Jobs › Northwestern Mutual

This position has closed. Northwestern Mutual first posted this listing on Aug 28, 2017. It is still on their careers page, but a job that old is almost certainly not being filled, so we took it down on Oct 4, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Sr. Enterprise Architect

Northwestern Mutual · Milwaukee, WI · Full time · Enterprise Architecture1

Posted Aug 28, 2017 · We last checked this listing on Oct 4, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about an architecture decision you got wrong.

What they are checking: Whether they can name one, since architects who cannot are expensive.

How do you bring engineering teams with you on a standard they did not choose?

What they are checking: Influence without authority, which is the whole job of an architect.

What would you do

The posting offers a high degree of freedom over the roadmap. What would you do with it?

What they are checking: Whether they arrive with a point of view, which is what that sentence is asking for.

This is a company nearly 160 years old. How does that change how you would approach change?

What they are checking: Whether they respect what exists or intend to replace it.

About the work

Tell me about a migration from on premise into a public cloud that you architected.

What they are checking: The posting names this directly, and it is very different from building cloud-native from scratch.

Which cloud platforms do you know deeply, and where are you shallower?

What they are checking: The posting asks for more than one, and honesty about the second one is the useful answer.

Walk me through how you would run a strategy that keeps both data centers and cloud.

What they are checking: The hybrid estate the posting describes, which is harder than either alone.

Which of Terraform, Packer, Chef, Puppet, Ansible, Kubernetes and OpenShift have you used in anger?

What they are checking: The posting calls hands-on experience a must, so this separates used from read about.

How do you build automation that is triggered by events without opening a security hole?

What they are checking: The posting pairs automation with secure practice, which most teams treat separately.

Talk me through key management and transport security in a multi-cloud estate.

What they are checking: Cloud connectivity security, which the posting is specific about.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Mutual from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Mutual.

At Northwestern Mutual, we believe relationships are built on trust. That our lives and our work matter. These beliefs launched our company nearly 160 years ago. Today, they're just a few of the reasons why people choose to build careers at Northwestern Mutual. We're strong and growing. In a company with such a long and storied history, this may be the most exciting and important time to be a part of Northwestern Mutual. We're strong, innovative and growing. We invest in our people. We provide opportunities for employees to grow themselves, their career and in turn, our business. We care. We make a positive difference in our communities. Nationally, thousands have benefitted from our support of research and programs to fight childhood cancer. Each year, our Foundation, employees and financial representatives donate time, talent and financial support to causes they're passionate about. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law. What You’ll Do: • Evangelize our system architecture strategy across Northwestern Mutual development teams • Work on POCs (Proof of Concept) implementations, conduct groundwork research, and provide technical frameworks that allow your peers to be more effective and deliver on initiatives faster • Collaborate across development teams to identify, define, and build reusable UI components • Stay on the cutting edge of enterprise architecture methodologies through research, networking, and brainstorming with your colleagues • Partner with key stakeholders to review enterprise-wide architecture and solutions, identify risks, and provide remediation recommendations in line with standards and business strategies Who You Are: • A fast learner and self-starter - you’ll work with colleagues who are incredibly kind, talented, and always willing to share knowledge and a helping hand, so your willingness to take ownership of the outlined goals and make things happen is imperative • An avid collaborator - you understand the value of working with a team to solve problems and explore innovative solutions; you care more about proper solutions than being right • A skilled communicator - you easily elicit feedback, translate requirements, and troubleshoot issues with colleagues at all levels and from a wide variety of backgrounds What You’ll Need: • 4-6 years professional experience building enterprise applications and helping lead technology change in an organization. • Experience designing and building applications using part or all of a modern development stack. • Strong knowledge and exposure to the software development lifecycle, as well as tools such as source control, build, unit testing, and continuous integration • Proven ability to lead architectural discussions and draw consensus among multiple stakeholders • Bonus: Experience in financial or other highly data-sensitive field. What You’ll Enjoy: • New, state-of-the-art building with incredible views of the lakefront and city • 9 paid holidays and generous PTO • Onsite lunch at no charge • Competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans that kick in on day one • On-site medical centers with a maximum copay of $5 per visit • On-site fitness center with 24/7 access, group fitness/yoga classes, and ultramodern equipment • Parental benefits including 100% paid leave, adoption assistance, and nursing mother's program • Professional development through workshops, in-house training, and our educational assistance program • Cash balance pension and 401(k) match • Fierce dedication to diversity and inclusion, supported by our Employee Resources Groups which focus on African-American, Asian, disABILITY Alliance, Hispanic, LGBTA, Military Veterans, and Women’s initiatives and shared interests • Volunteer opportunities and corporate matching program - we’re one of the largest corporate givers in Wisconsin! • Pretax commuter benefits for public transit and parking facilities Req ID: 16041 Position Type: Regular Full Time Education Experience: Bachelor's Desired Employment Experience: 6-8 years Licenses/Certifications: FLSA Status: Exempt Posting Date: 08/10/2017