Staff Systems Architect (ServiceNow)

PURPOSE OF POSITION:  GCI's Staff Systems Architect (ServiceNow) will be responsible for defining, designing, communicating, and evolving systems architecture for enterprise IT systems, integrations, and application environments to ensure technology solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, supportable, and aligned to business outcomes and enterprise technology strategy. Partners with business owners, product management, product owners, scrum teams, release train engineers, engineering, security, infrastructure, operations, and architecture stakeholders to translate business capabilities, epics, features, non-functional requirements, and value stream objectives into actionable architecture models, architectural runway, enabler work, system designs, integration approaches, technical roadmaps, and delivery guidance. Provides architectural leadership from intake and discovery through PI planning, iterative delivery, release, system demo, operational readiness, and continuous improvement to ensure systems deliver measurable business value while managing performance, interoperability, compliance, risk, technical debt, and long-term sustainability. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AT ALL LEVELS:

Systems Architecture Engagement

• Partner with business owners, product management, product owners, scrum teams, delivery leads, release train engineers, technical teams, solution architects, and enterprise architects to understand business outcomes, value stream needs, customer experience goals, ART objectives, and technology constraints.
• Translate business capabilities, epics, features, and non-functional requirements into system intent, architectural guidance, enabler work, and technology recommendations that support iterative and incremental delivery.
• Evaluate system options across applications, integrations, data, cloud, infrastructure, security, compliance, and operations, and recommend fit-for-purpose approaches that balance business value, cost, complexity, risk, technical debt, and sustainability.
• Support SAFe and Agile planning events, including PI planning, backlog refinement, dependency identification, architecture reviews, system demos, inspect-and-adapt activities, and delivery alignment to ensure execution remains consistent with system intent, architectural runway, and enterprise architecture direction.
• Facilitate architectural decision-making with stakeholders by clearly communicating tradeoffs, assumptions, constraints, risks, and implementation considerations in business and technical terms.
• Maintain alignment between product roadmaps, value stream priorities, ART execution plans, architectural runway, compliance expectations, operational readiness, and continuous improvement objectives.

System Design, Integration, Delivery Enablement, & Technical Alignment

• Create and maintain system architecture artifacts, including system solution context, capability maps, integration views, data flows, interface considerations, dependency maps, architecture decision records, and transition-state designs.
• Define system guardrails, design constraints, acceptance considerations, enabler stories, and non-functional requirements for performance, resiliency, scalability, security, maintainability, observability, automation, and operational support.
• Collaborate with engineering, application development, infrastructure, cloud, data, security, QA, and operations teams to ensure solution designs are executable, testable, deployable, supportable, and aligned to standards.
• Identify cross-team and cross-ART dependencies, architectural risks, technical debt, sequencing considerations, and capacity impacts that may affect delivery predictability, release readiness, customer experience, or operational stability.
• Support Agile delivery teams throughout implementation by clarifying system intent, reviewing design decisions, resolving architecture-related impediments, enabling timely decisions, and ensuring architecture enablers are visible in team and program backlogs.
• Contribute to release, deployment, DevOps, operational readiness, support model, KPI, system demo, and post-implementation review activities to ensure delivered systems meet business, technical, and support expectations.

Architecture Governance, Standards, Reliability, & Continuous Improvement

• Apply IT standards, security requirements, compliance expectations, and technology governance processes in a pragmatic manner that supports Lean-Agile delivery flow and decentralized decision-making.
• Contribute to reusable system solution patterns, reference architectures, decision frameworks, architecture repositories, templates, and practices that improve delivery consistency and architectural maturity.
• Engage in architecture communities of practice, technical governance forums, and continuous improvement activities to promote shared learning, innovation, standardization, and simplification.
• Stay current with SAFe, Agile, DevOps, cloud, integration, data, security, observability, and application modernization practices and apply relevant approaches to improve system outcomes.

COMPETENCIES:

• ACCOUNTABILITY- Takes ownership for actions, decisions, and results; openly accepts feedback and demonstrates a willingness to improve.
• BASIC PRINCIPLES - Interacts with people in a way that builds mutual trust, confidence, and respect; adheres to GCI’s Code of Conduct for Employees – the Basic Principles.
• COLLABORATION - Works effectively with others to accomplish common goals and objectives; maintains positive relationships even under difficult circumstances.
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills, including collaboration, facilitation, negotiation, and persuasion.
• COMMUNICATION- Conveys thoughts and expresses ideas appropriately and professionally.
  • Takes initiative in communication and collaboration among remote and onsite teams.
  • Ability to accurately read, write, and respond to routine business correspondence such as emails, chat messages, policies, procedures, reports.
  • Ability to accurately communicate information virtually and in-person in a clear and concise manner to a range of audiences.
  • Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to all audiences.
• COMPLIANCE - Follows internal controls; protects confidential information; abides by GCI’s Code of Business Conduct & Ethics.
• CUSTOMER FOCUS - Demonstrates commitment to service excellence; gives high priority to customer satisfaction.
• RELIABILITY - Consistently follows through on assigned tasks as expected; demonstrates timely attendance at meetings, training, and other work obligations.
• RESULTS - Uses a combination of job knowledge, initiative, sound decision making, innovation, adaptability, and problem solving.
  • Knowledgeable in the areas of solutions strategy and development.
  • Excellent organizational and technical problem-solving skills and resources.
  • Relentlessly persistent and positive in pursuit of good architectural decisions and direction.
  • Strong knowledge of current architecture methodologies and systems technologies and standards. 
  • Ability to translate desired business capabilities and requirements into solution architecture.
  • Excellent at timely and thorough architecture documentation and modeling.
  • Technology is neutral and results-oriented, unbiased toward any specific technology choice.
  • Ability to research and gain deep understanding of various technologies quickly and thoroughly.
  • Basic knowledge of financial models and budgeting and able to estimate the financial impact of technical architecture alternatives.
  • Experience in architecture modeling techniques and tools (ArchiMate modeling language highly desired).
  • Application and engagement of Lean/Agile frameworks and practices.
  • Business process design and technology modeling, tools, and techniques (e.g. Archi, Signavio).
  • Must have broad domain experience across multiple telecommunications disciplines, which could include:
    • Data and/or information architecture.
    • Contemporary software development practices.
    • Principles of continuous integration and continuous delivery and DevOps.
    • Automation and orchestration tools and disciplines.
    • Knowledge of telecommunication core and access technologies.
    • Virtualized and cloud compute platforms.
    • Integration strategies and principles.
    • Infrastructure and network architecture.
    • Governance, security and compliance principles and best practices.
• SAFETY & SECURITY - Supports a safe work environment by following all workplace safety rules and guidelines; complies with applicable Security policies and procedures.
• TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY - Proficient computer skills and MS Office knowledge (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel) to complete job duties effectively.

Additional Job Requirements:

This is an intermediate level position within the systems architecture discipline demonstrating proficiency in assigned areas of responsibility. Performs complex systems analysis, architecture, integration, and design assignments under general guidance, anticipating and preventing problems and roadblocks before they occur. Works under moderate supervision with latitude for independent judgment.

• Work collaboratively as a senior technical professional supporting business users, product management, and technical teams.
• Contribute to documentation, template, process, and model repository.

Minimum Qualifications:

Required: *A combination of relevant work experience and/or education sufficient to perform the duties of the job may substitute to meet the total years required on a year-for-year basis

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Systems Analysis, Engineering, or a relevant field.
• Minimum of six (6) years of experience in at least two disciplines in a telecommunications and/or IT environment, including systems architecture, systems engineering, infrastructure architecture, network design, application platforms, integration, cloud services, data architecture, security/compliance, and operational support. *

Preferred: 

• CCAr, TOGAF, CEA, Certified SOA Architect, CITA, EACOE, Open CA, FEAC certifications.
• Agile team leadership or project management experience.
• Cloud certifications: Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud.
• Telecommunications experience.  
• Other relevant telecom industry or job specific certifications. 
• ServiceNow certifications: Certified Technical Architect (CTA)

DRIVING REQUIREMENTS: 

• This position may require access to reliable transportation for occasional travel between retail store locations, offices, worksites, or other locations as needed.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS and WORKING CONDITIONS:  

• Work is primarily sedentary, requiring daily routine computer usage.
• Ability to work shifts as assigned, work in standard office/home office setting, and operate standard office equipment.
• Ability to accurately communicate information and ideas to others effectively.
• Physical agility and effort sufficiently to perform job duties safely and effectively.
• Ability to make valid judgments and decisions. 
• Available to work additional time on weekends, holidays, before or after normal work hours when necessary. 
• Must work well in a team environment and be able to work with a diverse group of people and customers.
• Virtual workers must comply with remote work policies and agreements.

The company and its subsidiaries operate in a 24/7 environment providing critical services to Alaskans and may need to respond to public health and safety matters or other business emergencies. Due to business needs, employees may be contacted outside of the core business hours to respond to the immediate emergency. As such, you will be requested to provide emergency after-hour contact numbers, to include your home and cell phone numbers if you have those services. Culture, Engagement, and Connection: At GCI, we foster an environment where the unique perspectives of our employees, customers, and fellow Alaskans are celebrated. We add value to our community by nurturing and empowering each member of our workforce, ensuring equal opportunities for every Trailblazer. EEO: GCI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, veteran status, or any other status or classification protected under applicable state or federal law.  DISCLAIMER:  The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. All employees of GCI work in support of the GCI Mission Statement and Declaration of Principles which are located on the GCI Career page and Employee portal.