At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead architecture and security strategy across a hybrid environment, driving delivery and integration.
- Company: Dynamic tech company in London with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Competitive salary up to £120,000, full-time role, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a fast-paced environment with a focus on practical solutions and team development.
- Why this job: Make impactful decisions in a senior role that shapes the future of technology in the organisation.
- Qualifications: Proven enterprise architecture experience and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 120000 - 120000 € per year.
We are looking for a technically credible, delivery-focused Head of Architecture and Security to join a Group ICT function operating across multiple European businesses. This is a senior leadership role combining genuine enterprise architecture authority with practical security ownership and hands-on delivery oversight — not a theoretical or governance-only position.
Reporting to the Group IT Director and line managing the Technical Engineering Manager, you will set architecture direction across a hybrid estate, own application integration architecture across the Group, drive M365 and End User Computing strategy, and make proportionate security decisions that enable the business rather than block it.
The organisation values pace, pragmatism, and outcomes. This is a role for someone who turns ambiguous problems into clear options and drives decisions through to delivered results.
What you’ll do:
- Establish and maintain clear architecture views across the Group’s hybrid environment — on-premise infrastructure, Azure cloud, Microsoft 365, identity, and security — that are genuinely useful to both engineers and senior business stakeholders.
- Own the Group’s application integration architecture: set integration standards, understand how systems across the businesses connect and exchange data, and challenge approaches that are inconsistent, fragile, or undocumented.
- Convert ambiguous business and technical problems into workable solution designs with clear options, trade-offs, and recommendations.
- Set strategic direction for Microsoft 365 and End User Computing, ensuring the platform’s capabilities are understood and exploited before new technology is proposed.
- Own security strategy and risk-based decision-making for the ICT function, embedding security pragmatically across architecture, delivery, and operations.
- Drive delivery pace by simplifying decision-making, removing blockers, and creating clear, executable plans that teams can act upon.
- Line manage the Technical Engineering Manager, setting expectations, reviewing performance, and developing their leadership capability.
- Represent the ICT function confidently with senior business stakeholders, vendors, and in technical governance discussions.
What we’re looking for:
- Demonstrable enterprise architecture capability: experience producing architecture views, setting coherent direction across a hybrid estate, and making pragmatic design choices about cloud migration and on-premise retention. Formal certification such as TOGAF is valued but not required.
- Application integration architecture experience: evidence of setting integration standards, understanding APIs and data exchange patterns, and challenging development teams on how systems connect.
- Strong strategic depth across Microsoft 365 and identity: tenant-level governance, Conditional Access, device posture, identity governance, and data protection.
- Security strategy and risk-based decision-making: a proven ability to own proportionate security decisions across infrastructure, cloud, identity, and operations in a commercially aware way.
- Broad infrastructure credibility: sufficient understanding of on-premise infrastructure — servers, storage, networking, virtualisation, and resilience — to challenge engineering proposals and set direction.
- Azure cloud architecture understanding, including hybrid integration, governance, and migration sequencing.
- Leadership through influence, not hands-on execution: clear evidence of setting direction, coaching teams, and delivering results through others.
- Experience managing senior technical staff, setting expectations, and holding direct reports accountable for delivery and team outcomes.
- Clear, effective communication: the ability to explain complex topics simply and produce artefacts — diagrams, design documents, decision records — that people actually use.
- A delivery-focused mindset: someone who turns problems into decisions and outcomes quickly, drives momentum, and holds teams to timelines.
- Senior presence and interpersonal skills: confident operating at a senior level, professional and sociable, comfortable engaging across technical and business functions.
Desirable:
- Interest in and awareness of practical AI and automation adoption within ICT functions.
- Experience in regulated financial services environments.
- Experience operating across multiple European jurisdictions.
The role in brief:
- Direct reports: Technical Engineering Manager
- Location: Victoria, London — office-based, five days per week
- Salary: Up to £120,000
- Contract: Full-time, permanent
If you are a senior architecture and security leader who combines technical credibility with clear communication and a genuine drive for delivery, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Head of Architecture and Security in London employer: Computappoint
At Computappoint, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of London (Victoria) where innovation and collaboration thrive. Our culture emphasises pace and pragmatism, providing employees with opportunities for professional growth and leadership development while working on impactful projects across multiple European businesses. With a focus on meaningful outcomes and a supportive team atmosphere, we empower our staff to turn challenges into solutions, making us an attractive choice for those seeking a rewarding career in architecture and security.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Architecture and Security in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant meetups, and engage with professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their architecture and security needs, and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your past projects and how they relate to the role. Focus on your delivery-focused mindset and how you've turned complex problems into clear solutions — that’s what they want to hear!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the team and making an impact.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Architecture and Security in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in enterprise architecture and security. We want to see how your skills align with the specific requirements of the Head of Architecture and Security role.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:Since this is a senior leadership position, don’t forget to emphasise your experience in managing teams and driving results. We’re looking for someone who can influence and coach others, so share examples of how you've done this in the past.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to explain complex topics, as we value effective communication. Remember, we want to understand your thought process and decision-making abilities.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures that your application gets the attention it deserves. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Computappoint
✨Know Your Architecture Inside Out
Make sure you can discuss your experience with enterprise architecture in detail. Be ready to explain how you've set direction across hybrid environments and made pragmatic design choices, especially regarding cloud migration and on-premise retention.
✨Demonstrate Application Integration Expertise
Prepare to talk about your experience with application integration architecture. Highlight specific examples where you've set integration standards and challenged development teams on data exchange patterns. This will show your hands-on knowledge and ability to drive results.
✨Showcase Your Security Strategy Skills
Be prepared to discuss your approach to security strategy and risk-based decision-making. Share examples of how you've embedded security across architecture and operations while maintaining a commercially aware mindset. This is crucial for the role!
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice explaining complex topics simply. Bring along artefacts like diagrams or design documents that you've created, as they can help illustrate your points. Clear communication is key, especially when engaging with senior stakeholders.
