Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a new team to enhance technology and data use at National Highways.
- Company: Join National Highways, improving England’s motorways and major A roads.
- Benefits: Flexible working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on road safety and customer journeys with innovative tech.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership and technical expertise in architecture and data.
- Other info: Diverse environment with a focus on teamwork and integrity.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
As Head of Architecture Services, you will lead the National Highways Architecture Services practice. This is an exciting, fast-paced opportunity within a brand-new team, working alongside fellow specialists to enhance how National Highways utilises technology and data.
You will be responsible for setting policies and standards across all IT product services, while also developing technical competency and capability across the technology function. You will also be accountable for line managing all technical experts for your discipline and for developing our technical capability to provide into virtual delivery teams. This role can be flexibly based within the UK, as well as working in a hybrid capacity. We are a national team so there will be a requirement for occasional travel to one of our offices for meetings, most commonly Birmingham.
Responsibilities
- Lead and champion architecture across National Highways, acting as an ambassador for the architects, at all levels.
- Own and develop the EA strategy and roadmaps from the overall perspective.
- Lead the establishment, orchestration, evolution and promotion of the architectural principles, community, policies and standards across multiple domains and frameworks to deliver measurable business benefits.
- Govern and assure technology decisions, ensuring alignment and compliance to the architectural guardrails, principles, policies, standards as well as the Enterprise Architecture (EA) strategy and roadmaps.
- Act as the authority for enterprise architecture across National Highways providing subject matter expertise across the organisation and supplier ecosystem, ensuring dependencies, risks and opportunities are identified and managed.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience in a similar role, bringing a deep level of technical and data expertise.
- Strong leadership capability, with a proven track record of leading, developing and motivating a diverse workforce to achieve high performance.
- Experience collaborating with business and technology stakeholders to translate complex business challenges into effective architecture patterns.
- A solid understanding of technical governance, with the capability to contribute to or deliver service assurance.
- Proven experience shaping technology strategy that aligns with business needs, including the ability to create, refine and challenge patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements.
About National Highways
Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.
Digital Services Directorate
The Digital Services Directorate is helping to reshape the way National Highways operates by delivering digital, data, and technology services across all areas, from frontline to back office, in a modern and efficient manner. Our vision is to develop integrated information and technology that empowers our colleagues and provides real-time information to our customers, as well as integrating with intelligent vehicle and transport systems as they evolve, to enhance journey safety and reliability.
External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Head of Architecture Services employer: Highways England
Contact Detail:
Highways England Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Architecture Services
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Show them you’re not just another candidate, but someone who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your skills and experience align with their needs. Confidence is key, so rehearse until it feels natural.
✨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, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Architecture Services
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in architecture services. We want to see how your skills align with the responsibilities outlined in the job description, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a Head of Architecture Services, strong leadership is key. Use your application to demonstrate your ability to lead and motivate teams. Share specific examples of how you've developed talent and driven high performance in previous roles.
Highlight Technical Expertise: We’re looking for someone with deep technical and data expertise. Be sure to include any relevant certifications or projects that showcase your knowledge in technology governance and architecture patterns. This will help us see your fit for the role!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. Plus, it helps us keep everything organised!
How to prepare for a job interview at Highways England
✨Know Your Architecture Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid grasp of enterprise architecture principles and how they apply to the role. Brush up on the latest trends in technology and data utilisation, as well as any relevant frameworks that National Highways might be using.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience, especially in managing diverse teams. Think about times when you've motivated your team to achieve high performance or successfully navigated complex stakeholder relationships.
✨Align with Business Needs
Be ready to discuss how you've previously shaped technology strategies that align with business objectives. Have specific examples of how you've translated complex challenges into effective architectural solutions that delivered measurable benefits.
✨Demonstrate Your Governance Knowledge
Familiarise yourself with technical governance concepts and be prepared to discuss how you've contributed to service assurance in past roles. This will show that you understand the importance of compliance and risk management in architecture.
