Business Systems Architect - Level 2 - Essex Management (Contingent Role)

Job Title: Business Systems Architect II - Essex Management  (Contingent Role)

Notice to Candidates: Employment in this position is expressly contingent upon Essex Management’s receipt of a contract award from the Federal Government.  

Location: US Remote  

This position supports "Essex, an Emmes Company". Essex is a biomedical informatics and health information technology-focused consultancy founded in 2009 and headquartered in Rockville, MD. The Essex team comprises experts with extensive experience in strategically developing and managing complex health and biomedical information programs for clients in the Federal Government, research academia, and private sectors.  

Emmes Group: Building a better future for us all.  

Emmes Group is transforming the future of clinical research, bringing the promise of new medical discovery closer within reach for patients. Emmes Group was founded as Emmes more than 47 years ago, becoming one of the primary clinical research providers to the US government before expanding into public-private partnerships and commercial biopharma. Emmes has built industry leading capabilities in cell and gene therapy, vaccines and infectious diseases, ophthalmology, rare diseases, and neuroscience.  

We believe the work we do will have a direct impact on patients’ lives and act accordingly. We strive to build a collaborative culture at the intersection of being a performance and people driven company. We’re looking for talented professionals eager to help advance clinical research as we work to embed innovation into the fabric of our company. If you share our motivations and passion in research, come join us!  

Primary Purpose

The Business Systems Architect II provides strategic leadership and oversight for enterprise-wide process modernization initiatives within Life Sciences and Clinical Informatics programs. This role manages the application of advanced process improvement and reengineering methodologies to transform organizational operations, ensuring alignment with client goals and objectives through the effective integration of business architecture, digital enablement, and stakeholder engagement disciplines. Serving as the primary coordinator between client delivery and project teams, the Business Systems Architect II ensures integrated, scalable, and best practice-driven solutions across the enterprise. This role is the business architecture authority for client engagements, bringing enterprise-level analytical rigor to capability design, value stream alignment, and technology-solution assessment.

• Lead and manage large-scale business process reengineering (BPR) and modernization initiatives across enterprise portfolios
• Oversee the application of process improvement methodologies and digital strategies to enhance organizational performance
• Direct the assessment of current-state (as-is) processes and the design and implementation of optimized future-state (to-be) solutions
• Serve as primary coordinator between client delivery and project teams to ensure enterprise-wide integration and alignment
• Drive the transition of organizations and project teams to improved, automated, and technology-enabled processes
• Promote and ensure adoption of best practices, including e-business strategies and digital transformation approaches
• Oversee activity modeling, data modeling, and workflow optimization to support scalable and efficient operations
• Establish, monitor, and evaluate performance metrics and KPIs to measure process effectiveness and mission impact
• Lead stakeholder engagement efforts, including executive briefings, workshops, and cross-functional collaboration sessions
• Direct training, knowledge transfer, and change management initiatives to support successful adoption of new processes and systems
• Provide strategic recommendations to improve system integration, data quality, and operational efficiency
• Supervise and provide direction to business systems engineering and architecture staff, and other project team members as appropriate
• Ensure comprehensive documentation, governance, and continuous improvement of business processes across client and internal organizations
• Lead Analysis of Alternatives and market research assessments to inform COTS selection and solution design decisions
• Collaborate with program management, quality management and engineering to ensure product delivery aligns with client SDLC methodologies and GAMP 5 frameworks

Education & Experience 

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Health Informatics, or a related field; Master's degree preferred (or commensurate education and experience)
• 7+ years of experience in business process reengineering, process improvement, enterprise analysis, or related roles
• Experience with to one or more of the following: pharmaceutical, clinical research or biopharmaceutical research operations, GxP environments, federal health IT systems
• Familiarity with clinical research regulatory frameworks including GxP guidelines, 21 CFR Part 11, and GAMP 5 is required at this level
• Demonstrated experience working in IT and data-driven environments supporting system interoperability, implementations, change management, and business process redesign. 

Technical & Domain Skills 

• Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate business capability models, value stream maps, and conceptual data models that inform solution design and investment decisions
• Proficiency with enterprise architecture frameworks and modeling standards, including TOGAF and ArchiMate, applied to business and information architecture layers
• Proficiency with process modeling notations and tools, including BPMN and related diagramming platforms (e.g., Visio, iServer, Sparx EA, or equivalent)
• Ability to analyze organizational capabilities, identify gaps and redundancies, and develop actionable capability roadmaps aligned to mission objectives
• Experience conducting business-architecture-informed Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) and market research to support COTS evaluation and selection
• Ability to bridge business and technical domains — translating strategic intent into functional requirements, system design inputs, and implementation guidance
• Experience supporting or leading enterprise-level change management initiatives grounded in business architecture analysis
• Familiarity with federal health IT architectural standards and frameworks (e.g., HHS EPLC, NIST, FISMA) as they apply to clinical informatics environments

Core Competencies 

• Demonstrated leadership in managing enterprise-level process transformation and modernization initiatives
• Deep expertise in process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Business Process Reengineering)
• Strong experience with enterprise process modeling, data analysis, and workflow optimization
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and coordinate efforts across multiple projects and stakeholders
• Experience driving digital transformation initiatives, including the use of internet-based technologies and automation tools
• Strong facilitation, communication, and executive-level stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience establishing and evaluating performance metrics and KPIs at an organizational level
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, supervise, and develop junior and mid-level business systems engineering and architecture staff
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on scalable, enterprise-grade solutions

Preferred Qualifications

• Desirable certifications: TOGAF 9/10 (Open Group), Zachman Framework Certification, Certified Business Analysis Professional, IIBA (CBAP), Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt, CISA (ISACA), HL7 FHIR, CPHIMS (HIMSS)
• Experience supporting or working on projects associated with federal health agencies such as National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) etc. is highly desirable

Why work at Emmes?

At Emmes, your actions and hard work will have a direct impact on public health initiatives, both globally and in our local communities with opportunities for volunteerism through our  Emmes Cares  community engagement program.   We offer a competitive benefits package focused on the health and needs of our growing workforce, including:

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The Emmes Company, LLC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability or protected veteran status.

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