Enterprise Architect

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Leadership

• Develop and maintain enterprise architecture roadmaps aligned to the strategic objectives of the Insurance, Pensions &Investments business.
• Define target-state architecture models that support business growth, modernization, efficiency, resilience, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure alignment between business capabilities, technology investments, and enterprise technology strategies.
• Support the evolution of architectural standards, principles, governance frameworks, and reference architectures.

Solution Architecture Oversight

• Review, challenge, and assure solution designs across multiple programmes and portfolios.
• Provide architectural guidance during discovery, feasibility, design, and delivery phases.
• Produce and review architecture artefacts including:
• Solution Designs
• Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
• Conceptual, Logical, and Physical Architecture Models
• Capability Maps
• Roadmaps
• Technology Standards
• Target-State Blueprints

Cloud & Infrastructure Architecture

• Define hybrid cloud and hosting architectures supporting scalable and resilient solutions.
• Guide cloud adoption and modernization initiatives across public, private, and hybrid environments.
• Support infrastructure transformation programmes across compute, networking, storage, and platform services.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise cloud standards and security controls.

Application & Integration Architecture

• Define architecture patterns supporting modern digital platforms and enterprise applications.
• Lead the adoption of API-first, microservices, and event-driven architectures.
• Identify opportunities to simplify and rationalize legacy technology estates.
• Drive reuse of enterprise integration services and common technology platforms.

Data & Information Architecture

• Support architecture decisions involving data platforms, governance, analytics, and information management.
• Ensure appropriate consideration of data models, lineage, governance, privacy, and regulatory controls.
• Collaborate with Data Architecture teams to promote consistency and strategic alignment.

Non-Functional Architecture

• Shape architecture decisions covering:
• Security
• Availability
• Resilience
• Performance
• Scalability
• Recoverability
• Observability
• Maintainability
• Ensure solutions meet regulatory, operational, and cyber-security requirements.

Governance & Assurance

• Participate in architecture governance and design authority forums.
• Assess architectural risks, dependencies, technical debt, and compliance issues.
• Provide recommendations and mitigation strategies to stakeholders.
• Ensure adherence to enterprise architecture principles, standards, and control frameworks.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with engineering, platform, product, security, and delivery teams.
• Influence technology direction across multiple programmes and initiatives.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Support senior leadership in technology decision-making and investment planning.

Essential Skills & Experience

Enterprise Architecture

• Proven experience operating as an Enterprise Architect, Lead Architect, Principal Architect, or Senior Solution Architect within alarge-scale enterprise environment.
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture frameworks and practices.
• Experience creating architecture roadmaps, transformation strategies, and target-state architectures.

Technical Architecture

Strong architecture expertise across:

• Application Architecture
• Integration Architecture
• Data Architecture
• Infrastructure Architecture
• Cloud Architecture
• Security Architecture

Cloud & Hosting

• Experience designing and governing cloud-native and hybrid-cloud architectures.
• Strong understanding of platforms such as:
• Microsoft Azure
• AWS
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Experience with container-based and platform engineering approaches.

Integration & APIs

• Expertise in:
• API-led architectures
• Event-driven architectures
• Service-oriented architectures
• Microservices
• Messaging technologies
• Enterprise integration patterns

Engineering & Delivery

• Strong understanding of modern software engineering practices.
• Experience working within Agile, DevOps, Platform Engineering, and Product-centric delivery models.
• Ability to engage directly with engineering teams to guide architecture implementation.

Security & Resilience

• Knowledge of:
• Identity and Access Management
• Security-by-Design principles
• Operational resilience
• Disaster Recovery
• Business Continuity
• Regulatory and risk controls

Architecture Governance

• Experience producing and reviewing:
• Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
• HLDs and LLDs
• Technical Standards
• Architecture Review Documentation
• Experience participating in governance and architecture review boards.

Desirable Skills

• Financial Services, Insurance, Pensions, Wealth Management or Investment industry experience.
• Knowledge of UK financial regulatory environments.
• Experience supporting large-scale digital transformation programmes.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies including AI, automation, platform engineering and cloud modernization.
• Experience with architecture modelling tools such as:
• LeanIX
• Sparx EA
• ArchiMate
• Bizzdesign
• Visio

Personal Attributes

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term vision and short-term delivery priorities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and complexity.
• Strong communication and presentation capabilities.
• Pragmatic decision-maker with sound engineering judgement.
• Collaborative and relationship-driven approach.