Role Overview for VP, Enterprise Architecture with a Global Logistics Firm – Indianapolis, IN
JRG Partners is proud to partner with a world-leading global logistics and supply chain organization in their search for a transformative Vice President of Enterprise Architecture. Based in the strategic hub of Indianapolis, IN, this executive leadership role is a career-defining opportunity to shape the technological future of an industry giant. Our client operates at the nexus of global commerce, and technology is the engine that drives their operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage. We are seeking a visionary leader who can architect a robust, scalable, and innovative technology ecosystem that will not only support but accelerate the company’s ambitious growth and digital transformation objectives for the next decade.
As the VP of Enterprise Architecture, you will be the principal architect and strategic technology advisor to the CIO and the executive leadership team. You will be responsible for creating and governing the overarching technology strategy, ensuring that all IT initiatives, from infrastructure to applications to data, are cohesively aligned with the company’s long-term business goals. This role requires a unique blend of deep technical expertise, exceptional business acumen, and inspirational leadership.
You will lead a talented team of architects, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. You will be challenged to solve complex problems at a massive scale, navigating the complexities of legacy system modernization while simultaneously pioneering the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like AI/ML, IoT, and blockchain to revolutionize supply chain visibility and efficiency. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for building the future and a proven track record of leading architectural excellence in a large-scale, complex enterprise, we invite you to explore this exceptional opportunity.
Key Responsibilities of VP, Enterprise Architecture with a Global Logistics Firm – Indianapolis, IN
Strategic Vision and Roadmap Development
Define, develop, and evangelize the enterprise architecture vision, strategy, and multi-year roadmap. Collaborate with C-level executives and business unit leaders to ensure the technology strategy is a direct enabler of corporate objectives, market expansion, and operational efficiency goals. Translate business strategy into a clear and actionable technology blueprint.
Architecture Governance and Standards
Establish and lead a robust enterprise-wide architecture governance framework. Chair the Architecture Review Board (ARB) to ensure that all new solutions and technology changes adhere to established principles, standards, and best practices. Drive consistency and reduce complexity across the technology landscape.
Technology Innovation and Modernization
Act as the primary champion for technological innovation. Continuously scan the horizon for emerging technologies and trends, evaluating their potential impact and applicability to the logistics industry. Lead initiatives to modernize the existing technology stack, championing the move towards cloud-native platforms, microservices architectures, and API-first integration strategies to drive significant digital transformation.
Leadership and Team Development
Build, lead, mentor, and inspire a world-class team of enterprise, solution, data, and infrastructure architects. Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture that values technical excellence and business partnership. Manage team resources, set performance objectives, and create career development pathways to attract and retain top talent.
Solution Architecture Oversight
Provide senior leadership and guidance across all major technology domains, including application development, data and analytics, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Ensure that the architecture of critical business platforms (e.g., Transportation Management Systems, Warehouse Management Systems, Global Trade Management) is scalable, resilient, secure, and cost-effective.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
Serve as a key technology advisor and partner to senior business leaders. Effectively communicate complex architectural concepts, strategies, and decisions to a diverse audience, from highly technical engineers to non-technical executives. Build strong relationships based on trust, transparency, and a shared vision for success.
Financial and Portfolio Management
Collaborate with finance and IT leadership on technology investment planning, budget allocation, and portfolio management. Develop business cases for major architectural initiatives, outlining the expected costs, benefits, and ROI. Ensure that architectural decisions are financially sound and deliver maximum value to the organization.
Risk Management and Compliance
Proactively identify and mitigate architectural risks that could impact security, performance, scalability, or business continuity. Ensure that the enterprise architecture complies with all relevant industry regulations, data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and internal security policies.
Requirements for the VP, Enterprise Architecture with a Global Logistics Firm – Indianapolis, IN
Educational Background
A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field is required. A Master’s degree (MBA or MS) is highly preferred.
Executive Leadership Experience
A minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in information technology, with at least 7-10 years in a senior architecture role and a minimum of 5 years in a formal leadership position (e.g., Director, Senior Director, VP) managing a team of architects in a large, global enterprise.
Industry Expertise
Demonstrable experience within the logistics, transportation, supply chain, or a related industry is strongly preferred. A deep understanding of the business processes, challenges, and technology ecosystems (TMS, WMS, etc.) specific to this sector is a significant advantage.
Architectural Framework Proficiency
Deep knowledge and practical experience in implementing and managing enterprise architecture frameworks and methodologies, such as TOGAF, Zachman, or FEA. Relevant certifications (e.g., TOGAF 9 Certified) are highly desirable.
Technical Breadth and Depth
- Extensive experience architecting and delivering solutions on major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS models.
- Proven expertise in modern architectural patterns, including microservices, event-driven architecture, serverless computing, and API management.
- Strong understanding of data architecture principles, including data modeling, data warehousing, data lakes, master data management (MDM), and business intelligence/analytics platforms.
- Solid grasp of networking concepts, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), and DevOps/CI/CD principles and practices.
- Comprehensive knowledge of cybersecurity principles, including threat modeling, identity and access management (IAM), and designing secure-by-default systems.
Transformational Leadership
Proven track record of leading large-scale technology transformation programs, including legacy modernization and cloud migration initiatives. Ability to drive change, overcome resistance, and build consensus in a complex organizational environment.
Business Acumen
Exceptional business acumen with the ability to understand and articulate the business value of technology investments. Experience with financial modeling, budgeting, and building compelling business cases is essential.
Communication Skills
World-class communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. The ability to influence and persuade at all levels of the organization, from the engineering floor to the boardroom, is paramount.
Benefits & Perks Offered
Our client is committed to investing in their leaders and offers a highly competitive and comprehensive executive compensation package, including:
- An attractive base salary and a significant annual performance-based bonus.
- A long-term incentive plan (LTIP) with equity grants (e.g., RSUs, stock options).
- Comprehensive, premium health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for you and your dependents.
- A robust 401(k) retirement plan with a generous company match.
- Substantial paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick days, and company holidays.
- Generous parental leave and family support programs.
- A dedicated budget for professional development, including executive coaching, industry conferences, and certifications.
- A comprehensive relocation assistance package for qualified candidates moving to the Indianapolis area.
- Corporate wellness programs, including gym membership reimbursement and mental health resources.
How to Apply
This is an exclusive search conducted by JRG Partners. If you are a visionary technology leader ready to make a lasting impact on a global scale, we encourage you to apply. To be considered for this pivotal role, please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience. Qualified candidates will be contacted by a representative from JRG Partners for an initial confidential discussion.
To learn more about our expertise in placing top-tier technology executives, please visit our Technology Officers practice area. We look forward to reviewing your application.
Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
