Solutions Architect

The Solutions Architect drives the modernization of the Houston Zoo's enterprise application portfolio, leading the shift from legacy, siloed applications to a secure, integrated, and scalable suite of connected business systems. This role defines and governs the Zoo’s enterprise application architecture and builds the application and integration blueprint that guides all modernization efforts. As the Zoo's primary application architecture authority, the Solutions Architect evaluates software technologies, designs application integration approaches, and directs implementation decisions.

The role delivers measurable improvements in system interoperability, data quality, staff efficiency, and long-term sustainability while actively reducing technical debt across business, guest, and animal care applications. Bridging business needs and technical execution, the Solutions Architect translates complex requirements into scalable, secure, and innovative application solutions that advance the Zoo's digital strategy and enable data-driven decision-making. The role manages the full portfolio of business applications across a modern zoological environment including ticketing, memberships, retail and food operations, finance, HR, procurement, donor/CRM platforms, animal management systems, ecommerce, marketing analytics, facilities records, asset management, and reporting.

Define and maintain the enterprise modernization roadmap, including legacy system replacement, cloud adoption, and integration maturity. Delivers the current-state and future-state enterprise application architecture and ensures all major technology initiatives align to it. Reduces architectural complexity, technical debt, and redundant systems through application rationalization. Ensures modernization initiatives deliver tangible outcomes, including improved reliability, usability, data integrity, and cost efficiency. Establishes architectural guardrails so modernization decisions remain consistent across departments and vendors.

Leads and governs the enterprise solution architecture and modernization strategy across applications, integrations, data, and infrastructure to align with organizational goals that support the Zoo’s mission, vision and strategy. Personally designs and maintains enterprise and solution-level architecture artifacts, including system diagrams, integration flows, and data models. Defines and enforces integration patterns, API standards, middleware usage, and error-handling approaches. Works directly with implementation teams and vendors to troubleshoot integration issues, performance bottlenecks, and data inconsistencies.

Maintains deep working knowledge of core platforms (e.g., CRM, ERP, ticketing, POS, HRIS, data platforms) sufficient to guide configuration and integration decisions. Oversees data governance and analytics platforms, ensuring data quality, accessibility, and security across departments. Directs system integration strategy and execution across HRIS, CRM, ERP, ticketing, POS, donor, and animal management platforms. Partners with IT security to maintain compliance with cybersecurity, data privacy, and accessibility standards.

Drives innovation initiatives, identifying and piloting emerging technologies that enhance mission, campus, business operations. Establishes and enforces enterprise technology standards, governance processes, and architecture documentation. Leads vendor evaluation and selection for enterprise systems, including RFPs, technical scoring, risk assessment, and total cost of ownership analysis. Develops annual budgets and tracks project costs, timelines, and ROI. Partners with senior leaders across the Zoo to align technology initiatives with strategic goals, operations, and conservation outcomes.

Accountable for integration reliability and scalability, including API strategy, middleware platforms, and data flows. Measures and reports modernization progress, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership. Actively reduces technical debt by identifying systems and integrations that require refactoring, replacement, or…