Program Architect, ADMS Transformation

Program Architect

The Program Architect is the single point of accountability for architecture across a large-scale ADMS transformation program, responsible for aligning enterprise strategy with execution while delivering measurable business outcomes.
This is a high-impact, mission-critical leadership role requiring deep expertise at the intersection of grid operations, real-time systems, and enterprise transformation. The role drives end-to-end technology strategy, architectural decisions, and execution discipline across a multi-year, multi-vendor program.
The Program Architect is accountable not only for architecture integrity, but for ensuring delivery outcomes such as grid reliability, outage reduction, system resilience, and operational scalability.
Please Note:

This role requires direct ADMS experience. Candidates with adjacent utility, SCADA, OMS, DMS, control room, grid modernization, or grid operations experience but without direct ADMS platform experience will not be considered. This requirement is non-negotiable.
Key Accountabilities

Own the target state, transition states, and execution architecture roadmap for the ADMS program.
Serve as the final decision authority for all program-level architectural trade-offs.
Ensure architecture decisions are aligned to measurable business and operational outcomes.
Enterprise Strategy Execution

Translate enterprise architecture strategy into actionable and enforceable program architecture.
Define technology investment direction and challenge internal and vendor-driven roadmaps.
Establish justified exceptions to enterprise standards where necessary.
Vendor & System Integrator Governance

Own architectural governance across system integrators, vendors, and platform providers.
Critically evaluate and challenge vendor solutions, designs, and delivery approaches.
Prevent over-customization and ensure long-term platform sustainability and maintainability.
Executive Influence & Leadership

Act as the primary architectural advisor to CIOs, CTOs, executive steering committees, and program leadership.
Drive decision-making in high-impact, ambiguous situations.
Communicate architecture trade-offs in clear, outcome-oriented language.
Integration & Real-Time Systems Architecture

Define the integration architecture across ADMS ecosystem components.
Lead design of real-time, event-driven, and high-availability architectures supporting SCADA and grid operations.
Ensure alignment across IT/OT boundaries, including telemetry, control systems, and enterprise platforms.
Risk, Complexity & Program Stabilization

Identify and mitigate systemic architectural risks across a multi-system, multi-year program.
Lead architectural recovery efforts for at-risk or underperforming program components.
Rapidly assess and re-baseline architecture where required to protect delivery outcomes.
Delivery & Operational Readiness

Ensure architecture is deployable, operable, and production-ready.
Define patterns for resilience, fault tolerance, disaster recovery, and observability.
Support go-lives, cutovers, and phased rollout strategies.
Required Qualifications

Experience

15+ years in architecture, engineering, or senior technical leadership roles.
15+ years in the Electrical Utility or Energy industry.
Proven leadership of large-scale transformation programs ($50M–$200M+).
Experience leading architecture across 10+ integrated systems and cross-functional teams.
Demonstrated experience in mission-critical or control room systems environments.
Proven track record stabilizing or turning around complex programs.
ADMS Expertise (Mandatory / Non-Negotiable)

Direct, hands-on experience with an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) platform in a production utility environment is required.
Experience must include architecture, implementation, integration, deployment, modernization, operational support, governance, or transformation of an ADMS platform.
Participation in at least one full ADMS implementation lifecycle (design, implementation, deployment, stabilization, and operational support).
Deep understanding of OMS, DMS, SCADA, and utility grid operations workflows as they relate to ADMS platforms.
Experience with AspenTech OSI ADMS is strongly preferred.
Experience with Schneider Electric ADMS, GE ADMS, Siemens Spectrum Power ADMS, or other recognized utility ADMS platforms will also be considered.
Experience That Does NOT Meet Requirements

ADMS-adjacent experience
Transferable experience to ADMS
Experience that mirrors ADMS
Experience applicable to ADMS
Experience matching ADMS concepts
ADMS-adjacent systems
Similar-to-ADMS experience
Experience supporting the same architectural patterns as ADMS control rooms
Experience relevant to ADMS
Experience adjacent to ADMS
Analogous ADMS experience
Generic SCADA-only experience
Generic OMS-only experience
Generic DMS-only experience
Utility operations experience without direct ADMS platform involvement
Control room experience without direct ADMS platform responsibility
Grid modernization experience without direct ADMS ownership
Architecture experience in related utility systems that do not include direct ADMS implementation or operational responsibility
Important:

Candidates who have worked with systems that are merely integrated with, conceptually similar to, or support functions adjacent to ADMS will not be considered. Direct ADMS platform experience is a mandatory requirement and not a preferred qualification.
Technical Depth

Real-time systems architecture and low-latency data processing (SCADA/telemetry).
Event-driven and streaming architectures.
High-availability and fault-tolerant design patterns for mission-critical systems.
Data synchronization strategies across operational and enterprise platforms.
IT/OT convergence and cybersecurity experience (NERC CIP knowledge preferred).
Leadership & Influence

Demonstrated ability to lead without authority across federated teams.
Strong decision-making under ambiguity and competing priorities.
Proven ability to challenge stakeholders, vendors, and delivery teams constructively.
Communication

Exceptional executive communication skills.
Ability to translate architecture into business outcomes, risks, and trade-offs.
Produces concise, decision-oriented architecture artifacts and recommendations.
Program Overview

The ADMS transformation program delivers a modern, integrated grid operations platform combining:
Outage Management System (OMS)
Distribution Management System (DMS)
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
The program spans:
Real-time grid monitoring and control
Outage detection and restoration
Network modeling and analytics
Distributed Energy Resource (DER) integration and orchestration
Integration with GIS, AMI, EMS, and enterprise systems
This initiative is a cornerstone of grid modernization, driving improved situational awareness, reliability, resiliency, and scalability of distribution operations.
Success Metrics / Accountability

The Program Architect is accountable for delivering measurable outcomes, including:
System availability and uptime (99.99% reliability targets)
Reduction in outage duration and reliability improvements (SAIDI/SAIFI)
Architectural defect reduction and integration stability
Vendor delivery quality and adherence to