IT Architect: Job Description, Role, Salary and Skills

Over the years, the IT industry has witnessed tremendous growth. This has led to the availability of plenty of IT jobs as well. These jobs are not just well paid but also open a window of high-level career opportunities. One such job profile is that of an IT architect. 

In this guide, we will discuss everything one needs to know about the IT architect job. So, if you or any of your known ones have been planning to pursue a career as a certified IT architect, make sure you read it till the end. Let's begin with the basics.

What is an IT Architect? 

Usually, an architect is a person who designs buildings and blueprints for huge real estate projects. But when it comes to an IT architect, the responsibility shifts to the digital realm. 

An IT architect creates high-level solutions for business applications, portfolios, enterprise systems, etc., via IT solutions. These solutions help IT firms in designing and managing communications, security, networking, storage, and so on. To become an IT architect, one should complete education in the IT field or complete courses such as IT service management training online to get practical as well as theoretical knowledge.

What Does an IT Architect Do? 

The job responsibilities of an IT solution architect vary from company to company. But here are some roles that are assigned to this position: 

• Creating and planning layouts for data communication 
• Leading a team to accomplish a project goal 
• Designing and implementing security and business technologies 
• Ensuring smooth process of IT solutions and keeping the management informed about it 
• Updating the plans and procedures as per new technological inventions 

Requirements for the IT Architect Role 

An information technology architect needs to develop several technical as well as soft skills. Here is a guide on the skills one needs for the IT architect role: 

Hard Skills 

The hard skills required to become an IT systems architect can be developed through education, training, and experience. These include: 

• Systems Architecture: Systems architecture covers the behavior, structure, and views of a system via a conceptual model. It often includes modules, sub-systems, and system components of the overall system. 
• IT Management: As the name suggests, IT management means managing a firm's information technology resources as per its needs and priorities. This covers data, networks, computer software, hardware, and data center facilities. 
• Virtualization: Virtualization means creating a virtual version of things like storage devices, computer network resources, or computer hardware platforms. 
• IT Security and Infrastructure: With this skill, the professional can create an IT architecture framework to protect critical infrastructures, including rail transport, highways, airports, hospitals, bridges, media, the electricity grid, power plants, etc., 
• Cloud Computing: Another crucial skill, cloud computing helps in sharing resources so that organizations can focus on their core businesses instead of using their resources on computer maintenance. 

Soft Skills 

Along with hard skills, individuals planning to become IT infrastructure architects also require soft skills such as analytical and problem-solving skills that can help them assess needs and troubleshoot issues as they arise. Here are some soft skills required for the IT architect role: 

• Analytical skills: This allows professionals to understand and interpret information to make better and more informed decisions. An IT architect must know how to collect all the data, identify the concerns, and find relevant solutions through technology. Communication skills: IT architect role requires a knowledge of complex concepts. Now, the individual should also have good verbal and written techniques to explain such concepts to their colleagues and non-technological professionals. 
• Organizational skills: This involves time management, resource allocation, prioritization, and the ability to work on different tasks simultaneously. These skills help professionals plan IT architecture solutions in time and meet their goals. 
• Project Management: IT architects may also need to handle a project right from the stage of planning and execution to closing. Knowing how to manage a project helps them in working as part of a team to accomplish a common goal. 

What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of an IT Architect? 

There are several roles and responsibilities of an IT architect. However, not every IT architect needs to follow them. It primarily depends on the company, its size, and the job. Some of the most common roles and responsibilities are listed below: 

• Planning: A job of architecture in IT begins with the creation of a project roadmap, similar to a real estate architect creating a blueprint of the building. This roadmap also includes details about necessary milestones and a timeline.
• Presenting: An IT architect needs to communicate their plans and goals to the management and other team members. This is also where their communication skills play a vital role.
• Team leading: IT architects don't do everything. They create the project plan and then accomplish the goals with a team. Thus, team leading is a part of their roles and responsibilities. They need to act as leaders so that everyone knows what the goal, expectations, and results of a project are.
• Consultancy: To deliver impressive results, IT architects also advise and consult the clients. This not only helps in choosing a better IT architecture design but also builds trust and credibility.
• Change management: IT is a dynamic industry, and that's why IT architects should be able to identify new changes and adapt to them quickly. They should stay updated with any change in business processes and functions, personnel, data, and application to further add new solutions.

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How to Become an Information Technology Architect 

People who wish to become an information technology architect can pursue a relevant degree in the field and start their career. To begin with, a bachelor's degree in a computer-related field can help them enter the IT industry. 

Other than getting a relevant education, bachelor's graduates also need to gain experience with entry-level jobs like software programmers and IT analysts. The on-the-job experience prepares them for high-level roles in IT system architecture. Later, they can also earn industry certificates via training classes. Many students are also opting for short-term courses such as ITIL foundation certification online course to get hands-on learning experience along with professional certificates. 

Types of Careers in Information Technology Architecture 

IT architect job is not a specific job. The term encompasses different types of IT architecture roles. These include: 

• Domain Architects: These IT architects work with applications, business, data/information, and infrastructure. 
• Enterprise Architects: An enterprise IT architect aligns the technical initiatives, principles, and best practices. 
• Security Architects: As the name suggests, security architects work on the mechanisms, processes, and technologies that help in maintaining security against malicious intruders. 
• Solutions Architects: An IT solution architecture job focuses on developing solutions to business issues and problems. 

For different types, you need to get different certifications and courses where you can enroll to learn about the roles in depth. For instance, students can do TOGAF certification online courses if they wish to become enterprise architects.

IT Architect Job Description and Salary 

The job description of an IT architect varies from company to company, but a typical one could have the following: 

• Creation and designing of prototypes 
• Testing of new algorithms, methods, and models 
• Defining the application, system, and technical architectures for significant areas of development 
• Defining and enforcing relevant technical procedures and standards 
• Researching and developing new applications and software products 
• Overseeing future component architecture and migration plans 

According to Glassdoor, the national average IT architect's salary for a year is ₹21,58,151 in India. The pay scale can change based on the company and years of experience as well. 

Conclusion 

The job in IT architecture design can be quite exciting since it deals with coming up with high-level solutions for companies. An ITIL certification adds to the benefits. The salary of such individuals is also quite impressive. The only catch is that one needs to have a complete understanding of how IT infrastructure architecture works since it is a senior position. For this, students can enroll in online courses and upskill themselves to finally become IT architects.