Architecture Director (Basingstoke)

Architecture Director

Hi, I’m Matt Saxon, CTO at Sony’s Sports Businesses. I’m on a mission to transform our technology landscape, uniting our world-class portfolio, which includes Hawk-Eye Innovations, Pulselive, Beyond Sports and KinaTrax, under a single, forward-looking architecture that drives innovation at a global scale.

To lead this charge, I am hiring an Architecture Director to join my leadership team. This isn’t a typical architecture role. I’m seeking an expert who will take definitive ownership of critical technology domains across our entire sports business. You will have the accountability, influence, and end-to-end ownership to make real change happen and steer our technological future, ensuring the solutions we build deliver tangible business value.

My goal is to find a force multiplier for our talented engineering and product teams. I need a leader who can help us architect smarter, develop more effectively, and scale with purpose by ensuring our solutions are robust from their initial conception right through to delivery and operation.

What I’ll Expect From You

As a key member of my team, I will look to you to own the following:

• Architecture Strategy & Design: I'll need you to develop and maintain the enterprise architecture roadmap for your domains, ensuring it’s perfectly aligned with our business strategy. You will be one of my go-to leaders for the design and planning of the scalable, secure, and efficient solutions that will define our future.

• Business Engagement & Strategic Influence: This role is as much about business as it is about technology. I expect you to own the architecture for key domains, consult on business architecture, and make bold recommendations for organisational change that will help us achieve our goals. You will lead the creation of business cases for the strategic initiatives you identify as critical for our success.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: You’ll work closely with my executive peers, business leaders, and product managers to translate their strategic goals into a clear technical vision. A key part of your role will be communicating this vision and its business impact to non-technical stakeholders, ensuring buy-in across the organisation.

• Technology Leadership & Governance: I'll rely on you to keep us ahead of the curve, evaluating emerging technologies like AI/ML and making the case for their adoption. You will also define and enforce the architectural governance that brings consistency and quality to everything we build, managing the risks associated with our technology decisions.

• Leadership Through Influence: While you won’t have permanent direct reports, leadership is a critical aspect of this role. I need you to lead through influence, providing mentorship and strategic guidance to our senior technologists and delivery teams. In some cases, you may incubate and lead teams directly as part of a major transformation project.

What I’m Looking For: Skills & Expertise

To succeed in this role, you’ll need a strong foundation of experience and a broad perspective. Specifically, I'm looking for:

• A seasoned leader with 10+ years of experience in engineering architecture, including at least 3-5 years in a leadership role.

• Expert knowledge in at least 3 of the following domains, as you'll need a holistic view:

  • Application Architecture

  • Cloud Architecture (we are an AWS-heavy environment)

  • Data Architecture

  • Security Architecture

  • Business Architecture

  • Infrastructure Architecture

• A proven track record of designing and implementing large-scale, distributed enterprise systems. Your past work should demonstrate your ability to handle complexity.

• Deep familiarity with architectural frameworks (like TOGAF or Zachman) and modern integration patterns (APIs, event-driven architecture, microservices).

• While I don’t expect you to be coding, your background must include hands-on experience. I need a leader who has built things and understands what it takes to deliver, ensuring you have credibility with my technical teams.

• The ability to command a room and articulate complex technical concepts to any audience, from a board member to a junior engineer.

It would be a significant advantage if you also have:

• Certification in TOGAF, Zachman, or a similar framework.

• Professional cloud certification, such as an AWS Solutions Architect.

• Experience with IT service management frameworks like ITIL.

Ready to Make an Impact?

We’re not just evolving our tech—we’re reshaping how sport is experienced, analysed, and delivered across the globe. If you are a senior leader who can navigate complexity, inspire teams, define strategic direction, and take true end-to-end ownership of transformational change, I’d love to connect.

UK Benefits:

• Annual Leave: 25 days + 8 public holidays

• Enhanced Pension Scheme: 5% matching

• Flexible Working: Hybrid model (2 days in the office per week)

• Wellness: Complimentary Unmind app, onsite gym (Basingstoke)

• Exclusive Perks: Access to sporting events and tickets, Sony Group Company
  discounts

Let’s build the future of sports technology—together.

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