Solution Architect

At Baird, Solution Architects are technology leaders who are responsible for creating clarity around the current state of our technology ecosystem, ensure ongoing and mature technology management, lead continuous improvement of existing capabilities and guide the adoption of new capabilities. By incorporating enterprise, portfolio and platform-centric architecture principles, solution architects act as stewards of a sustainable and healthy technology landscape. This role requires a holistic technology thinker who can consider multiple disciplines (Data, Software, Platform, and Infrastructure, etc) as they consider how to deliver business outcomes.

Solution Architect are members of Baird's Core Architecture team focused on managing a healthy approach to innovation, evaluating, recommending, and guiding solution delivery and adoption throughout the organization. This role will include a heavy leadership component to include strategic planning, mentoring and coaching team members, delivering across multiple teams, leading complex changes, and influence at the executive level.

As a Solution Architect, you will:

Design and Build the Strategy!

• Create clarity by visualizing current technology investments and their interactions
• Help build and deliver the portfolio and enterprise "city maps" for future growth
• Design, document and implement the strategic roadmap ensuring its feasibility
• Conceptualize and design technology-based solutions within scope of the business unit application domain
• Assist in advising the IT vision, strategy, technology innovations, licensing and architecture services

• Influence choices and direction for Solution Delivery at all levels
• Help to build a high quality / craftsmanship approach, utilizing best practices, and standards
• Influence and drive the direction of solution architecture, platforms, versions, and toolsets
• Develop good practices with teams and communicate their use

Be Hands-on - Engineer Business Architecture and Prototype

• Review system design to assure that solutions will exhibit expected levels of performance, scalability, security, and appropriate reusability upon release
• Review and guide design decisions of our teams
• Provide production problem diagnosis and technical support

• Design, prototype, and implement strategic concepts ensuring their feasibility
• Help deliver highly technical concepts by researching and building POC's to prove or disprove viability within the Baird environment
• Help ensure an effective approach to ongoing innovation

Communicate and Collaborate!

• Partner with technical leaders of Baird's third party solutions vendors to determine integration strategy into Baird's Technology Infrastructure.
• Consult with project technical leaders on trade off decisions as required
• Work with Baird's business leaders and industry peers to identify best practices, systems and benchmarks
• Assist in the development of policies, standards and guidelines

Lead - Coach and Mentor!

• Partner with other technical and people leaders / teams to provide direction during PoCs and other solutions
• Act as the technical subject matter expert for business unit domains
• Mentor the delivery teams to build knowledge and skills in current or future areas of need

Learn - be your best!

• Work on highly complex and highly visible initiatives while helping to continuously improve our processes
• Seek out and apply new technologies and skills in daily work through self-development
• Develop relationships with the business and seek out opportunities for continued education in the financial industry

What makes this opportunity great:

• Information technology is a core part of Baird's business strategy and plays a critical role in the growth and transformation of the firm.
• Work in a collaborative culture that values diverse backgrounds and perspectives while emphasizing teamwork and a strong sense of partnership.
• Our continued success has given us the opportunity to invest in our technology and grow our team as a key for Baird to win in the marketplace.
• Support and flexibility to grow and be your best at work, at home, and in the community.

What we look for:

• Multiple years and experiences on Technology Teams in a complex domain, including a broad understanding of industry technology, trends, cloud, software, data, and integration architectures and system architecture.
• Experience building modern solutions within financial services or related industry
• Demonstrated implementation of leading the development and delivery of a strategic roadmap
• Demonstrated effective decision making on Architecture, Design, and Solution Delivery
• Demonstrated expertise in the architecture and design of high-performance distributed systems, e.g., in areas of messaging, search, archiving, workflows
• Experience and comfort with Agile/XP/Lean delivery concepts
• Proven track record of technical leadership and successful delivery on large and complex projects
• Advanced skills in leadership, communication, negotiation, influence, and conflict resolution
• Understanding of latest technologies including cloud and mobile strategies, complex application integration, and understanding of Data and Analytics delivery approaches
• Demonstrated effective decision-making, and calm / calming demeanor
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills - ability to effectively exchange ideas and information in order to accomplish work responsibilities

(Value having experience in any of the following)

• MS Azure Cloud Ecosystem
• Cloud Platforms / SaaS Platforms:
  • Power Platform
  • MS Dynamics CRM
  • Salesforce
  • Snowflake
• Modern Cloud Architectures including Microservices and related tools/technologies
• Modern Cloud Data and Analytics patterns and tools including Data Mesh Architecture, Cloud Warehousing, Fivetran, DBT, Snowflake, AI/ML

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Baird is committed to inclusion & diversity for our clients, our associates and the communities where we live and work. This commitment stems from our culture of integrity, genuine concern for others and respect for the individual. We view inclusion & diversity as an ongoing journey - one of shared responsibility, continuous improvement and a focus on progress. We invite you to join us as we work together to foster an environment where diversity unites rather than divides us.