Principal Enterprise Architect

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

• 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.

Skills You Have

• Enterprise Architecture: Ability to develop enterprise technology strategies and conceptual architecture blueprints that drive business outcomes.
• Architecture and Technology Planning: Experience shaping future-state architecture while balancing long-term priorities, technical constraints, risk, and business objectives.
• Architecture Expertise: Deep technical expertise in one or more architecture domains, such as application, information, infrastructure, or business architecture.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to connect business needs with enterprise planning and translate strategic priorities into high-impact technology initiatives.
• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability to advise senior leaders, develop architecture deliverables, mentor technical professionals, and support solution delivery.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management: Proven ability to influence and build alignment with technical leaders, directors, vice presidents, and cross-functional partners.
• Technical Problem Solving: Experience navigating complex technology challenges, evaluating enterprise trade-offs, and aligning stakeholders around practical solutions.

Compensation Range:
Pay Range - Start:
$176,000.00
Pay Range - End:
$264,000.00
Geographic Specific Pay Structure:
Structure 110:
Structure 115:
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, Decision Making (NM) - Expert, Business Acumen (NM) - Advanced, 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