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The IT Architect is responsible for aligning business strategy with technology capabilities across the Bank. This role partners directly with leadership and business units to understand banking processes, identify opportunities for transformation, and guide the design of scalable, compliant, and strategic solutions.

The IT Architect serves as a trusted advisor to both IT and business leadership, ensuring that technology investments support business outcomes, regulatory requirements, and long-term enterprise architecture goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Partner with business unit leaders (Retail, Commercial, Lending, Treasury, etc.) to understand banking processes, pain points, and strategic goals

• Translate business capabilities into technology architecture and solution direction

• Establish and maintain enterprise architecture standards, reference models, and banking domain architectures

• Provide strategic guidance on core banking systems, digital banking platforms, payments, lending systems, and vendor solutions

• Lead architectural discussions for new business initiatives, ensuring alignment with regulatory, risk, and compliance requirements

• Evaluate vendor solutions based on business fit, scalability, integration complexity, and risk

• Serve as a key contributor to Architecture Review Board (ARB) decisions with a focus on business impact and enterprise alignment

• Drive consistency in data flows, customer experience, and cross-channel integration across banking platforms

• Provide executive-level briefings translating complex technical topics into business outcomes

• Evaluate and remain current with emerging technologies that can be used to benefit the Bank

• Design, test, and evaluate various technical solutions, as needed

• Prepare proposals, briefings, and other information pertaining to current and emerging operational technologies

Qualifications

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Skills

• Ability to bridge business and technology-translating business needs into architectural direction

• Experience advising senior leadership and driving cross-functional alignment

• Strong analytical skills for evaluating business processes and identifying transformation opportunities

• Excellent communication skills-able to present to executives and business stakeholders in one-on-one, small group, and executive sessions

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical and financial reporting and/or legal documents

• Ability to lead and advise teams of technical associates regarding projects or strategic initiatives of the organization

• Must be able to prioritize assignments while working on multiple projects

• Ability to operate independently and provide strategic guidance in a fast-paced and evolving environment

• Ability to assess existing and emerging technologies and identify opportunities to leverage for the advantage of the organization

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a related field

• Experience working within a regulated financial institution environment

• Understanding of regulatory and compliance considerations (FFIEC, GLBA, data protection, etc.)

• 8+ years of experience across enterprise architecture, solution architecture, or senior technology leadership roles

Technical & Architecture Competencies

• Advanced knowledge of modern cloud and infrastructure technologies (Azure preferred)

• Strong knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks and principles (TOGAF-style thinking, capability modeling, etc.)

• Deep understanding of banking systems and processes, including core banking (Jack Henry & Associates experience preferred), lending, payments, and digital channels

• Integration patterns (APIs, middleware, event-driven architectures)

• Intermediate/Advanced Office Automation experience

• Architecture documentation and modeling tools (Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, and/or other similar tools

• Data architecture concepts, including data flow, governance, and lifecycle management

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations (Preferred, Not Required)

• Enterprise architecture certifications (e.g., TOGAF or equivalent)

• Azure Solutions Architect Expert

• Banking and financial services certifications

Other Qualifications

• Strong understanding of security principles, regulatory requirements, and risk considerations within a financial services environment

• Experience participating in governance processes such as an Architecture Review Board, change management, and/or vendor risk review processes

Other

• This role is not a traditional infrastructure or cloud engineering position. The ideal candidate will operate at the intersection of business and technology, helping shape how banking capabilities are delivered through modern, scalable, and secure solutions.

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Activities, duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

Equal Employment Opportunity Information: Simmons First National Corporation and its subsidiaries are committed to a policy of equal employment with respect to a person's race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, covered veterans, military status, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected classifications.