Senior Enterprise Architect - Security

Pay: $133k-$200k plus a 10% annual bonusRelocation: $25k - paid in the first month's paycheckLocation: Columbus preferred, but Chicago (Merrillville, IN) or a PA location is also possible. If they are local, they will come in two to three days a week. About half remote and half onsite.Start ASAP.Interview process: a 30-minute screen, one to two rounds with the other architects and James and then they make a hiring decision. They brought candidates onsite so they can see their potential workspace and to check out the environment.Senior Enterprise Architect - SecuritylocationsColumbus OH - Arena DistrictCanonsburg-SPT PA-HqtrMerrillville IN-NIPSCO HDQMerrillville IN-EnergyUSAtime typeFull timeReporting to the Head of Architecture, the Senior Enterprise Architect works closely with the Application Development, Infrastructure, Security, Data & Analytics, and PMO teams to provide overall architecture leadership across NiSource. The Senior Enterprise Architect must possess deep technology experiences within Security to build out the architecture vision, strategy, and capability roadmap. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience envisioning and translating overall architecture with business needs via transformation roadmaps, establish target architecture and standards for the organization, building consensus, and provide guidance in the selling and execution within solution development processes of options and reuse points.Essential FunctionsProvides senior level expertise on overall direction, guidance, definition, decisions, and priorities regarding the enterprise's overall architecture to effectively support the organization business strategy.Interact with business leaders, IT leaders, vendors and industry experts to translate business requirements, understand options to capabilities, and create architecture blueprints and high-level solution designs for the most complex architectural components of a program.Strategy - Interfaces across several business areas, acting as a visionary to proactively assist in defining direction for future projects. Help business leaders and their teams think through the technology, business and operational implications of their technology investment decisions.Execution - Reviews, advises, and designs standard software and hardware builds, system options, risks, costs versus benefits, and impact on the enterprise business process and goals. Be the architecture thought leader and trusted go-to partner for Product and Engineering leadership across the organization, recommending innovative solutions to improve live and new system architectures.Operations - Facilitates the establishment and implementation of standards and reference material that guides the design of technology solutions. Lead architectural collaboration and governing processes including Architecture Review Boards, Solution Architecture reviews, exception management, and related processes.Innovation - Responsible for researching, analyzing, designing, proposing, and delivering solutions that are appropriate for the business and technologies strategies. Tracks industry trends and maintains knowledge of new technologies to better serve the enterprise's architecture needs.Required Qualifications For PositionBachelor's Degree in related field or equivalent work experience10+ years of relevant enterprise-wide architecture, including deep understanding of various aspects of Security capabilities listed: Vulnerability Management, Network Security, Identity Management, Firewall Management, End Point Protection, Risk Management, Incident Response, Penetration Testing, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR), Data Loss Prevention, IPS/IDS, Cloud Services, IoT / OT Security, Data Encryption (In Motion and at Rest), Automation (DevSecOps)Experience within security architecture design, risk and asset management, policy and compliance, system evaluation and integration, incident response and monitoring.Stay updated on emerging threats, hacker methodologies, and security standards.Experience in directing and mentoring other architects in the team and across the organization.Expertise in security frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, etc.Professional certifications like CISSP, CISM are highly valuedExperience with on-premise solutions and cloud platforms on Azure, AWS.Deep knowledge of API-first design patternsTechnology skills across multiple IT domains (e.g. application, data, infrastructure, security)Strong consultative skills at a cross-functional levelStrong skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and LeanIXKnowledge of TOGAF, ITIL, and other architecture / business process frameworksExperience in application development, systems management, and/or project management is a plusLeadership competencies in: - Organizing and Setting Priorities - Managing and Measuring Work - Peer Relationships - Continuous Improvement - Motivating Others - Self-motivated; capable of managing multiple tasksCandidate Identification GuideRole Overview / Strategic ContextThis is a high-impact, enterprise-wide architecture role within a newly structured technology organization.Organizational SetupTeam built around 8 architecture roles across:Business / ApplicationData Analytics / AIDevOpsCloud / InfrastructureNetworkSecurityEach role is expected to complement one another as part of a broader enterprise strategy.Security Architect Focus80% aligned to Security organization20% cross-functional influence across networking, SAP, customer, and corporate practicesEnterprise-level role with broad visibility"”not siloed inside ITTechnical Credibility ("Street Cred")They need someone who can:Speak deeply and confidently with technical teamsPush back intelligently against external partners/consultantsUnderstand architecture at a systems level"”not just surface knowledgeTranslation:Candidates must be respected by engineers and capable of challenging vendors or strategy recommendations.Strategic + Hands-On BalanceThis is not a pure strategy / PowerPoint roleExpected balance:2/3 architecture & strategic planning1/3 operational involvement / project engagement / mentoringThey want someone willing to:Get into projectsUnderstand operational realitiesHelp build repeatable practicesTranslation:Avoid candidates who are overly theoretical or detached from execution.Collaboration & FlexibilitySince the function is being built from scratch, success depends on:Cross-team partnershipAdaptabilityComfort working in ambiguityThis person must fit into a broader architecture ecosystem and support multiple stakeholders.Forward Thinking / InnovationMany existing teams are strong in operations, but weaker in future-state thinking.The ideal hire should:Think beyond immediate fixesBuild long-term strategyHelp modernize architecture and security capabilitiesResilience / PersistenceThere will be resistance from legacy teams and organizational silos.The hiring manager specifically emphasized:Ability to deal with "brick walls"HardheadednessPersistence in driving changeTranslation:This person must be politically savvy and durable under pressure.Priority DomainsCloud securityIdentity & access managementVulnerability managementIntrusion detectionPolicies / proceduresThird-party riskEndpoint / network fundamentalsSecurity operations alignmentFramework AlignmentStrong focus on improving NIST maturity scoreCandidate should understand enterprise security frameworks at a macro levelOT / Utility Exposure = Nice-to-HaveOperational Technology / ICS / utility background is beneficial but not mandatoryWhat matters moreNetwork + endpoint security fundamentalsAbility to extend architecture into OT-adjacent environmentsLegacy + Modernization Experience MattersEnvironment includes:Significant legacy systems5 major transformations running concurrently:Field / AssetCustomerCorporateSecurityData AnalyticsIdeal candidate should understand:Modernization journeysTool optimizationSecurity enablement across transformationsAvoid Candidates Who Are:Pure Consultants Without OwnershipIf they've only repeated the same consulting tasks without measurable impact, they may not fit.Candidates who only produce frameworks/slides without operational engagement are a mismatch.This role requires breadth, not narrow expertise in one domain.This role is equivalent in stature to a Principal EngineerHigh influence, high visibility, enterprise scopeBest Discovery Question with candidates"Where have you made an impact?"Probe across four pillars:Strategic directionProject deliveryOperational improvementInnovationStrong candidates should quickly provide examples across multiple pillars.Additional Screening QuestionsCan they:Influence executives?Mentor teams?Challenge external vendors?Navigate resistance?Balance strategy with execution?Selling Points to Candidates:Greenfield OpportunityTeam is being built from scratchChance to shape architecture functionEnterprise VisibilityBroad exposure across business unitsExecutive interactionTransformation EnvironmentSecurity embedded in major modernization initiativesGrowth PotentialOpportunity to become a recognized enterprise leaderA winning candidate will be:Technically respected + strategically capable + operationally grounded + collaborative + persistentThey should bring:Enterprise architecture mindsetSecurity breadthTransformation experienceExecutive communication skillsAbility to drive change in complex environmentsTarget profiles such as:Senior Security ArchitectsPrincipal Security EngineersEnterprise Security ArchitectsSecurity Transformation LeadersTechnical leaders in regulated / infrastructure-heavy industriesIndustries to prioritizeUtilitiesEnergyManufacturingCritical infrastructureLarge enterprise environment

Created: 2026-05-13