Enterprise Application and Data Architect

HealthPartners is hiring an Enterprise Application and Data Architect. This role is responsible for defining the overall architecture of HealthPartners’ applications across web platforms, administrative systems, infrastructure, and data environments. The Enterprise Architect ensures that application development and enhancements align with HealthPartners’ strategic goals and integrate smoothly within the broader technical landscape.

This role partners closely with IT leadership, the Enterprise Architecture team, and business leaders to define and advance application architecture standards, policies, and long-term technology strategy. The architect works most directly with internal data operations/platform teams, serving as a primary thought partner on data and analytics architecture, while also collaborating with internal digital/application development teams.

This is a replacement position following the departure of a long-tenured employee. The role reports to the Director of IT Enterprise Architecture and is part of a collaborative team of five professionals, including four full-time employees and one contractor., * Develop, maintain, and communicate enterprise architecture artifacts including reference architectures, technology roadmaps, and landscape inventories.

• Apply software engineering experience to guide application architecture decisions - including system decomposition, service design, API contracts, data modeling, and software design patterns.
• Review and influence code-level architectural decisions: framework selection, dependency management, build pipelines, automated testing strategies, and deployment patterns.
• Evaluate software development practices across teams - advocating for clean architecture, testability, observability, and maintainability as first-class architectural concerns.
• Provide architectural guidance for enterprise data platforms - including data warehouses, data lakes, and lakehouse architectures - ensuring they are designed for scalability, data quality, and governed access.
• Define standards and patterns for data ingestion, transformation, and orchestration pipelines (ETL/ELT) across batch and streaming workloads.
• Champion DataOps practices - version-controlled pipeline development, automated data quality testing, observability and monitoring of data flows, and CI/CD for data assets.
• Advise on semantic layer design, data modeling approaches (dimensional, Data Vault, OBT), and the appropriate use of data products for self-service analytics consumption.
• Identify architectural risks, technical debt, and opportunities for rationalization across the enterprise portfolio.
• Lead business capability and requirements discovery sessions - translating business needs, workflows, and outcomes into architectural direction and technology requirements.
• Validate throughout delivery that what is being designed and built accurately reflects what the business asked for - identifying drift between business intent and technical implementation early and escalating when necessary.
• Participate in business planning cycles, initiative discovery, and roadmap development - ensuring architecture input is present at the point where business decisions are made, not after.
• Performs other work as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
• Twelve (12+) years of progressive experience in software engineering, including:
• Four (4) years of enterprise or solution architecture capacity
• Two (2) years of recent DataOps experience.
• Four (4) years of project management experience
• Proficiency in various technologies (e.g., web front-end, back-end, database, OS) and programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, C#, TypeScript) and direct experience designing, building, and deploying production software systems.
• Proficiency in various database technologies and modeling, and expert level in SQL.
• Data platform experience: Working knowledge of data warehouse and data lake design - including dimensional modeling, lake/lakehouse patterns, pipeline orchestration, and data quality practices.
• Demonstrated knowledge of broad technology depth across the following domains: application architecture, data architecture / DataOps, integration/API design, and enterprise applications (ERP, EHR, CRM).
• Demonstrated experience integrating AI tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT) to accelerate software development, documentation, or workflows.
• Familiarity with modern SDLC practices: CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and DevOps/DevSecOps toolchains.
• Business engagement skills: Demonstrated ability to engage directly with business stakeholders - facilitating requirements discovery, translating business needs into technology direction, and validating that solutions in flight match business intent.
• Effective communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences using verbal and written forms.
• Excellent troubleshooting and diagnostic skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in healthcare IT environments (payer, provider, or health system).
• Experience in DataOps in cloud platforms (Azure preferred).
• Hands-on experience with one or more data platform technologies: Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Fabric, Databricks, dbt, Apache Spark, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with data governance tooling (e.g., Microsoft Purview, Apache Atlas) and data catalog/lineage practices.
• Knowledge of healthcare regulations and standards (HIPAA, HL7, FHIR, CMS interoperability rules).
• Experience leading architecture in an Agile or SAFe delivery environment - including backlog shaping, enabler stories, and embedded architecture support within delivery teams., Agile Programming Methodologies, Apache, Apache Spark, Application Programming Interface (API), Architectural Services, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Backlog Prioritization, Business Plan, Business Skills, Cloud Computing, Code Reviews, Communication Skills, Content Management Systems (CMS), Continuous Deployment/Delivery, Continuous Integration, Data Analysis, Data Lake, Data Modeling, Data Quality, Data Warehousing, DataArchitect Data Modeling Tool, Database Extract Transform and Load (ETL), Design Patterns Programming Methodologies, DevOps, Dimensional Modeling, Docker, Documentation, Embedded Systems, Engineering, Enterprise Applications, Enterprise Architecture, GitHub, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), HL7 (Health Level 7), Health Information Technology, Healthcare, Healthcare Providers, Identify Issues, Information Technology & Information Systems, Interoperability, Java, Leadership, Machine Tool, Microsoft C# (C Sharp), Microsoft Product Family, Microsoft Windows Azure, Operating Systems, Production Systems, Programming Languages, Project/Program Management, Python Programming/Scripting Language, Regulations, Research Skills, Risk Analysis, Sales Pipeline, Software Design, Software Development, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Software Engineering, Software Evaluation, Standards Development, Test Automation, Test Strategy, Testability, User Interface/Experience (UI/UX)

Hours/Location:

• M-F; core business hours
• This is a hybrid role with an expectation of being onsite 2-3 days per week., As a HealthPartners colleague, we’re committed to nurturing your diverse talents, valuing your dedication, and supporting your work-life balance. We offer a comprehensive range of benefits to support every aspect of your life, including health, time off, retirement planning, and continuous learning opportunities. Our goal is to help you thrive physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, so you can continue delivering exceptional care.

Join us in our mission to improve the health and well-being of our patients, members, and communities.

At HealthPartners we believe in the power of good - good deeds and good people working together. As part of our team, you’ll find an inclusive environment that encourages new ways of thinking, celebrates differences, and recognizes hard work.

We’re a nonprofit, integrated health care organization, providing health insurance in six states and high-quality care at more than 90 locations, including hospitals and clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We bring together research and education through HealthPartners Institute, training medical professionals across the region and conducting innovative research that improve lives around the world.

At HealthPartners, everyone is welcome, included and valued. We’re working together to increase diversity and inclusion in our workplace, advance health equity in care and coverage, and partner with the community as advocates for change.