Chief Customer Architect, Customer Systems

Requisition ID # 158766 

Job Category: Information Technology 

Job Level: Director/Chief

Business Unit: Information Technology

Work Type: Hybrid

Job Location: Oakland

Department Overview

Information Technology is a unified organization comprised of various departments which collaborate effectively to deliver high quality technology solutions. Customer Systems & Solutions (CSS) team is part of the Product & Enterprise Platforms group that supports IT projects, operations, risks & compliance. This team is also in midst of a large customer transformation journey with Billing Modernization, Contact Center and pge.com re-architecture.

Position Summary

The Chief Customer Architect serves a role within the Customer Systems and Solutions (CSS) portfolio, directly reporting to the Vice President - CSS. This role will be responsible with leading the solution architecture practice, developing and maintaining Customer Technology Roadmap, establishing standards in architectural frameworks and systems design. The ideal candidate is tasked with a clear mandate to mentor and guide other architects within the CSS portfolio and is expected to inspire and influence, cultivating a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.

The Chief Solution Architect will align to the Enterprise Architecture group within the IT and Customer organization, fostering a standard practice that is both holistic and distributed. By standardizing tools, delineating clear deliverables, and enhancing governance protocols, the role aims to expedite delivery of initiatives, fostering an environment where standardization and reuse are the norm. Accountability and ownership are key tenets, as Chief Architect will be empowered to take full responsibility for technology roadmaps. Maintaining robust relationships with architects, IT delivery leads, and Functional Area leads will be essential for the Chief Solution Architect to ensure cohesive and strategic alignment of projects. This collaboration is vital for the alignment of work with the True North Strategy (TNS) and the associated value streams, propelling the organization's objectives forward.  This role calls for a leader who is not only technically adept but also a strategic thinker, a driver for change, and a mentor who will architect not just systems but the future of the Customer landscape to standardized platforms.

The Chief Architect will have four primary areas of focus: 

• Developing and owning the 10-year roadmap for Customer Technology aligned to TNS of IT and Customer & Enterprise Solutions.
• Simplify, modernize, and rationalize the Customer Technology portfolio.
• Influence, mentor other principal architects in the CSS portfolio.
• Continue the identification and adoption of new technologies that will position the enterprise for its competitive advantage.

Reporting Relationship

This position reports to the Vice President, Customer Systems & Solutions, and the peers of this position will be Sr. Director of Billing Systems, Director Customer Facing Systems and Sr. Manager of Portfolio Operations & Chief of Staff. This position will be based at PG&E headquarters in Oakland, California.

Job Responsibilities

• Oversee the Architecture and high-level design of the Customer Transformation projects within Billing Modernization, Customer Contact Service Platform and pge.com with a keen eye toward building innovative, scalable solutions in a regulated environment.   
• Develop strong business relationships and partner with business leaders to develop a deep business understanding and create multi-year application plans that are aligned and support business goals and initiatives while driving simplification and data quality improvements.
• Drive the multi-year Customer Technology Roadmap working with key stakeholders in the company and communicating with company executives on program status, issue resolution and influencing to drive forward progress.
• Work with PG&E’s VP Customer Systems & Solutions, PG&E IT Enterprise Architecture and IT Senior Leadership team in developing a shared technology vision that is commonly held by the firm’s IT applications development staff.
• Sustain organizational processes and culture of creativity to ensure successful realization of business value over time.  Drive innovation and delivery in an engineering-centric culture.
• Create a governance process, gathering input from key business leaders on how to best prioritize and allocate resources, shifting as needed to meet the needs of the business.
• Lead the Customer technology investment planning, priority setting, sequencing and risk management of major projects and programs, which results in a portfolio of projects and programs for both current year as well as the multi-year investments and deliverables.  Ensure that all programs are regulatory compliant and anticipate near-term technology changes. 
• Manage expectations regarding development work in progress.  Lead the development and continually monitor the associated financial and resource plans to successfully deliver the application portfolio.
• Constantly monitor new technologies that can be successfully implemented to improve the application development process within PG&E. 

Leadership Qualities

PG&E expects its leaders to conduct themselves with the highest ethics and integrity and to embody specific leadership qualities.

Strategic Mindset

• Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear.

A Leader in the Community and Industry

• Effectively building formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization.
• Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.

Demonstrates Safety Leadership

• A safety champion in words and deeds with respect to both employee and public safety.
• Maintaining an environment of open dialog and free of retaliation.

Influences and Inspires

• Using various communications that convey a clear understanding of the needs of different audiences.
• Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related dynamics.

Optimizes Team Performance

• Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Creating a climate where people are developed and motivated to do their best to help the organization.

Values Diversity and Creates Inclusion

• Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.

Fiscally Responsible

• Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions.
• Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.

Leads Ethically and in a Compliant Manner

• Sponsoring and sustaining a high integrity speak-up corporate culture which prioritizes ethics, safety and compliance.
• Building on necessary level of industry, company and subject-matter expertise, including laws and regulations.

Provides a High Level of Customer Service

• Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

Background Qualifications

Minimum

• B.A/B.S. in computer science, information systems, business administration or equivalent experience.
• 12 years of experience managing IT architecture and operations within a multi-billion, complex organization or CIO in smaller organization. 
• Led IT Architecture practices and orchestrating technology transformations within a large organization.
• Led technology investment strategies, solutions and planning.
• Experience in leading large cross-functional teams and programs specially in Customer Information Systems and Customer Billing and re-engineering preferably in Oracle CC&B or C2M, Salesforce and web technologies, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cloud frameworks and AI.
• Experience in influencing senior leadership and key stakeholders.

Desired

• M.A./M.S. in computer science, information systems, business administration or equivalent field/work experience.
• At least 5 years of utility experience in leading Architecture teams.

Compensation

This position is hybrid, working from your remote office and your assigned work location based on business need. The assigned work location will be within the PG&E Service Territory.

PG&E is providing the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job.  The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity.  Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed towards the middle or entry point of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors.​

A reasonable salary range is:

Bay Area Minimum: $155,000

Bay Area Maximum: $265,000

This role is at our Director level that also is eligible for Short Term Incentive Plan (STIP) and a Long Term Incentive Program (LTIP).