Business Solution Architect
Northern Trust, Chicago, IL, United States
The Business Solution Architect – Shared Services & Digital Process Automation (DPA) is a senior‑level individual contributor responsible for partnering with Shared Services leaders to shape, govern, and deliver high‑impact digital process automation and business solutions. This role serves as a trusted advisor at the intersection of business strategy, process optimization, and enterprise technology, translating complex business needs into scalable, value‑driven DPA solutions.
The position emphasizes solution consulting, business architecture, and digital transformation leadership rather than people management. The consultant establishes clear intake models, capability roadmaps, and governance to enable consistent, repeatable execution across Shared Services.
Business & Solution Consulting
Partner with Shared Services, Operations, and Product stakeholders to understand business objectives, operational challenges, and transformation priorities.
Lead structured intake and discovery sessions to define problem statements, scope opportunities, and assess fit within the enterprise DPA ecosystem.
Act as the primary liaison between business partners and technology teams, ensuring shared understanding, alignment, and accountability.
Digital Process Automation Leadership
Lead end‑to‑end process analysis, including documentation of current‑state (as‑is) processes, identification of optimization opportunities, and definition of future‑state (to‑be) automated workflows.
Collaborate with Enterprise Architects, Solution Architects, Product Managers, and Process Optimization teams to define solution approaches and execution readiness.
Ensure solution and architectural decisions align to enterprise standards, scalability, security, and long‑term platform strategy.
Define and maintain Shared Services service blueprints, capability maps, and a clear target‑state vision aligned to business outcomes and partner experience.
Develop and maintain multi‑year solution and capability roadmaps across DPA platforms and initiatives.
Own and manage the intake pipeline and backlog of DPA initiatives, supporting prioritization through clear articulation of value, cost, risk, and dependencies.
Value Realization & Delivery Enablement
Develop high‑level business cases, projected benefits, and cost estimates to support investment and prioritization decisions.
Assess impacts to existing and future business capabilities during early stages of transformation initiatives.
Partner with Agile delivery teams during PI planning, backlog refinement, and execution to ensure delivered solutions meet intended business outcomes.
Enterprise Influence & Thought Leadership
Provide leadership through influence, fostering strong collaboration across business, operations, and technology communities.
Stay current on automation technologies, platforms, and market trends; identify opportunities to close capability gaps through innovation or vendor partnerships.
Support vendor evaluations, RFI/RFP efforts, and proof‑of‑value activities prior to enterprise adoption.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
15+ years of combined experience in business consulting, technology delivery, architecture, or digital transformation roles within large enterprise environments.
Demonstrated experience leading or owning Digital Process Automation capabilities (e.g., workflow platforms, low‑code
o‑code solutions, case management, RPA, document management, e‑signature, intelligent forms).
Strong experience in business process improvement and transformation, with and without technology enablement.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive outcomes across business, operations, and technology teams.
Experience working in Agile, product‑centric, or scaled delivery environments.
Financial services industry experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
Familiarity with architecture and modeling disciplines and frameworks (e.g., BPMN, UML, ArchiMate, TOGAF).
Working knowledge of data concepts, integration patterns, and domain‑driven design in enterprise environments.
Experience supporting vendor selection, platform evaluations, and enterprise governance models.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Strong consultative mindset with the ability to translate business strategy into actionable solutions.
Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to technical and non‑technical audiences.
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills; comfortable operating in ambiguity and change.
Ability to negotiate tradeoffs, align stakeholders, and drive consensus toward shared outcomes.
Work Environment & Expectations
Primarily office or hybrid environment with regular collaboration across business and technology teams.
Occasional travel may be required based on business needs.
What Success Looks Like
Shared Services initiatives are consistently translated into scalable, well‑governed DPA solutions delivering measurable business value.
Business and technology partners experience a clear, repeatable intake and engagement model.
Automation investments align to a coherent capability roadmap and long‑term enterprise strategy.
The role is recognized as a trusted advisor and thought leader across Shared Services and Digital Transformation.
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The position emphasizes solution consulting, business architecture, and digital transformation leadership rather than people management. The consultant establishes clear intake models, capability roadmaps, and governance to enable consistent, repeatable execution across Shared Services.
Business & Solution Consulting
Partner with Shared Services, Operations, and Product stakeholders to understand business objectives, operational challenges, and transformation priorities.
Lead structured intake and discovery sessions to define problem statements, scope opportunities, and assess fit within the enterprise DPA ecosystem.
Act as the primary liaison between business partners and technology teams, ensuring shared understanding, alignment, and accountability.
Digital Process Automation Leadership
Lead end‑to‑end process analysis, including documentation of current‑state (as‑is) processes, identification of optimization opportunities, and definition of future‑state (to‑be) automated workflows.
Collaborate with Enterprise Architects, Solution Architects, Product Managers, and Process Optimization teams to define solution approaches and execution readiness.
Ensure solution and architectural decisions align to enterprise standards, scalability, security, and long‑term platform strategy.
Define and maintain Shared Services service blueprints, capability maps, and a clear target‑state vision aligned to business outcomes and partner experience.
Develop and maintain multi‑year solution and capability roadmaps across DPA platforms and initiatives.
Own and manage the intake pipeline and backlog of DPA initiatives, supporting prioritization through clear articulation of value, cost, risk, and dependencies.
Value Realization & Delivery Enablement
Develop high‑level business cases, projected benefits, and cost estimates to support investment and prioritization decisions.
Assess impacts to existing and future business capabilities during early stages of transformation initiatives.
Partner with Agile delivery teams during PI planning, backlog refinement, and execution to ensure delivered solutions meet intended business outcomes.
Enterprise Influence & Thought Leadership
Provide leadership through influence, fostering strong collaboration across business, operations, and technology communities.
Stay current on automation technologies, platforms, and market trends; identify opportunities to close capability gaps through innovation or vendor partnerships.
Support vendor evaluations, RFI/RFP efforts, and proof‑of‑value activities prior to enterprise adoption.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
15+ years of combined experience in business consulting, technology delivery, architecture, or digital transformation roles within large enterprise environments.
Demonstrated experience leading or owning Digital Process Automation capabilities (e.g., workflow platforms, low‑code
o‑code solutions, case management, RPA, document management, e‑signature, intelligent forms).
Strong experience in business process improvement and transformation, with and without technology enablement.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive outcomes across business, operations, and technology teams.
Experience working in Agile, product‑centric, or scaled delivery environments.
Financial services industry experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
Familiarity with architecture and modeling disciplines and frameworks (e.g., BPMN, UML, ArchiMate, TOGAF).
Working knowledge of data concepts, integration patterns, and domain‑driven design in enterprise environments.
Experience supporting vendor selection, platform evaluations, and enterprise governance models.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Strong consultative mindset with the ability to translate business strategy into actionable solutions.
Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to technical and non‑technical audiences.
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills; comfortable operating in ambiguity and change.
Ability to negotiate tradeoffs, align stakeholders, and drive consensus toward shared outcomes.
Work Environment & Expectations
Primarily office or hybrid environment with regular collaboration across business and technology teams.
Occasional travel may be required based on business needs.
What Success Looks Like
Shared Services initiatives are consistently translated into scalable, well‑governed DPA solutions delivering measurable business value.
Business and technology partners experience a clear, repeatable intake and engagement model.
Automation investments align to a coherent capability roadmap and long‑term enterprise strategy.
The role is recognized as a trusted advisor and thought leader across Shared Services and Digital Transformation.
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