Head of Architecture

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Job Title: Head of Architecture and Technology Strategy

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Edinburgh or Alderley Edge

Working style: Hybrid 50% home/office based

Closing date: 13th August 2024

We are currently seeking a highly skilled and experienced Architecture Leader, to join our team at Royal London. As the most senior Architect at Royal London, you will be instrumental in leading and coaching your team to create the technology strategies and roadmaps that underpin and enable the delivery of our business strategy.

You will be solely responsible for a team of technology architects as well as having matrix responsibility for ensuring alignment with other architecture disciplines (e.g., data, business, security) across Royal London so being an effective collaborator will be key. You will also operate in a multi-disciplinary environment so collaborating and problem solving with colleagues across business lines, technology, data, and change will be a daily occurrence and something you should enjoy.

You will be responsible for the overall architecture governance at Royal London to ensure that we strike a balance between designing for early value and designing for long term and groupwide use. In doing so, you will design and operate controls and guardrails that help ensure we are architecturally aligned and working to a set of principles, whilst providing appropriate levels of autonomy to local design authorities.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated and purposeful individual to make a significant impact in a dynamic and challenging environment. As the leader of the Architecture Function, you will be responsible for ensuring the delivery and implementation of programmes/projects across all the lines of our business. You will provide transparency for senior leadership and support the organisation, through complex change transformation programmes.

About the role

• Develop and maintain an enterprise architecture framework that provides a holistic view of the organisation's technology landscape, capabilities, and dependencies.
• Define and operate architecture governance processes and controls to ensure consistency, compliance, and alignment with business goals.
• Define and track a technology strategy that enables the business strategy in conjunction with business and technology stakeholders.
• Create and maintain architecture roadmaps and transition states that guide the evolution of technology platforms and solutions in alignment with business and technology strategy - these roadmaps will be defined by team / domain and bring together a holistic view of required capability builds, optimisation opportunities and significant tech refresh activity.
• Define and maintain architectural standards, patterns, and guidelines to guide solution design and development efforts.
• Lead, mentor and develop a team of Principal, Solution and Enterprise architects.
• Lead and drive an active community of practice to support 'craft excellence' across all areas of the architecture landscape.
• Manage a matrix team of security, business, and data architects to ensure overall RLG alignment on 'architecture'. As well as support the team in the creation of domain specific roadmaps and target states, ensuring these come together to form an enterprise-wide view.

About you

• Extensive, experience and a proven record of developing, leading, and implementing Enterprise Architecture practices across software development, application, and infrastructure technologies in large complex organisations.
• Ability to demonstrate business value from Enterprise and Domain architecture and ensure architecture not see as an 'ivory tower' discipline.
• Ability to drive innovation, create an environment that encourages innovative approaches, challenges the status quo, and inspires creativity and risk-taking while protecting the core.
• Drives results and contributes to change processes that improve organisational performance and creates a culture of accountability.
• Is commercially aware - Understands and manages business conflicts to ensure the effective utilisation of business resources to prioritise delivery outcomes.
• Previous experience creating, maintaining, and achieving senior stakeholder sign off for IT Roadmaps and Target Architecture States across more than one business.
• Proven experience setting up and leading an architecture governance board e.g., Architecture Review Committee or Technical Design Authority with Executive Level stakeholders.
• Ability to influence key senior stakeholders across the organisation bringing technical depth to ensure the Technology strategy and vision underpins business value.
• Proven leadership capability, with a record of developing, attracting, and recruiting top talent, motivating teams, delegating effectively, celebrating diversity within, and driving performance; with a strong track record of developing others.

About Royal London

We are the UK's largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.

Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.

We have always been proud to reward employees by offering great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, an up to 14% employer matching pension scheme and private medical insurance. You can see all our benefits here - Our Benefits

Inclusion, diversity and belonging.

We're an Inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected - whatever their background.