Building a robust IT architecture team: Roles and structure

The IT architecture team makes sure your IT systems are aligned with your business goals, scalable, secure, and efficient.

Without a clear understanding of the specific roles needed and how to structure this team, even the best IT plans can fail.

This guide provides detailed advice on putting together and organizing an effective IT architecture team, helping your organization get the most out of its IT investments.

Key roles in an IT architecture team

In this section we detail the essential roles within an IT architecture team, covering specific responsibilities that ensure the team’s success. Understanding these roles helps you create a balanced team that aligns IT systems with business goals, while keeping everything scalable, secure, and efficient.

Chief architect

The chief architect sets the vision and ensure everything aligns with the business goals. This senior position requires high-level decision-making and coordination with business leaders.

A chief architect needs extensive experience in IT architecture, strong leadership, and communication skills. Look for a proven track record of aligning IT with business goals and relevant certifications like TOGAF.

The chief architect is essential for large organizations with complex IT environments.

Enterprise architect

Enterprise architects are the big-picture thinkers. They focus on the overall structure of the IT environment across the entire enterprise, ensuring all solutions fit within the established enterprise architecture framework.

This role typically requires a degree in computer science and a background in software development. Enterprise architects develop and maintain the enterprise architecture framework, ensure consistency and integration across all IT projects, and align IT strategy with business objectives.

Enterprise architects are critical for medium to large organizations to ensure cohesive IT strategy and integration.

Solution architect

Solution architects are the problem-solvers. They design specific solutions that meet business needs within the framework set by the enterprise architect.

They work closely with project teams to ensure feasibility and alignment with standards. A strong solution architect has excellent problem-solving skills, experience in designing and implementing IT solutions, and the ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions.

Solution architects are needed for projects requiring custom solutions or integrations.

Technical architect

Technical architects are the hands-on experts. They focus on the technical architecture - the detailed implementation of specific technologies, ensuring that the solutions designed by solution architects are technically feasible and properly implemented.

Look for deep technical expertise in relevant technologies, strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, and the ability to guide and mentor development teams.

Technical architects are crucial for projects involving complex technology stacks or new technology implementations.

Data architect

Data architects are the data guardians. They manage the organization’s data architecture, ensuring data is efficiently and securely stored, accessed, and used.

They design and maintain data models and databases, ensure data integrity, quality, and security, and develop data governance policies.

Experience in data modeling and database design, strong knowledge of data governance and security, and the ability to integrate data across systems are key qualities.

Data architects are essential for organizations handling large volumes of data or requiring complex data integrations.

Security architect

Security architects are the protectors. They ensure that all IT systems and solutions are designed with robust security measures to protect the organization's data and systems from threats.

They identify potential security risks, define and implement security policies and procedures, conduct regular security assessments and audits, and collaborate with other architects to integrate security measures.

Extensive knowledge of security protocols and best practices, strong problem-solving skills, and certifications such as CISSP or CISM are important.

Security architects are always necessary, especially for organizations with sensitive data or stringent regulatory requirements.

Cloud architect

Cloud architects are the cloud strategists. They design and manage the organization’s cloud strategy, ensuring efficient use of cloud resources while maintaining security and compliance.

They design cloud architectures, select and manage cloud service providers, oversee cloud migration and integration projects, and ensure cloud solutions meet business and regulatory requirements.

Look for experience in cloud architecture and services, strong understanding of cloud security and compliance, and certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect.

Cloud architects are essential for organizations leveraging cloud services for scalability and flexibility.

DevOps architect

DevOps architects are the bridge builders. They bridge the gap between development and operations, designing infrastructure and processes that support continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD).

They implement CI/CD pipelines, automate infrastructure provisioning and deployment, ensure scalability and reliability of IT systems, and promote collaboration between development and operations teams.

Experience in DevOps practices and tools, strong automation and scripting skills, and the ability to design scalable and reliable IT infrastructure are key.

DevOps architects play an important role in organizations adopting DevOps practices to improve efficiency and deployment speed.

Business architect

Business architects are the business-IT translators. They ensure that IT architecture supports business goals and processes by working closely with business stakeholders to translate business strategies into IT requirements. One of their key responsibilities is to define business capability maps, which outline the key functions and processes that the business needs to perform to achieve its objectives.

They engage with business leaders to understand strategic objectives, translate business requirements into architectural plans, ensure IT investments deliver business value, and model business processes to align them with IT solutions.

Look for a strong understanding of business processes and IT alignment, good communication and negotiation skills, and experience in business architecture.

Business architects are needed for organizations looking to closely align IT projects with business strategies.

Site reliability architect

Site reliability architects are the uptime experts. They focus on the reliability and uptime of IT systems, combining practices from software engineering and IT operations to ensure robust infrastructure and applications.

They design and implement reliability best practices, monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues, ensure high availability and resilience of IT systems, and collaborate with other architects to integrate reliability measures.

Experience in site reliability engineering, strong knowledge of monitoring and performance tools, and the ability to troubleshoot and resolve system issues are important.

Site reliability architects are essential for organizations that require high availability and reliability of their IT systems.

Structuring the IT architecture team

A well-defined hierarchy within the IT architecture team ensures clear reporting lines and accountability. Each role has specific responsibilities that contribute to the overall success of the team. This structure helps manage complex IT environments, ensuring all aspects of the IT architecture are covered efficiently.

Example structure

Here’s how a typical IT architecture team might be structured:

• Chief architect: The leader of the team who sets the vision and ensures alignment with business goals.
• Enterprise architect: Focuses on the overall structure of the IT environment across the entire enterprise, ensuring all solutions fit within the enterprise architecture framework.
• Solution architect(s): Designs specific solutions to meet business needs within the framework set by the enterprise architect.
• Technical architect(s): Focuses on the detailed implementation of specific technologies, ensuring the solutions designed by solution architects are technically feasible and properly implemented.
• Data architect: Manages the organization’s data architecture, ensuring data is efficiently and securely stored, accessed, and used.
• Security architect: Ensures all IT systems and solutions are designed with robust security measures to protect the organization's data and systems from threats.
• Cloud architect: Designs and manages the organization’s cloud strategy, ensuring efficient use of cloud resources while maintaining security and compliance.
• DevOps architect: Bridges the gap between development and operations, designing infrastructure and processes that support continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD).
• Business architect: Ensures that IT architecture supports business goals and processes, working closely with business stakeholders to translate business strategies into IT requirements.
• Site reliability architect: Focuses on the reliability and uptime of IT systems, combining practices from software engineering and IT operations to ensure robust infrastructure and applications.

Why structure it this way?

Having a structured hierarchy is important for several reasons:

• Clear reporting lines: Everyone knows their responsibilities and who they report to, streamlining communication and decision-making processes.
• Accountability: Clearly defined responsibilities help hold team members accountable for their tasks and performance.
• Specialization: Different aspects of IT architecture require specialized knowledge. This structure allows team members to focus on their areas of expertise, leading to better performance and efficiency.
• Coordination: A chief architect overseeing the team ensures a unified vision and strategy, aligning all efforts with business goals.

Do you need all of these types of IT architects?

Not every organization will need every role listed. The necessity of each role depends on the size and complexity of the organization and its IT infrastructure:

• Small to medium enterprises (SMEs): Might combine roles or have fewer specialized positions due to limited resources and simpler IT needs.
• Large enterprises: Typically require more specialized roles due to the complexity and scale of their IT environments.

Establishing governance and processes

Creating a strong governance framework is key to maintaining consistency and quality in architectural practices. Here’s how to make it happen:

Architecture review board

The architecture review board is your quality control team.

Made up of senior architects, this committee reviews and approves all architectural designs and changes.

Their goal? To make sure everything aligns with the organization’s standards and strategic goals.

Having this board in place helps catch potential issues early and keeps everyone on the right track.

Standards and guidelines

Clear standards and guidelines are like a playbook for your team.

These documented policies and procedures outline what’s expected in terms of design, implementation, and maintenance.

When everyone knows the rules and expectations, it’s easier to work together smoothly and avoid misunderstandings.

Regular audits

Regular audits are your way of double-checking that everything is up to standard.

These periodic reviews ensure the team follows established standards and help spot areas for improvement.

Think of audits as a continuous improvement tool that keeps quality and efficiency high.

Defining clear roles and responsibilities

Clearly defining roles and responsibilities for each team member is key for smooth operation. A 2019 study found that 39% of employees waste up to 2 hours per day due to lack of role clarity. Here's how to ensure everyone knows their part:

Detailed job descriptions

Each role should have a detailed job description. This includes specific duties, required skills, and reporting structures. When everyone knows exactly what they are responsible for, it reduces confusion and overlap.

Avoiding overlaps

With clear roles, team members can focus on their specific tasks without stepping on each other's toes. This clarity helps prevent conflicts and ensures that all areas are covered efficiently.

Ensuring accountability

When roles are well-defined, it's easier to hold people accountable. Everyone knows what they are supposed to do, and performance can be measured against these clear expectations.

Facilitating collaboration

Clear roles also facilitate better collaboration. Team members understand who to go to for specific issues and how their work fits into the larger picture. This understanding promotes teamwork and a smoother workflow.

Conclusion

Building and structuring an effective IT architecture team involves more than just assembling skilled individuals. It requires a clear definition of roles and responsibilities, robust governance, effective communication, and a continuous focus on aligning with business goals. By leveraging cross-functional teams and ensuring clear reporting lines and accountability, enterprise organizations can create a robust IT architecture team that drives success and supports their complex IT landscape.