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About the role We are seeking a Senior IT Architect to lead our annual ongoing technology refresh programme taking responsibility for defining, shaping and agreeing the annual portfolio of technology refresh projects each year. This will include the management and leadership of a small team of architects to successfully deliver these projects, ensuring effective governance and control and the delivery of business requirements, whilst minimising IT risk and optimising the IT estate. You will also contribute to the development of standards, patterns and strategic IT roadmaps for current IT systems, services & applications. You will also be capable of deputising for the head of solution architecture in their absence. Accountabilities: Working with Enterprise Architecture define and agree a portfolio of candidate projects each year for the annual technology refresh programme. Undertaking the necessary discovery and investigation to provide a robust proposed scope and approach for each candidate project; with a high degree of confidence in the likely costs and timeframe required to deliver each project. Management and leadership of a small team of IT architects to deliver each of the projects in the agreed annual technology refresh programme each year. Delivery of Solution Architectures for technology refresh projects: ensuring compliance to policies and standards, remediation of identified risks and vulnerabilities and optimisation. Deputise for Head of Solution Architecture in his absence, attending architectural governance and management meetings to represent Solution Architecture. Where required research, create, communicate and maintain IT product and supplier roadmaps for specific domains within the associated risk appetite; taking into account market and IT developments that are designed to deliver long-term business requirements, reduce IT risk and maximise re-use and efficiencies. Develop, agree, control, maintain and govern effective delivery of IT architectural solution blueprints (both internally and externally produced), incorporating IT operating model, technology, applications, information and service, in accordance with agreed standards and criteria, to ensure a shared understanding between parties, that it delivers business requirements and is effectively governed and controlled. Identify, evaluate and select technology, applications and service products, in collaboration with Group Procurement and business stakeholders and in accordance with policies, procedures and standards, to ensure they are fit for purpose, deliver business requirements within budget and timescales and that contracts are effective. Develop, agree, control and maintain IT architectural standards and policies for product, technology, information and service that are aligned with industry practice and the strategic roadmap and will deliver consistent and efficient IT solution design and application. Manage the technology relationships with third party suppliers and contractors, to ensure they meet business need and deliver the requirements of the solution and any contracts are aligned with IT roadmaps and standards. Monitor and manage specific Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes to ensure their effective operation and provide guidance and control to the architectural design aspects of other relevant ITIL processes to ensure governance requirements and standards are met. Assist with impact assessment of IT operational incidents and proposed IT Change to provide the subject matter expertise required to support effective decision making. About you Qualifications: Ideally qualified to the following standards or equivalent: Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) Practitioner in Enterprise and Solution Architecture The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) 9 Certified ITIL Foundation Prince 2 Foundation Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) Foundation Experience and Knowledge: Experience in playing a key role within an IT delivery function including solutioning/solution planning and delivering Experience as a Lead Architect for an IT programme or large project Experience in shaping and defining a portfolio of projects Experience of defining and creating architectural standards and patterns Experience of running architectural governance for a programme or large project Working knowledge of Architectural domains Good knowledge of: Emerging technologies and standards Wider IT market issues Architectural standards and methodologies e.g. TOGAF Architectural design patterns Integration design patterns Excellent presentation and influencing skills Great senior stakeholder communication and management skills Good working knowledge of change lifecycle skills: Analysis and requirements management Azure Hosting Functional Decomposition Business models Data models About the role We are seeking a Senior IT Architect to lead our annual ongoing technology refresh programme taking responsibility for defining, shaping and agreeing the annual portfolio of technology refresh projects each year. This will include the management and leadership of a small team of architects to successfully deliver these projects, ensuring effective governance and control and the delivery of business requirements, whilst minimising IT risk and optimising the IT estate. You will also contribute to the development of standards, patterns and strategic IT roadmaps for current IT systems, services & applications. You will also be capable of deputising for the head of solution architecture in their absence. Accountabilities: Working with Enterprise Architecture define and agree a portfolio of candidate projects each year for the annual technology refresh programme. Undertaking the necessary discovery and investigation to provide a robust proposed scope and approach for each candidate project; with a high degree of confidence in the likely costs and timeframe required to deliver each project. Management and leadership of a small team of IT architects to deliver each of the projects in the agreed annual technology refresh programme each year. Delivery of Solution Architectures for technology refresh projects: ensuring compliance to policies and standards, remediation of identified risks and vulnerabilities and optimisation. Deputise for Head of Solution Architecture in his absence, attending architectural governance and management meetings to represent Solution Architecture. Where required research, create, communicate and maintain IT product and supplier roadmaps for specific domains within the associated risk appetite; taking into account market and IT developments that are designed to deliver long-term business requirements, reduce IT risk and maximise re-use and efficiencies. Develop, agree, control, maintain and govern effective delivery of IT architectural solution blueprints (both internally and externally produced), incorporating IT operating model, technology, applications, information and service, in accordance with agreed standards and criteria, to ensure a shared understanding between parties, that it delivers business requirements and is effectively governed and controlled. Identify, evaluate and select technology, applications and service products, in collaboration with Group Procurement and business stakeholders and in accordance with policies, procedures and standards, to ensure they are fit for purpose, deliver business requirements within budget and timescales and that contracts are effective. Develop, agree, control and maintain IT architectural standards and policies for product, technology, information and service that are aligned with industry practice and the strategic roadmap and will deliver consistent and efficient IT solution design and application. Manage the technology relationships with third party suppliers and contractors, to ensure they meet business need and deliver the requirements of the solution and any contracts are aligned with IT roadmaps and standards. Monitor and manage specific Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes to ensure their effective operation and provide guidance and control to the architectural design aspects of other relevant ITIL processes to ensure governance requirements and standards are met. Assist with impact assessment of IT operational incidents and proposed IT Change to provide the subject matter expertise required to support effective decision making. About you Qualifications: Ideally qualified to the following standards or equivalent: Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) Practitioner in Enterprise and Solution Architecture The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) 9 Certified ITIL Foundation Prince 2 Foundation Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) Foundation Experience and Knowledge: Experience in playing a key role within an IT delivery function including solutioning/solution planning and delivering Experience as a Lead Architect for an IT programme or large project Experience in shaping and defining a portfolio of projects Experience of defining and creating architectural standards and patterns Experience of running architectural governance for a programme or large project Working knowledge of Architectural domains Good knowledge of: Emerging technologies and standards Wider IT market issues Architectural standards and methodologies e.g. TOGAF Architectural design patterns Integration design patterns Excellent presentation and influencing skills Great senior stakeholder communication and management skills Good working knowledge of change lifecycle skills: Analysis and requirements management Azure Hosting Functional Decomposition Business models Data models
