Enterprise Cloud & Security Architect - Information Technology

Alberta Blue Cross® is an Alberta based organization dedicated to delivering exceptional customer experience and community leadership. We’re committed to providing the best health coverage to over 1.8 million members and take an active role in promoting wellness. We believe in what we do—and place trust in our employees to deliver our vision.

Working at Alberta Blue Cross® means having a career where you’ll be recognized for your contributions. We value diversity, encourage our team members to maintain a healthy work-life balance and provide opportunities for career growth.

OVERVIEW

We have an exciting opportunity for an Enterprise Cloud & Security Architect to join our Enterprise Architecture team Reporting to Enterprise Architecture leadership, and in collaboration with the Cloud and Security teams, the Enterprise Cloud & Security Architect is a Domain Architect within the Enterprise Architecture practice, accountable for establishing architectural direction, standards, patterns, and guardrails for cloud platforms and enterprise security across Alberta Blue Cross. The role works closely with Enterprise Architecture, Portfolio Architects, Solution Architects, and other Domain Architects to ensure cloud and security architecture frameworks are coherent, reusable, and aligned with enterprise and portfolio priorities.

Combining cloud and security architecture in one role is deliberate and reflects their close interdependence. Cloud platforms underpin enterprise applications, data, integration, identity, and digital services, while security, privacy, resilience, and risk considerations must be embedded from the outset. A unified mandate enables modernization through consistent enterprise standards and security-by-design.

The Security Architecture mandate involves enterprise-level architectural leadership for security capabilities across the organization. The role defines the target-state security architecture, principles, standards, and reference architectures that embed security-by-design into enterprise technology decisions. It provides architecture oversight and governance for security-related initiatives without assuming responsibility for operational security, cyber operations, or security engineering delivery.

The Cloud Architecture mandate involves enterprise-level architectural leadership for cloud capabilities across the organization. The role defines the target-state cloud architecture, principles, standards, and reference architectures that enable secure, scalable, resilient, and cost-effective adoption of cloud technologies. The position provides architecture oversight and governance for cloud platforms and major cloud-related initiatives without assuming responsibility for cloud engineering, infrastructure operations, or delivery execution.

This is a senior strategic architecture role responsible for shaping the long-term direction of Alberta Blue Cross’s cloud and security capabilities and is not an infrastructure operations, cloud engineering, cyber operations, or security administration position. The role focuses on setting architectural direction and standards that enable delivery teams to build and operate cloud and security solutions in a consistent, scalable, resilient, and compliant manner across modern cloud platforms and legacy environments.

Success in this role is achieved by:

• Establishing clear enterprise direction and guardrails for cloud and security
• Enabling business outcomes while managing risk and regulatory obligations
• Promoting consistency, reuse, and long‑term sustainability across portfolios

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Define and maintain the enterprise cloud and security architecture vision, principles, standards, and target state.
• Shape executive decisions by translating complex architectural, technology, cloud, and security considerations into clear options, trade-offs, and recommendations.
• Develop and evolve enterprise reference architectures and approved patterns covering:
  • Cloud platform foundations, landing zones, and service adoption
  • Identity, access, network, and security control patterns
  • Hybrid cloud integration, connectivity, observability, and resilience
  • Security architecture, risk controls, compliance, and secure-by-design practices
• Cloud-native capability integration, platform enablement, and secure consumption patterns
• Establish architectural guardrails for secure and responsible use of cloud services, including identity, access, network security, data protection, resilience, monitoring, privacy, and compliance.
• Provide architectural leadership across a hybrid technology estate, including on-premises environments, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, and integrated enterprise systems.
• Guide portfolio and solution architects on cloud and security-related architecture decisions for major initiatives.
• Review significant programs, platforms, and investments to ensure alignment with enterprise standards and target‑state architecture.
• Partner with cloud platform, cybersecurity, privacy, legal, risk, infrastructure, and operations leaders to ensure architecture aligns with enterprise policy and regulatory requirements.
• Assess current--state cloud and security capabilities, identify fragmentation or technical debt, and recommend enterprise improvement priorities.
• Partner with practice leaders to support enterprise roadmaps and strategies for cloud platforms, cybersecurity, integration patterns, resilience, observability, and platform modernization.
• Identify enterprise--level risks and opportunities related to cloud adoption, security architecture, and digital platform modernization and advise leadership accordingly.
  

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide enterprise--wide architectural leadership for cloud and security capabilities, in alignment with the broader architecture community
• Define and maintain enterprise cloud and security architecture principles, standards, reference architectures, and target states.
• Ensure cloud and security initiatives are aligned to enterprise strategy, risk expectations, privacy, resilience, and regulatory requirements.
• Provide architecture oversight and governance for major cloud- and security-related initiatives and investments.
• Promote consistency, reuse, resilience, and sustainability across cloud and security solutions while enabling portfolio specific needs.
• Identify and communicate enterprise--level risks, trade--offs, and opportunities related to cloud adoption, cybersecurity, and platform modernization.
• Influence technology and platform investment decisions through an enterprise architecture lens.
• Works in close partnership with Cybersecurity and CISO leadership to translate enterprise security strategy, risk requirements, and policies into architectural principles, standards, patterns, and technology decisions.

KEY SUCCESS MEASURES

• Clear, adopted enterprise cloud and security architecture standards and reference patterns.
• Demonstrated alignment of major cloud and security initiatives to target--state architecture and governance expectations.
• Reduction in architectural fragmentation, duplication, and unmanaged complexity across cloud and security capabilities.
• Improved enterprise confidence in cloud resilience, security architecture maturity, and compliance-by-design practices.
• Positive executive and stakeholder feedback on clarity of direction, decision support, and architectural guidance.
• Evidence that cloud and security investments support business outcomes, regulatory compliance, resilience, and long--term sustainability.
• Effective collaboration across portfolios, enabling delivery without architectural rework or late-stage risk escalation.

WHAT YOU WILL HAVE

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of experience in enterprise architecture, cloud architecture, security architecture, infrastructure architecture, or related senior technology roles.
• Demonstrated experience defining enterprise-scale cloud and/or security architecture in complex organizations.
• Relevant advanced certifications such as Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect, Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect, ISC2 CISSP or CCSP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or AWS Certified Security.
• TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Practitioner, ISACA CISM, and FinOps certifications are considered complementary. Equivalent demonstrated experience will also be considered.
• Experience establishing architecture standards, reference patterns, and roadmaps.
• Strong understanding of how cloud and security capabilities support business capabilities, digital platforms, modernization, resilience, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to work across multiple portfolios, business units, and delivery teams.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and influencing skills with both technical and executive stakeholders.

COMPETENCY MATRIX

Competency: Strategic Thinking
Description: Defines long-term enterprise cloud and security direction aligned to business strategy and risk posture.
Proficiency Level: Advanced
Evidence: Enterprise standards, roadmaps, and architecture decisions adopted across portfolios.

Competency: Enterprise Architecture Leadership
Description: Provides clear architectural direction without assuming delivery or operational ownership.
Proficiency Level: Advanced
Evidence: Effective governance outcomes and consistent application of standards.

Competency: Analytical & Systems Thinking
Description: Assesses complex cloud and security ecosystems, trade-offs, dependencies, and enterprise-level risks.
Proficiency Level: Advanced
Evidence: Reduction in duplication, improved coherence, and sustainability.

Competency: Collaboration & Influence
Description: Works effectively across business, technology, security, legal, and risk stakeholders.
Proficiency Level: Advanced
Evidence: Cross-portfolio alignment and stakeholder feedback.

Competency: Governance & Decision Support
Description: Enables informed, timely decisions through architecture guidance and risk framing.
Proficiency Level: Advanced
Evidence: Executive confidence in architecture-led decisions.

Competency: Communication
Description: Translates complex architectural concepts for technical and executive audiences.
Proficiency Level: Advanced
Evidence: Clear executive materials, decisions, and outcomes.

BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS

Strategic Thinking

• Anticipates enterprise impacts and downstream implications of cloud and security decisions.
• Balances modernization with risk, compliance, resilience, security, and long--term sustainability.

Leadership

• Provides calm, credible leadership in areas of ambiguity and emerging technology.
• Sets clear architectural direction while empowering delivery teams.

Analytical Skills

• Uses structured thinking to assess trade-offs, risks, and architectural options.
• Simplifies complex topics to enable executive understanding and action.

Collaboration

• Builds trust across portfolios and functions.
• Resolves architectural tension by focusing on enterprise outcomes rather than local optimization.

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is selected. 

Alberta Blue Cross® is an inclusive employer committed to a workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We empower and are advocates for our team members by welcoming, respecting and valuing their unique perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

We offer the opportunity to work in an innovative, high-energy team-focused environment. If you have the qualifications we are looking for, apply online at careers.ab.bluecross.ca

A criminal record check satisfactory to Alberta Blue Cross will be required as a condition of employment, following a conditional offer.