VP of IT Applications and Architecture

VP of IT Applications and ArchitectureRole SummaryHorizons is hiring a Leader, Custom Applications, Website, AI & Enterprise Architectureto own the end‑to‑end technology delivery and reliability stack for the enterprise. This leader is accountable for application lifecycle management (run + change), release coordination, integration, QA, and the platform foundation (hosting, SRE/observability, monitoring), while also leading Enterprise Architecture to ensure technology choices are scalable, secure, and cost‑effective.This role sits at the center of execution-translating business priorities into delivered capability, maintaining stable operations, and creating a pragmatic architecture discipline that enables speed without chaos.What You'll Own (Core Responsibilities) Application Delivery & Lifecycle (Run + Change) Own delivery and operations for Horizons' custom application portfolio (and application‑layer accountability for key vendor‑supported applications, where scoped).Establish predictable delivery from intake through sizing, prioritization, build, test, release, and operations.Drive operational excellence across incident, problem, and change management with clear service ownership and continuous improvement.Build a "no surprises" operating model with defined service owners, SLAs/SLOs, and visible backlog and capacity management. Website Development & Optimization (Digital Experience) Own website and platform engineering for performance, reliability, conversion, and content velocity, partnering with Marketing/Growth as needed.Implement a measurement‑driven optimization loop, including SEO/SEM technical hygiene, performance monitoring, A/B testing enablement, and page speed/Core Web Vitals.Ensure secure and compliant web delivery through disciplined patching, vulnerability management, WAF/CDN patterns, and release controls. Integration (APIs, Middleware, Partnership with Data Teams) Own integration strategy and delivery across APIs, middleware, eventing, and system‑to‑system reliability.Standardize integration patterns and tooling to reduce brittle point integrations and improve observability (shared logging and traceability for critical flows).Establish clear ownership boundaries with Data Platform and Data Engineering, including integration versus pipelines, source of truth, lineage, and stewardship. AI Strategy and Execution Define and execute the AI strategy for the Applications + Integration + Platform domain: where we will use AI, where we won't, and how we'll scale value responsibly.Stand up an "AI delivery factory" for rapid experimentation and productionization: with standard patterns for building and shipping: data access, model selection (build/buy), prompt and workflow design, testing, release, and monitoring.Deliver high-impact AI use cases in partnership with business leaders (examples): agent assist for service desk, automated ticket triage, knowledge retrieval (RAG) for field/service ops, document ingestion, forecasting support, QA automation, and developer productivity.Establish AI architecture standards and guardrails: Approved platforms/tools, integration patterns, and reference architectures (RAG, agentic workflows, embeddings, model gateways).Clear boundaries with Data/Analytics for data sourcing, stewardship, lineage, and MLOps responsibilities. o Enterprise Architecture (Pragmatic Governance) Establish architecture guardrails that enable speed, including reference architectures, standards, and lightweight decision records.Lead solution reviews for major initiatives to ensure scalability, security alignment, supportability, and cost discipline.Drive technology portfolio rationalization across applications, integration approaches, and hosting patterns to reduce accidental complexity. Vendor Management & Financial Discipline (Domain Scope) Manage key vendors and system integrators supporting applications, hosting, monitoring, and integration with clear outcome, SLA, and commercial accountability.Own budget inputs for the domain, including run/change spend, unit economics where possible, and cost‑to‑serve improvements.Reduce waste through rationalization, right‑sizing, license hygiene, and active contract and performance management. Team Leadership & Operating Cadence Build and lead high‑performing teams with clear roles, career paths, and strong managerial routines.Run a consistent execution cadence, including weekly delivery and reliability reviews, monthly portfolio health reviews, and quarterly strategy and roadmap refreshes.Foster a culture of ownership, transparency, and measurable outcomes. Key Interfaces (How You'll Partner) CIO: Priority alignment, portfolio tradeoffs, and executive communicationCISO / Security Architecture: Secure‑by‑design patterns and coordinated risk remediationArchitecture & Data Teams: Shared standards; clear data versus integration ownership; lineage for critical flowsService Desk / Field Support: Incident routing, escalation, and end‑user experience alignmentFinance: Domain budget ownership, vendor negotiations, and savings and benefits trackingBusiness Leaders (Operations, Field, Marketing, Sales): Outcome delivery, roadmap alignment, and adoption/change management Qualifications 10-15+ years leading technology delivery and operations across applications and platforms (or equivalent scope).Proven ownership of application delivery with real operational accountability.Strong experience with release management, QA discipline, and integration architecture (APIs, middleware, eventing).Demonstrated SRE and observability mindset, including SLOs, incident/problem/change management, and reliability engineering.Track record of pragmatic enterprise architecture that accelerates delivery through standards and guardrails.Strong vendor leadership with experience managing SLAs, outcomes, and commercial performance. Preferred Experience / Differentiators Experience in distributed, multi‑location services environments where uptime and field enablement are mission‑critical.Experience integrating platforms such as ServiceTitan or comparable field‑service ecosystems.Hands‑on familiarity with cloud hosting, modern integration platforms, and automation practices. Leadership Behaviors We Expect Outcome ownership: Focuses on impact, not activity.Truth‑telling: Escalates early, communicates tradeoffs clearly, and avoids "green until it's red."Operator mindset: Balances speed with stability and designs for supportability.Team builder: Develops leaders, clarifies accountability, and creates repeatable systems. Reporting & Scope Reports to: Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Created: 2026-03-04