IT Architect

Lead Technical Architect. Permanent role, hybrid working from Birmingham £75,000 base + benefits.


Overview


We are seeking an experienced and strategic Lead Technical Architect to define, lead, and govern the technical architecture capability across the organisation. This role is responsible for ensuring technology solutions are aligned to business objectives, enterprise architecture principles, and long-term strategic goals.


The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across infrastructure, cloud, applications, integration, and data domains, establishing architectural standards, governance frameworks, and best practices that enable the delivery of innovative, secure, scalable, and cost-effective technology services.


This is a senior leadership position requiring strong stakeholder management skills, architectural expertise, and the ability to balance strategic vision with practical delivery outcomes.


Key Responsibilities
Technical Architecture Leadership
Lead and develop the organisation's Technical Architecture capability, ensuring technology investments align with business strategy and enterprise architecture objectives.
Define, implement, and maintain technical architecture standards, policies, principles, patterns, and guardrails.
Establish and mature technical architecture frameworks, methodologies, and governance processes.
Drive consistency and best practice across architecture disciplines and delivery teams.
Lead knowledge-sharing initiatives and support the development of architecture capabilities across the technology function.
Architecture Strategy & Governance
Develop and maintain technology roadmaps that support business priorities and future organisational needs.
Ensure architectural decisions are aligned with enterprise-wide architecture strategies and standards.
Provide oversight and assurance for technical designs, ensuring compliance with governance frameworks, security requirements, and architectural principles.
Act as the senior escalation point for complex technical architecture decisions, risks, and design challenges.
Lead technical design reviews and architecture assurance activities across programmes and projects.
Solution Design & Delivery
Lead the technical design of enterprise-wide IT services and technology platforms.
Support the translation of business requirements, strategic goals, and operational constraints into effective technical solutions.
Collaborate with senior stakeholders to define architecture requirements, priorities, and implementation approaches.
Guide delivery teams to ensure solutions are implemented in accordance with approved architectural designs.
Balance architectural integrity with delivery timelines, operational requirements, and business priorities.
Technology Innovation
Monitor emerging technologies, industry trends, and market developments.
Evaluate opportunities for innovation and recommend technologies that deliver measurable business value.
Contribute to the organisation's technology strategy and digital transformation initiatives.
Promote modern architectural approaches and continuous improvement across the technology landscape.
Stakeholder Engagement
Build strong relationships with senior business and technology stakeholders.
Provide expert architectural consultancy and guidance across programmes, projects, and operational teams.
Influence decision-making through clear communication of technical concepts, risks, opportunities, and recommendations.
Support executive-level discussions relating to technology strategy and investment decisions.
Essential Skills & Competencies
Enterprise & Technical Architecture
Ability to align technical architecture with enterprise architecture, business strategy, and organisational objectives.
Strong understanding of architecture frameworks and their practical application.
Experience defining and governing architecture standards, principles, and roadmaps.
Solution Architecture
Expertise in designing complex, multi-domain technical solutions that deliver business outcomes.
Ability to communicate architecture vision and design decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong understanding of end-to-end technology ecosystems and dependencies