
We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and our commitment to a culture of belonging.
- Flexible work schedules
- Concierge service
- Comprehensive benefits
- Employee resource groups
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or related field
- 10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, or related technology leadership roles
- Experience discovering and applying business architecture concepts such as capabilities, value streams, and information concepts
- Experience working in large, complex enterprises; financial services, insurance, or wealth management experience strongly preferred
- Strong understanding of modern enterprise technologies (cloud platforms, integration patterns, data architectures, security)
- Proven ability to influence without authority and work effectively across organizational boundaries
- Experience with architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, SAFe, or similar)
- Exposure to business architecture practices or certifications (BIZBOK, IIBA, or equivalent)
- Experience supporting large-scale business or digital transformation initiatives
- Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills
What the Team is Saying
Chris
Regional Financial Consultant
Chester
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer
Northwestern Mutual Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits include both a 401(k) and a company‑funded Cash Balance plan, with age/service‑based credits and a noted additional contribution in a recent year—an uncommon pairing among large employers. This combination elevates long‑term financial security beyond typical single‑plan offerings.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage spans medical, dental, and vision alongside on‑site Mutual Health Centers, fitness centers or reimbursement, mental‑health support, and named condition‑management programs. This breadth indicates strong investment in preventive care, access, and overall wellbeing.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave, caregiving leave, fertility benefits via specialized partners, and adoption/surrogacy assistance (with specified reimbursements) reflect robust family support. The scope of these programs suggests meaningful backing across diverse family‑building needs.
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The Company
What We Do
You’ll Like It Here At Northwestern Mutual, we believe that our lives and our work matter. And that doing what’s right is good for everyone. We follow through by designing tech that improves the community and cultivating creative ways to make finance accessible anywhere. These guiding principles have allowed our company to grow for more than 160 years. Here, you’ll be with a team who emphasizes integrity and prioritizes security to design experiences that better everyone. You’ll work in cross functional teams to create optimal solutions that are rooted in innovative strategy and thoughtful execution. And you’re provided development tools and opportunities to become a leader all with the support of a collaborative team. You’ll be surrounded in a culture that values innovation and works to always evolve to stay ahead of trends and client needs. We are intentional in seeking out team members who will challenge us. Our employees choose us for the career opportunities, commitment to philanthropy and desire to have a meaningful impact in the lives of our clients. You have career passions and goals. We have ambition and opportunity for you to grow your future in tech. Discover today: https://careers.northwesternmutual.com/
Why Work With Us
We invest in our people. We know careers are about choices, so we provide intentional opportunity. Here you can build creative ways to make finance accessible anywhere and revolutionize traditional processes. As a mutual company, our focus is our people — whether professional development or investments in the community.
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Northwestern Mutual Teams
Northwestern Mutual Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We offer a flexible, hybrid approach for our employees . Teams are in the office a few days a week and work from home the others.
Typical time on-site:
Flexible
