Infrastructure Architect

As a member of an Architecture Team, this role works closely with other team members, engineering teams, and project managers in order to establish current and future state hardware and software architectures across multiple technologies and then insures that the technology solutions being implemented are engineered in accordance with these architectures. To perform this role the Infrastructure Architect needs to maintain broad and deep technical skills in multiple technical domains such as server, storage, desktop, security, and network infrastructure. This role also demands strong organizational and interpersonal skills and the ability to lead complex technical decision making as well as maintain complex technical documentation.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop roadmaps that define the future state technology architecture and recommend where and when work will be done to evolve to this future state
• Participate in the selection of hardware and software products and participate in the planning for which features get implemented on what timeline
• Conduct research on emerging technologies for the purpose of evaluating and recommending those that will increase performance, reliability, cost effectiveness, infrastructure flexibility or otherwise provide value to American Greetings
• Develop and document reference architectures and associated standards to be used as a basis for technology selection and implementation
• Participate in annual technology planning to identify where technology investments are needed and where technical architectures need updating
• Participate on application or infrastructure implementation projects to insure the design conforms to the technical architecture and standards, and modify or extend the technical architecture when it is necessary to accommodate project needs.
• Oversee or consult on technical architecture implementation and provide technical expertise, direction and assistance whenever you have the needed skills to solve a problem
• Establish and maintain relationships with technology vendors

Experience Required

• Minimum 7 years of experience conceiving, architecting, engineering, and administering technology in a distributed environment with capabilities in at least 5 of the following

IT disciplines and technologies

infrastructure architecture, network, middleware, desktop, storage, relational databases, layered software services like system monitoring, scheduling and backup/recovery, application development, disaster recovery, servers (Windows and Unix platforms), enterprise voice and collaboration, and virtualization

• Solid understanding of IP-based network architecture and contemporary virtualization technologies
• Proven success on projects with large-scale deployments
• Understanding of application life-cycle management methodology is preferred
• Knowledge of architecture concepts, industry standards, and best practices
• Experience in capacity and performance management
• Knowledge of TOGAF and certification a plus.
• Exposure to multiple, diverse technical configurations, technologies and processing environments
• Basic knowledge of financial models and budgeting and having the ability to estimate the financial impact of technical architecture alternatives.
• Excellent listening, written and verbal presentation skills, strong data-based, analytical and reasoning skills, sound decision-making and organizational ability.
• Ability to work in a matrix team environment and familiarity with ITIL methodology and practices a plus.
• Bachelor''''''''s degree in computer science, systems analysis or a related study, or equivalent experience.

Minimum 7 years of experience conceiving, architecting, engineering, and administering technology in a distributed environment with capabilities in at least 5 of the following

IT disciplines and technologies

infrastructure architecture, network, middleware, desktop, storage, relational databases, layered software services like system monitoring, scheduling and backup/recovery, application development, disaster recovery, servers (Windows and Unix platforms), enterprise voice and collaboration,

a solid understanding of IP-based network architecture and contemporary virtualization technologies

Knowledge of architecture concepts, industry standards, and best practices

Bachelor''''''''s degree