Les Schwab Tire Centers

Job Description:

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Principal Architect is the senior-most technologist in the organization and acts as a strategic advisor to the CIO and the broader IT leadership team. This role is responsible for establishing the company's overarching technology vision, strategy, and standards to ensure that all technology initiatives align with and actively support our aggressive growth objectives. The Principal Architect will stay at the forefront of technology trends, identifying and championing innovations that can create a competitive advantage. This individual will define the core technical "patterns"—reusable architectural and design blueprints—that guide the efforts of both the Platform Products & Services (PPS) and Business Products & Services (BPS) teams. By acting as a quality assurance leader, this role will ensure technical excellence across all layers of our technology stack, from high-level architecture down to coding practices and CI/CD pipelines, ultimately driving the quality, scalability, and long-term success of our entire technology ecosystem.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

30% - Technology Strategy & Vision

• Act as the primary technology advisor to the CIO and other senior leaders, translating business strategy into a clear and actionable technology roadmap.
• Continuously research and evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and competitive landscapes to identify opportunities for innovation and business enablement.
• Define and maintain the enterprise-wide technology vision and long-range strategy, ensuring alignment across all IT functions.
• Lead make-vs-buy decisions for key technology investments, providing deep technical and financial analysis to support recommendations.
• Champion technology-driven transformation initiatives that support organic and acquired growth.

30% - Architecture, Governance & Quality Assurance

• Define and govern the enterprise architecture, establishing the core principles, standards, and reusable technical patterns for the entire organization.
• Provide architectural oversight and guidance for all significant technology projects and products to ensure alignment with the established vision and standards.
• Lead the design of a cohesive, scalable, and secure technology landscape that effectively supports our federated, product-oriented delivery model.
• Establish and chair an Architecture Review Board (ARB) or similar governance body to ensure technical consistency and quality.
• Act as a final point of quality assurance, reviewing everything from high-level designs to CI/CD pipeline implementations to ensure technical excellence.

20% - Technical Leadership & Mentorship

• Act as the chief mentor to technical staff across the organization, fostering a culture of technical curiosity, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement.
• Lead technical design sessions and "proof of concept" initiatives to explore and validate new architectural approaches and technologies.
• Partner with the leaders of BPS and PPS to ensure their teams have the right technical skills and architectural guidance to succeed.
• Mediate and resolve the most complex technical debates and challenges within the organization.

20% - Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Communicate the technology strategy and vision to stakeholders at all levels, from the executive team to individual developers.
• Collaborate with the IT Strategy & Governance (ITSG) function on technology risk management, cybersecurity posture, and financial planning.
• Represent the company's technology interests in discussions with key external partners and vendors.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Educational/Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. An advanced degree is strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in technology, including significant time in senior software engineering and architecture roles.
• 5+ years of experience in a lead, principal, or chief architect role, setting technical direction for a large and complex organization.
• Proven experience developing and implementing an enterprise-wide technology strategy that delivered measurable business results.
• Experience in a retail, distribution, or similar multi-location industry is highly desirable.

Required Technical Skills/Knowledge:

• Breadth and Depth: A deep, hands-on understanding across a broad spectrum of technologies, including cloud infrastructure (AWS & Microsoft preferred), enterprise software (ERP, SCM, HCM), data platforms, cybersecurity, and modern software development practices.
• Modern Architecture: Expertise in modern architectural patterns, including microservices, event-driven architecture, API-first design, and cloud-native principles.
• Software Development Lifecycle: Mastery of the entire SDLC, including agile methodologies, CI/CD, DevOps, and automated testing. You should be as comfortable discussing code quality as you are discussing strategic roadmaps.
• Strategic Acumen: The ability to connect technology with business value and to think critically about the long-term implications of technical decisions.
• Data & Analytics: Strong understanding of modern data architecture, including data warehousing, data lakes, and the fundamentals of AI/ML.
• Governance: Experience establishing and running technology governance frameworks, such as an Architecture Review Board.

General Knowledge and Abilities:

• Leadership & Gravitas: The ability to command the respect and confidence of senior executives and technical staff alike through deep expertise, clear communication, and a compelling vision.
• Influence & Persuasion: Proven ability to influence without direct authority and to drive consensus among stakeholders with competing priorities.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to distill complex technical topics into clear, concise, and compelling language for a variety of audiences, from the boardroom to a development team.
• Mentorship: A genuine passion for mentoring and developing technical talent.
• Pragmatism: An ability to balance long-term strategic purity with the short-term need to deliver business value.
• Innovation: An endlessly curious and forward-thinking mindset, constantly exploring "what's next" and how it can be applied.

Physical Requirements: Primarily desk position; regularly required to sit, occasionally required to stand and walk. Requires frequent and repetitive use of hands and fingers to operate computer, mouse, keyboard, and office related equipment and the ability to reach with hands and arms. This position requires lifting no more than 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close visual acuity and the ability to adjust focus. Requires the ability to communicate verbally and exchange information by phone and in person.

Work Environment: Office, non-manual work; the worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions. The worker must be available when urgent issues arise that require their coordination or escalation. Urgent-availability needs are rare but the worker is expected to comply when they occur. This may include performing work outside of regular hours and/or supporting teams performing off-hours work by checking in remotely and/or in person as necessary.

BENEFITS:

• Annual profit-sharing bonus
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Company-funded retirement plan - no cost to employee
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off
• Hybrid arrangements available (work 1-2 days per week from home)
• Tuition Assistance
• Employee discount

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions/primary responsibilities. This job description is not all inclusive and is subject to change. Additional duties, responsibilities, and tasks may be assigned, as necessary. Employment remains “AT WILL” at all times.