Lead Architect

Lead Architect

Reading - Hybrid working

Perm

The Lead Architect sits at the centre of MBNL's technology ecosystem, providing architectural direction across business, enterprise, data, and technology domains. Reporting into the Head of Technology & Information, this role ensures that MBNL's systems and platforms are secure, compliant, future-ready, and aligned to business strategy.

Operating at senior level, you'll influence investment choices, guide complex supplier-led delivery, and promote innovation across MBNL and its shareholder ecosystem-balancing today's operational needs with tomorrow's growth.

Why this role matters

Every major business outcome depends on technology working together, not in silos. This role ensures MBNL's technology landscape remains coherent, resilient, and adaptable-supporting regulatory compliance today while enabling innovation tomorrow.

You'll shape how choices are made, how suppliers deliver, and how technology investments translate into real business value for shareholders and customers alike.

What you'll be here to do

You'll be the architectural authority across MBNL-setting direction, enabling delivery, and protecting long-term value. You'll:

Enterprise & Business Architecture Leadership

• Partner with MBNL leadership and shareholder stakeholders to define and evolve MBNL's Business and Enterprise Architecture.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate multi-year architecture models spanning Corporate, OSS, BSS, data, and technology domains.
• Manage alignment across internal platforms and external domains (shareholders, managed service providers, and third parties).

Strategy, Governance & Assurance

• Shape and govern enterprise architecture principles, standards, and policies, ensuring compliance with regulatory and security requirements.
• Chair architecture review boards, providing final sign-off on strategic architectural choices.
• Hold suppliers to account for solution design (largely outsourced), ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture and best practice.

Technology Strategy & Innovation

• Contribute to the IT, Security, and Data Strategy, ensuring alignment to business outcomes and future growth.
• Monitor emerging technologies and trends-particularly AI, Machine Learning, Cloud platforms, data analytics, and insight-and promote innovations that deliver measurable business value.
• Direct initiatives to optimise system architectures, improve operational efficiency, and maximise return on technology investment.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Collaborate with senior leaders, business units, IT teams, and suppliers to translate business goals into a clear architectural vision.
• Present architecture roadmaps, trade-offs, and impact assessments to executive stakeholders.
• Represent MBNL in external forums, vendor strategy sessions, and industry groups, influencing direction and sharing insight.

Leadership & Culture

• Act as a role model for the MBNL Behaviours-questioning the status quo, building trust, and driving continuous improvement.
• Coach and support managers and leaders, embedding architectural thinking and constructive feedback into everyday ways of working.
• Develop people to shine-raising architectural maturity across the organisation.

Who we're looking for

You're a senior architect with the credibility, judgement, and communication skills to operate at board and shareholder level. You'll come with the following:

• Significant experience (typically 10+ years) as an Enterprise Architect, ideally in telecommunications or similarly complex environments.
• Proven ability to define and communicate enterprise architecture in large organisations.
• Experience setting up and managing large, multi-year outsourcing arrangements with strategic partners.
• Track record of delivering complex IT programmes to stakeholder satisfaction.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills-able to influence at executive level.
• Leadership capability in cross-functional, matrixed organisations.

If you also have the following, we're especially interested in talking to you:

• Knowledge of mobile telecommunications networks, including RAN processes and best practice.
• Experience of asset management in a telecoms environment.
• Experience working in a joint venture organisation.
• Relevant architectural or technology qualifications (or equivalent depth of experience).

If you thrive on influence, enjoy balancing strategy with pragmatism, and want to leave a lasting architectural legacy, this role offers exceptional scope and impact.

Project People is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.