Job Description

The Business Solutions Architect serves as the strategic translator between Advancement's people, processes, technology, and intelligence. This role works across the division to understand how work is performed, identify opportunities for improvement, and guide the design of solutions that create measurable business value.
The role partners with fundraising, engagement, marketing, alumni relations, donor relations, and operational teams to improve the staff digital experience by reducing friction, simplifying workflows, and ensuring technology supports how people actually work.

Responsibilities

Process Design, Optimization, and Standardization
Partner with Advancement teams to analyze current workflows, identify inefficiencies, and design streamlined, scalable processes. Lead process discovery efforts, document and validate business processes, and identify opportunities to standardize work across departments. Apply process improvement methodologies to simplify workflows, reduce complexity, and determine the most effective solutions, including process redesign, self-service enablement, automation, or intelligent technologies.

Business Solutions Architecture
Translate business needs into practical, outcome-focused solutions that align with organizational goals. Develop solution concepts, functional requirements, and implementation roadmaps while providing strategic direction to technical teams and vendors. Collaborate with Enterprise Digital Platforms & Engineering and Data Intelligence & Trust to ensure solutions align with governance, architecture, and data standards. Oversee solution delivery to ensure intended business outcomes are achieved.

Strategic Technology Intake and Governance
Lead the Strategic Technology Intake and Review (STIR) process, serving as the primary point of contact for evaluating business technology requests. Facilitate stakeholder reviews, assess opportunities using a consistent framework focused on business value, strategic alignment, risk, and feasibility, and ensure clear decision-making and accountability. Drive technology governance by leveraging existing enterprise capabilities before introducing new tools and preventing unnecessary technology proliferation.

Digital Experience and Change Adoption
Champion the employee digital experience by identifying technology barriers, workflow challenges, and adoption gaps. Ensure new processes and solutions are successfully implemented through effective change management, stakeholder engagement, training, and communication. Promote self-service capabilities and practical improvements that increase productivity without adding unnecessary complexity.

AI and Intelligent Solutions Enablement
Identify opportunities to leverage artificial intelligence, automation, and intelligent technologies to improve operational efficiency and decision-making. Partner with business units to develop high-value use cases that support fundraising, donor engagement, stewardship, communications, and operational effectiveness. Promote responsible AI adoption by ensuring solutions are transparent, governed, ethical, and aligned with institutional standards.

Vendor Strategy and SaaS Portfolio Management
Lead the evaluation and selection of software platforms and SaaS solutions that support Advancement's strategic objectives. Establish evaluation criteria based on business value, user experience, ecosystem compatibility, adoption potential, and long-term sustainability. Guide buy-versus-build decisions and ensure new solutions integrate effectively with CRM Advance, data platforms, and existing business processes.

Innovation and Strategic Advisory
Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on emerging technologies, process innovation, and digital transformation opportunities. Stay informed on industry trends and proactively identify solutions that enhance staff effectiveness and organizational performance. Balance short-term operational improvements with long-term, scalable strategies that advance division priorities and deliver measurable business value.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, MIS or other field involving software and analytical training, OR a Bachelor's degree with no specific required field and one year of relevant work experience, OR a combination of 4 years of relevant work experience and validated training. Preparation for a relevant IT certification, validated through certification requirements and documentation of completion, is considered to be related training.

Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor's degree.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor's degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master's degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.

3+ years in data engineering, with specific experience in Microsoft Fabric or modern Lakehouse architectures and experience with Ellucian CRM or high-volume fundraising data is preferred.