Portfolio Architect

Portfolio Architect - Business Applications
Azienda : Mclarens
Tipo Lavoro : Full Time Italy
Descrizione Lavoro - Portfolio Architect - Business Applications
Position Summary: We are seeking a Portfolio Architect – Business Applications to lead the strategic planning, governance, and evolution of the enterprise business application portfolio. This role is responsible for aligning technology capabilities with business objectives through application rationalization, roadmap development, architecture governance, and emerging technology evaluation. The ideal candidate combines strong enterprise application architecture experience with strategic thinking, business alignment, and technology leadership. This individual will partner closely with IT leadership, business stakeholders, project teams, and vendors to ensure enterprise applications are modern, scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with organizational priorities.
This role will also lead proof-of-concept (PoC) initiatives, research and development (R&D) efforts, and architectural governance activities to support continuous modernization and innovation across the enterprise application landscape.
Key Responsibilities:
Portfolio Strategy & Rationalization
Develop and maintain strategic roadmaps for enterprise business applications and platforms.
Lead application portfolio rationalization efforts using established frameworks such as TIME (Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, Eliminate) and other portfolio health assessment methodologies.
Evaluate applications based on business fit, technology fit, operational health, vendor landscape, supportability, security, scalability, and total cost of ownership.
Identify opportunities for application consolidation, modernization, standardization, and retirement.
Partner with business and IT leaders to align application capabilities with enterprise strategy and operational objectives.
Maintain visibility into application dependencies, integration patterns, and lifecycle risks across the portfolio.
Architecture Governance
Establish and promote enterprise architecture standards, design principles, and governance processes for business applications.
Participate in project governance activities, solution reviews, and architectural assessments to ensure alignment with enterprise standards and strategic direction.
Guide project teams on application architecture, integration approaches, scalability, maintainability, security, and operational readiness.
Collaborate with cybersecurity, infrastructure, data, and engineering teams to ensure enterprise solutions are aligned with broader technology strategies.
Provide architectural oversight for enterprise initiatives and strategic transformation programs.
Innovation, R&D & Emerging Technologies
Lead proof-of-concept (PoC), pilot, and research initiatives for emerging technologies, SaaS platforms, automation tools, and enterprise solutions.
Evaluate market trends, vendor offerings, and technology capabilities to support informed investment decisions.
Develop recommendations and adoption strategies for new technologies that improve business capabilities, operational efficiency, or user experience.
Partner with vendors and internal stakeholders to validate solutions and assess feasibility, scalability, and business value.
Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership
Serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, IT leadership, and project teams on enterprise application strategy and architecture.
Facilitate cross-functional decision-making across business and technology stakeholders.
Translate technical concepts and architectural considerations into clear business outcomes and recommendations.
Support project prioritization and investment planning through architecture and portfolio insights.
Contribute to continuous improvement of enterprise architecture practices, governance models, templates, and standards.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience).
8+ years of progressive experience in enterprise applications, solution architecture, enterprise architecture, or technology strategy roles.
Experience managing or governing enterprise business application portfolios in mid-size or large enterprise environments.
Strong understanding of application rationalization methodologies and portfolio management frameworks.
Experience developing technology roadmaps and modernization strategies.
Strong knowledge of enterprise application ecosystems, SaaS platforms, integrations, APIs, identity management, and cloud-based architectures.
Experience leading or governing enterprise technology projects and collaborating with cross-functional delivery teams.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to