Enterprise Architect

Union Tank Car Company (“UTLX”) and its Canadian affiliate Procor Limited, manufacture, lease and repair railcars in North America for railroads and industrial companies who ship by rail. Owned by the Marmon Group and Berkshire Hathaway, UTLX headquarters is in Chicago’s financial district, and Procor headquarters is in Oakville Ontario.

• Chicago-based hybrid position requiring at least 2 days in Chicago HQ office per week.
• Occasional travel may be required for on-site project implementations or client meetings.

ENTERPRISE ARCHITECT

This is an opportunity to play a leading role in the information technology and organizational transformation of a business looking to set a course for the future. We are in a period of rapid change. This Enterprise Architect role offers an opportunity to design and drive an enterprise-wide IT foundation leveraging Microsoft’s SaaS ecosystem. We seek a highly skilled Azure & Data Architect to drive our digital transformation initiatives. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in architecting and managing cloud solutions within Microsoft Azure, as well as a strong foundation in data architecture, data management, and analytics. This role will lead the design, implementation, and optimization of cloud-based solutions that enable data-driven decision-making, seamless integrations, and enhanced business performance. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to design scalable and secure cloud and data solutions that align with our business strategy.

SUMMARY

Azure Architecture & Cloud Solutions Design:

• Lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure, and highly available solutions in Microsoft Azure.
• Drive standardization and reuse of industry leading technology across the organization.
• Architect enterprise solution landscapes in Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure Cloud, and connected eco systems.
• Expert in design, development, and deployment of highly scalable APIs.
• Lead efforts to standardize and promote simplicity in our enterprise architecture (championing scalability, reusability, security, and best practices)
• Architect end-to-end cloud solutions, including cloud data architecture, storage, compute, and networking, with a focus on optimizing for cost, performance, and security.
• Produce documentation, design specifications, and best practice guides for cloud and data architecture.
• Implement cloud infrastructure best practices for data integration, disaster recovery, and high availability.
• Oversee the management and deployment of Azure services such as Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Purview, Azure Data Lake, Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, and Power BI.
• Lead the migration of on-premise applications and data to the cloud, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.

Data Architecture & Management:

• Design and implement robust data architectures that support business intelligence, reporting, and advanced analytics. Experience with Microsoft Fabric is highly desirable.
• Define and implement data governance policies to ensure data accuracy, integrity, privacy, and compliance.
• Architect solutions for data integration, ETL processes, and real-time data pipelines using Azure Data Factory and other relevant tools.
• Develop and manage data models, ensuring data is easily accessible and discoverable for downstream business analytics needs.
• Build and collaborate with data scientists and analysts to design systems that support complex queries, machine learning models, and predictive analytics.

1. Digital Transformation & Strategy:

• Drive the adoption of cloud-first strategies, aligning digital transformation initiatives with business goals.
• Identify and implement emerging technologies in Azure and data management to deliver cutting-edge solutions and drive business value.
• Collaborate with business leaders and IT teams to align technology solutions with operational and strategic priorities.
• Foster a data-driven culture, ensuring that data and analytics are central to business decision-making processes.

ERP Integration & Data Interoperability:

• Architect seamless integrations between Azure cloud solutions and ERP systems to enable smooth data flow across business applications.
• Design and implement solutions that allow ERP data to be accessed, analyzed, and visualized using Azure-based data tools such as Power BI.
• Troubleshoot and resolve ERP-related challenges, focusing on improving system efficiency and data quality.
• Understand and provide support for legacy applications/architecture throughout the enterprise (legacy applications built on the following technologies: VB.NET, A/S400, Smalltalk, Java Server Pages, Cognos, StarQuery, DB2, Dynamics AX, SQL Server)

1. Project Management & Leadership:

• Engage cross-functional teams to execute cloud-based and data architecture projects, ensuring successful delivery on time and within budget.
• Support project plans, roadmaps, and timelines for cloud and data initiatives.
• Communicate architectural risks and roadblocks to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Mentor and support team members, ensuring continuous learning and development within the organization.

Training & Knowledge Sharing:

• Provide guidance, training, and support to internal teams on Azure architecture, data management best practices, and relevant tools.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in cloud architecture, data technologies, AI technologies and Azure services to continually improve system design and performance.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering preferred or Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, or a related field. Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate, Certified Data Management Professional) are a plus.

Experience:

• Strong functional and architectural knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics 365, Azure, and connected ecosystems.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in architecting enterprise solution landscapes in Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure Cloud, and connected ecosystems.
• At least 10 years of experience in data architecture, cloud migration, data engineering, and building complex cloud-based data solutions.
• Familiarity with ERP system architectures and integration strategies, specifically with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Experience doing complex digital transformation projects encompassing modernization and consolidating legacy applications/platforms.
• Expertise in designing and deploying end-to-end data pipelines, ETL processes, and data storage solutions in Azure (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics).
• Hands-on experience with Azure services for data processing and integration, including Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, and Power BI for business intelligence and analytics.
• Ability to quickly understand business processes and requirements and translate those into viable solutions.
• Experience with cloud security and best practices for securing cloud-based data solutions.

Technical Skills:

• Azure Cloud Architecture: Expertise in designing and deploying solutions within Microsoft Azure with a focus on data and analytics services.
• Data Architecture & Modeling: Strong understanding of data modeling, data integration, ETL processes, and database technologies.
• Data Management Tools: Proficiency in Azure Data Factory, Power BI, Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and other Azure-based data tools.
• ERP Integration: Familiarity with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and its integration with cloud-based data solutions.
• Programming/Scripting: Experience with scripting languages such as SQL, PowerShell, Python, or similar for automating data processes and workflows.
• Ideal candidate will have 10 to 15 years of programming experience with SQL, C#, ASP.NET, and .NET Core (experience with Python is a plus).

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on delivering optimal architecture solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills and experience leading large-scale projects.
• Leadership and mentoring abilities, with a passion for continuous improvement and professional development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Azure certifications, such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert or Azure Data Engineer Associate.
• Agile or Scrum certification for managing cloud and data projects.
• Experience with machine learning, Gen AI, RAG, and integrating data pipelines with machine learning workflows (desirable but not essential).
• Exposure to LEAN or Six Sigma tools is a plus.