Chief Architect Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Chief Architect roles qualify for H-1B visa and O-1A visa sponsorship, with architecture and systems design firmly recognized as specialty occupations. Most employers require a bachelor's degree in architecture, computer science, or engineering, and many sponsor green cards through the EB-2 or EB-1B pathway. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
Find Chief Architect JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 694+ Chief Architect jobs
See all 694+ Chief Architect Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Chief Architect roles.
Get Access To All JobsJob Posting:
JR102301 Chief IT Architect (Open)
Department:
UBalt OTS Staff Inst Support Admin, PM
Position Type:
Regular
Open Date:
11-09-2026
Close Date:
$130,000 - $180,000
Job Description:
Reporting to the deputy chief information officer, the chief IT architect provides leadership, guidance and support to the campus community by working collaboratively with business units and information technology (IT) disciplines across the university. This position contributes to the mission of the university by enabling exceptional student experiences through the selection and integration of technology, and by working on efforts that will improve efficiency and effectiveness of administrative and business operations. This position interacts regularly with OTS leadership and all OTS staff, as well as frontline transactional employees, business unit directors, and managers. The architect is responsible for IT architecture development, design, and analysis for the university. Advises OTS senior management on technology decisions to provide the best strategy. The architect monitors industry trends and is forward looking and thinking in advocacy of technology solutions.
This is a hybrid position that requires on-campus work at least one day per week, with the option to telework up to four days per week. Additional on-campus presence may be required periodically during the academic year to support university activities and operational needs.
Responsibilities
Technology Architecture and Strategy: Builds and maintains a framework for developing technology solutions that meet the university’s technology requirements and the needs of students, faculty and staff.
- Organizes and leads skill development and educational sessions for OTS staff on emerging technologies
- Designs secure technology solutions based on industry standards and best practices
- Stays abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies
- Evaluates and recommends new products and technologies
- Documents architectural components and systems
- Assesses technical concerns, ideas, and suggestions
- Participates as an expert on UBalt and USM workgroups regarding cloud services, system architecture issues, and technology solution strategies
Analysis of University IT Needs and Solutions: Coordinates review, design, and implementation resulting in effective solutions that meet the needs and expectations of customers.
- Reviews and provides feedback on all proposed technology purchases requested by the University community to that they meet UBalt’s established standards and methodologies, and advising for any compliance considerations
- Documents university needs in order to define system requirements and specifications
- Assesses benefit of architectural alternatives, and recommends solutions that provide the best solution for the university
- Works with the community, external vendors, senior technical staff, peers in the university System of Maryland and other higher education institutions to obtain functional requirements, best practices and technology trends
- Analyzes the scope and impact of proposed systems and integrations
- Evaluates hardware and software, and suggests integration methods
- Communicates system requirements to development teams
- Provides technical leadership and support to implementation teams
IT Procurement review: Completes pre-procurement reviews of software, subscriptions that are submitted to the IT procurement review process.
- Performs pre-procurement reviews of software, ensuring appropriate and effective use of technology and that it meets UBalt’s established framework and methodologies
- Review procurements for compatibility with both USM and institutional Information Technology security and architecture policies and standards.
Change Management for Technology: Establishes and oversees a program to review, coordinate and communicate IT changes resulting in a stable technology environment with no unplanned or unexpected impacts to the user community.
- Organizes and leads the university’s IT Change Control Board (CCB)
- Ensures that all technology change requests follow approved change control procedures, and are accurately described and recorded
- Reviews proposed technology changes for adherence to university architectural standards and policies, and the impact to the university community
- Facilitates the discussion of proposed changes when necessary
- Mentors team members regarding the role of change management within the organization and the protocols and procedures employed
IT Portfolio Management: Maintains an inventory of IT resources that supports data-driven decision making.
- Maintains a configuration management database (CMDB) to assist in making data driven decisions
- Participates in the project management process by providing initial technical reviews
- Serves as a project team member on technology related projects
- Provides analysis and reporting of the information relevant to university projects, initiatives, and compliance
- Ensures CMDB accuracy by meeting with OTS managers twice per year and validating against the Office of Procurement records
- Maintains accurate documentation of the current state of the IT environment
Information Security: Collaborates with the information technology security staff to develop, document and implement a security architecture and policy that supports the appropriate confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and information technology systems.
- Incorporates security architecture into enterprise architecture planning and design
- Provides guidance to the IT security staff by reviewing USM security policies for impact to university technology architecture
- Provides guidance to staff pertaining to security issues
- Provides backup support for information security tasks as necessary
- Provides support for audit requirements and audit processes as necessary
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems or related field
Experience:
- Five years of experience designing information and system architecture
- Understanding of IT infrastructure and enterprise architectures
- Knowledge of systems including network design and management, and server infrastructure
Preferred Qualifications:
Education: Master’s degree in computer science, IT engineering, or related field/discipline that informs and supports position responsibilities and duties
Experience:
- Seven years of experience designing information and system architecture
- Knowledge of systems including network design and management, server infrastructure, application and integration architectures, and enterprise data management paradigms
- Advanced understanding of IT infrastructure and enterprise architectures
- Experience with higher education IT systems
- Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Analytical Skills
- Ability to determine big-picture implications from basic specifications
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex requirements into forward-thinking functional architecture
- Ability to be involved in simultaneous projects to assure they are delivered on-time and meet customer requirements
- Ability to perform cost-benefit analyses of alternatives and assess risk
- Ability to understand the legislative, regulatory, policy and procedure requirements regarding enterprise architecture and security, and to apply that knowledge to the university’s systems
Organizational Skills
- Provides input for the development of project plans including tasks, timelines and dependencies
- Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills
- Ability to track and document requirements and other information between multiple parties
- Ability to schedule and prioritize tasks to meet project deadlines
- Ability to work on multiple projects concurrently
- Ability to develop, adopt, and implement technical standards, as well as integrate industry standards
Interpersonal Skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with multiple stakeholders with divergent interests to obtain common goals and objectives
- Ability to work with clients (end users, business unit management, and senior management) in changing business processes, training, defining requirements, and managing issues to assure architecture policies are followed
- Ability to effectively communicate with all levels of management, make technical presentations in lay terms and fully inform management of pertinent issues and project progress
- Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of personnel on complex technical issues to obtain the best outcome
Technical Skills
- Knowledge and understanding of software engineering principles and programming languages
- Ability to problem solve complex IT issues
- Knowledge of the following technologies:
- Cloud services, technology and infrastructure
- Enterprise architecture methodologies such as Zachman and The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)
- Networking protocols and frameworks
- Routing, switching, and wireless networking
- Application gateways, firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention
- Communications technology
- Security incident and event management (SIEM)
- Security integration approaches and technologies including federation
- Encryption technology
- Identity and related lifecycle management
- Desktop and server operating systems
- Database management
- Enterprise software applications, including ERP and CRM systems
We offer a competitive benefits package, including health, life, prescription, and dental plans, tuition remission benefits, paid leave (22 days of annual, 15 days of sick, 3 days of personal, and 14-15 holidays) and retirement plans with employer contributions.
Additional Job Information:
The University of Baltimore ("UBalt" or "University") does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, race, religion, age, disability, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other legally protected characteristics in its programs, activities or employment practices. UBalt is an Equal Opportunity/ADA Compliant Employer & Title IX Institution.
About us
Leaders learn here.
We’ve been educating leaders for nearly 100 years; you know us through our faculty’s outstanding research and teaching; you know us thanks to the hard work and dedication of our alumni, students and staff. You know us because we are The University of Baltimore.
Our 70-plus undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs and certificates are aligned with high-demand careers. Our classes are delivered in flexible formats—day, evening, weekend, online—to fit your life and your schedule.
Job Posting:
JR102301 Chief IT Architect (Open)
Department:
UBalt OTS Staff Inst Support Admin, PM
Position Type:
Regular
Open Date:
11-09-2026
Close Date:
$130,000 - $180,000
Job Description:
Reporting to the deputy chief information officer, the chief IT architect provides leadership, guidance and support to the campus community by working collaboratively with business units and information technology (IT) disciplines across the university. This position contributes to the mission of the university by enabling exceptional student experiences through the selection and integration of technology, and by working on efforts that will improve efficiency and effectiveness of administrative and business operations. This position interacts regularly with OTS leadership and all OTS staff, as well as frontline transactional employees, business unit directors, and managers. The architect is responsible for IT architecture development, design, and analysis for the university. Advises OTS senior management on technology decisions to provide the best strategy. The architect monitors industry trends and is forward looking and thinking in advocacy of technology solutions.
This is a hybrid position that requires on-campus work at least one day per week, with the option to telework up to four days per week. Additional on-campus presence may be required periodically during the academic year to support university activities and operational needs.
Responsibilities
Technology Architecture and Strategy: Builds and maintains a framework for developing technology solutions that meet the university’s technology requirements and the needs of students, faculty and staff.
- Organizes and leads skill development and educational sessions for OTS staff on emerging technologies
- Designs secure technology solutions based on industry standards and best practices
- Stays abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies
- Evaluates and recommends new products and technologies
- Documents architectural components and systems
- Assesses technical concerns, ideas, and suggestions
- Participates as an expert on UBalt and USM workgroups regarding cloud services, system architecture issues, and technology solution strategies
Analysis of University IT Needs and Solutions: Coordinates review, design, and implementation resulting in effective solutions that meet the needs and expectations of customers.
- Reviews and provides feedback on all proposed technology purchases requested by the University community to that they meet UBalt’s established standards and methodologies, and advising for any compliance considerations
- Documents university needs in order to define system requirements and specifications
- Assesses benefit of architectural alternatives, and recommends solutions that provide the best solution for the university
- Works with the community, external vendors, senior technical staff, peers in the university System of Maryland and other higher education institutions to obtain functional requirements, best practices and technology trends
- Analyzes the scope and impact of proposed systems and integrations
- Evaluates hardware and software, and suggests integration methods
- Communicates system requirements to development teams
- Provides technical leadership and support to implementation teams
IT Procurement review: Completes pre-procurement reviews of software, subscriptions that are submitted to the IT procurement review process.
- Performs pre-procurement reviews of software, ensuring appropriate and effective use of technology and that it meets UBalt’s established framework and methodologies
- Review procurements for compatibility with both USM and institutional Information Technology security and architecture policies and standards.
Change Management for Technology: Establishes and oversees a program to review, coordinate and communicate IT changes resulting in a stable technology environment with no unplanned or unexpected impacts to the user community.
- Organizes and leads the university’s IT Change Control Board (CCB)
- Ensures that all technology change requests follow approved change control procedures, and are accurately described and recorded
- Reviews proposed technology changes for adherence to university architectural standards and policies, and the impact to the university community
- Facilitates the discussion of proposed changes when necessary
- Mentors team members regarding the role of change management within the organization and the protocols and procedures employed
IT Portfolio Management: Maintains an inventory of IT resources that supports data-driven decision making.
- Maintains a configuration management database (CMDB) to assist in making data driven decisions
- Participates in the project management process by providing initial technical reviews
- Serves as a project team member on technology related projects
- Provides analysis and reporting of the information relevant to university projects, initiatives, and compliance
- Ensures CMDB accuracy by meeting with OTS managers twice per year and validating against the Office of Procurement records
- Maintains accurate documentation of the current state of the IT environment
Information Security: Collaborates with the information technology security staff to develop, document and implement a security architecture and policy that supports the appropriate confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and information technology systems.
- Incorporates security architecture into enterprise architecture planning and design
- Provides guidance to the IT security staff by reviewing USM security policies for impact to university technology architecture
- Provides guidance to staff pertaining to security issues
- Provides backup support for information security tasks as necessary
- Provides support for audit requirements and audit processes as necessary
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems or related field
Experience:
- Five years of experience designing information and system architecture
- Understanding of IT infrastructure and enterprise architectures
- Knowledge of systems including network design and management, and server infrastructure
Preferred Qualifications:
Education: Master’s degree in computer science, IT engineering, or related field/discipline that informs and supports position responsibilities and duties
Experience:
- Seven years of experience designing information and system architecture
- Knowledge of systems including network design and management, server infrastructure, application and integration architectures, and enterprise data management paradigms
- Advanced understanding of IT infrastructure and enterprise architectures
- Experience with higher education IT systems
- Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Analytical Skills
- Ability to determine big-picture implications from basic specifications
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex requirements into forward-thinking functional architecture
- Ability to be involved in simultaneous projects to assure they are delivered on-time and meet customer requirements
- Ability to perform cost-benefit analyses of alternatives and assess risk
- Ability to understand the legislative, regulatory, policy and procedure requirements regarding enterprise architecture and security, and to apply that knowledge to the university’s systems
Organizational Skills
- Provides input for the development of project plans including tasks, timelines and dependencies
- Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills
- Ability to track and document requirements and other information between multiple parties
- Ability to schedule and prioritize tasks to meet project deadlines
- Ability to work on multiple projects concurrently
- Ability to develop, adopt, and implement technical standards, as well as integrate industry standards
Interpersonal Skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with multiple stakeholders with divergent interests to obtain common goals and objectives
- Ability to work with clients (end users, business unit management, and senior management) in changing business processes, training, defining requirements, and managing issues to assure architecture policies are followed
- Ability to effectively communicate with all levels of management, make technical presentations in lay terms and fully inform management of pertinent issues and project progress
- Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of personnel on complex technical issues to obtain the best outcome
Technical Skills
- Knowledge and understanding of software engineering principles and programming languages
- Ability to problem solve complex IT issues
- Knowledge of the following technologies:
- Cloud services, technology and infrastructure
- Enterprise architecture methodologies such as Zachman and The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)
- Networking protocols and frameworks
- Routing, switching, and wireless networking
- Application gateways, firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention
- Communications technology
- Security incident and event management (SIEM)
- Security integration approaches and technologies including federation
- Encryption technology
- Identity and related lifecycle management
- Desktop and server operating systems
- Database management
- Enterprise software applications, including ERP and CRM systems
We offer a competitive benefits package, including health, life, prescription, and dental plans, tuition remission benefits, paid leave (22 days of annual, 15 days of sick, 3 days of personal, and 14-15 holidays) and retirement plans with employer contributions.
Additional Job Information:
The University of Baltimore ("UBalt" or "University") does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, race, religion, age, disability, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other legally protected characteristics in its programs, activities or employment practices. UBalt is an Equal Opportunity/ADA Compliant Employer & Title IX Institution.
About us
Leaders learn here.
We’ve been educating leaders for nearly 100 years; you know us through our faculty’s outstanding research and teaching; you know us thanks to the hard work and dedication of our alumni, students and staff. You know us because we are The University of Baltimore.
Our 70-plus undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs and certificates are aligned with high-demand careers. Our classes are delivered in flexible formats—day, evening, weekend, online—to fit your life and your schedule.
See all 694+ Chief Architect Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Chief Architect roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Chief Architect Jobs
Lead with your system-level impact
Visa officers assess specialty occupation based on the complexity of the role. Document decisions you owned at the architecture level, not just implementations. Quantify scope: systems designed, uptime improvements, team size, or infrastructure scale.
Get your degree equivalency documented early
Chief Architect roles typically require a bachelor's in architecture, CS, or engineering. If your degree is from outside the U.S. or in a related field, obtain a credential evaluation before your employer files the petition to avoid delays.
Target employers with established H-1B track records
Large technology firms, healthcare systems, financial institutions, and consulting companies sponsor Chief Architects regularly. These employers have immigration counsel and internal processes that make sponsorship significantly faster and less risky than smaller organizations.
Build a portfolio that demonstrates specialty-level knowledge
USCIS requires evidence that the role demands theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge. Architecture decision records, patents, published papers, conference talks, or standards contributions all strengthen a specialty occupation argument.
Understand the O-1A pathway if H-1B lottery is a concern
Chief Architects with industry recognition, patents, major awards, or published work may qualify for the O-1A visa, which has no annual cap or lottery. It requires demonstrating extraordinary ability but bypasses the most unpredictable part of H-1B sponsorship.
Start green card conversations at the offer stage
EB-2 and EB-1B petitions for senior architecture roles can take years to complete. Asking about the employer's green card sponsorship policy before accepting an offer helps you understand the long-term immigration pathway before you're already in the role.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Chief Architect role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, Chief Architect roles consistently qualify as specialty occupations because the position normally requires a bachelor's degree or higher in architecture, computer science, systems engineering, or a directly related field. USCIS looks at whether the degree requirement is standard for the role industry-wide, and senior architecture positions clear that bar reliably. The risk of a specialty occupation challenge rises when a job description is vague or lists a wide range of unrelated degree fields as acceptable.
What visa options are available for Chief Architects beyond the H-1B?
Chief Architects may qualify for the O-1A visa if they can demonstrate extraordinary ability through evidence such as patents, industry awards, published technical work, or high compensation relative to peers. The L-1A is available for those transferring from a foreign affiliate into a managerial or executive architecture role. Australians may qualify for the E-3 visa, and Canadians or Mexicans may qualify under TN visa status if the role maps to an eligible USMCA occupation category.
What degree does an employer typically require when sponsoring a Chief Architect?
Most H-1B visa petitions for Chief Architect roles cite a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, information systems, or architecture as the minimum requirement. Some employers accept related degrees with documented work experience. If your degree is in a different field, USCIS may accept a combination of education and experience under the three-for-one equivalency rule, where three years of specialized experience substitutes for one year of formal education.
How does the H-1B lottery affect Chief Architect sponsorship?
Chief Architects are subject to the standard H-1B annual cap and lottery unless they work for a cap-exempt employer such as a university, nonprofit research organization, or government entity. In recent fiscal years, selection rates have been well below 50% for cap-subject registrations. Employers and candidates with an O-1A option often pursue it in parallel specifically to avoid this uncertainty. If you're already in H-1B status with a different employer, a transfer petition avoids the lottery entirely.
Where can I find Chief Architect jobs that offer visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international candidates seeking visa sponsorship in the U.S. You can browse Chief Architect roles filtered by employers with documented sponsorship history, which removes the guesswork of cold-applying to companies that may not sponsor at all. Targeting employers who have filed H-1B or LCA records for architecture-level roles significantly improves your chances of reaching the offer stage.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Chief Architect jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.