Lead IT Architect

Lead Technical Architect
Birmingham - hybrid
Salary - £54,878 - £85,380

Job purpose
The Lead Technical Architect is responsible for developing IT technical architecture which embeds the strategic application of information and technology to address business needs. The role owns the technical domain architecture and ensures that guardrails and standards that guide the delivery of services are aligned to enterprise-wide IT strategy and policies.

Role of Directorate and Capability
IT sits within the CFO Directorate, playing an essential role in daily operations and success of the programme. The department provides technical leadership, advisory and delivery of IT services, enabling the delivery of our mission. Its main objective is to provide the guiding principles, assurance, systems, processes and promote the skills necessary to enable the maximum use of information and technology to improve the design, construction and ultimately operation of the programme.
The IT Platforms & Operations function is accountable for developing and enhancing core IT technology, orchestrating all parties involved in the delivery of products and services, maintaining quality standards and making service performance visible.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Accountable for the IT Technical Architecture capability with IT, planning and leading activity to ensure technology is implemented in such a way where it ensures innovative, high-quality, and cost-efficient outcomes that meet business objectives.
• Develop and implement enterprise-wide technical architecture policies, patterns, processes and guardrails to embed the strategic application of Information & Technology.
• Establish and manage the Technical Architecture practice and capabilities leading knowledge sharing and skills development efforts and driving consistency.
• Lead definition and continued maturity of Technical Architecture frameworks which aligns to wider enterprise-wide architecture.
• Plan and drive scoping, requirements definition, and prioritisation for technical architecture activities within Infrastructure & Operations.
• Lead the technical design of IT services working with SLT and other key stakeholders.
• Support the translation of business drivers, goals, and constraints into technical solutions.
• Contributes subject matter expertise and ideas to the technology innovation agenda.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex technical design decisions or architectural risks.
• Actively promotes and embeds Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

Required criteria
Skills:

• Enterprise and business architecture. Able to align technical architecture to the enterprise-wide architecture and IT strategy.
• Emerging technology monitoring. Able to identify and assess new and emerging technologies and their relevance and impacts.
• Solution Architecture. Developing and communicating a multi-dimensional solution architecture to deliver agreed business outcomes.
• Consultancy. Provides expert advice in areas of technology and architecture, influencing stakeholders and assuring quality.
• Innovation. Leads the identification and implementation of new and emerging technologies to deliver business value.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of architecture frameworks and how to apply them pragmatically to guide technical strategy and solution design.
• Knowledge of current and emerging technologies across infrastructure, cloud platforms, application development, integration, and data, and how they can enable business outcomes.
• Knowledge of architectural governance processes, including design assurance, technical risk management, and decision-making frameworks.
• Knowledge of how to balance architectural integrity, delivery velocity, and technical debt in large-scale digital and IT programmes.

Type of experience:

• Experience leading the design and assurance of complex technical architectures across multiple domains, platforms, or delivery workstreams.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into practical architectural solutions and roadmaps.
• Experience providing architectural leadership within large-scale digital, infrastructure, or enterprise platform programmes.
• Experience balancing long-term architectural vision with short-term delivery priorities in a fast-paced or regulated environment.

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