Architecture Manager

The Architecture Manager is accountable for leading and coordinating the Group’s Generalist Architecture capability, providing people leadership, architectural direction, and governance across enterprise and solution architecture disciplines in the enterprise applications and platforms landscape. The role ensures that architectural work undertaken by Principal and Solution Architects is coherent, prioritised, consistently applied and aligned to Group strategy, enterprise standards and delivery needs. Acting as the primary leadership and escalation point for the Generalist Architecture team, the Architecture Manager balances strategic architectural integrity with pragmatic delivery support across a complex, federated operating environment.

Responsibilities

• Architecture Leadership & Coordination
  • Lead, coordinate and prioritise the work of Generalist Principal Architects and Generalist Solution Architects across the Group.
  • Ensure clear alignment between enterprise-level architectural direction and solution-level design and delivery.
  • Act as the primary escalation point for architectural conflicts, trade-offs or cross-domain design issues.
  • Ensure consistent application of architecture principles, standards and patterns across initiatives.
• Enterprise Architecture Oversight
  • Own the integrity and coherence of the overall enterprise applications and platforms architecture landscape through effective use of Principal Architect capability.
  • Define, maintain and actively use target states, transition roadmaps and architectural principles.
  • Identify and address duplication, fragmentation or misalignment across business capabilities and technology platforms.
• Solution Architecture Governance & Assurance
  • Oversee solution architecture quality and assurance across projects and programmes.
  • Identify and manage architectural risks, constraints and decisions early.
  • Establish proportionate governance and assurance checkpoints aligned to scale, risk and complexity.
• People Leadership & Capability Development
  • Provide line management, coaching and performance management for Generalist Principal Architects and Generalist Solution Architects.
  • Support professional development, capability uplift and succession planning.
  • Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing team culture.
  • Deploy architecture resources appropriately across the delivery portfolio.
• Strategy, Change & Portfolio Support
  • Partner with senior technology, delivery and business leaders to align architecture activity with strategic priorities.
  • Support major change initiatives by engaging the right architectural capability at the right time.
  • Balance long-term architectural outcomes with immediate delivery pressures.
• Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement
  • Represent architecture at senior business and programme levels.
  • Engage suppliers and partners where architectural leadership or assurance is required.
  • Communicate complex architectural issues clearly, pragmatically and in business-relevant terms.
• Architecture Practice & Continuous Improvement
  • Own and evolve ways of working for the Generalist Architecture team.
  • Promote consistency, reuse and best practice across architecture deliverables.
  • Stay aware of industry architecture trends and emerging technologies and assess relevance pragmatically.

Essential Skills, Experience and Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience operating at Principal / Enterprise / Architecture Leadership level within complex organisations.
• Strong understanding of both enterprise architecture and solution architecture disciplines.
• Proven people leadership experience managing senior specialist roles.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders across business and technology functions.
• Broad architectural understanding across applications, integration, data, infrastructure, cloud, security and services.
• Ability to operate effectively in complex, federated or multi-operating‑company environments.

Desirable Experience

• Experience leading architecture teams through transformation or modernisation initiatives.
• Experience operating across international organisations and cultures.
• Contribution to architecture standards, communities or best‑practice development.

Personal Attributes

• Enterprise-minded and able to balance strategic thinking with practical judgement.
• Credible, pragmatic and confident operating at senior levels.
• Comfortable working across ambiguity, change and complexity.
• Collaborative, inclusive and outcomes-focused leader.

What we offer

The chance to enjoy a challenging career in an exciting, fast-moving environment in a dynamic industry. Opportunities to work in a multi-cultural environment with great offices in many locations. We support work/life balance, health insurance, pension and performance bonuses. We are an equal opportunities employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Legal Statement

IAG Transform is a part of International Airlines Group (IAG). IAG is one of the world’s largest airline groups. IAG has committed to net zero by 2050, and sustainability is a core part of its strategy. IAG Transform plays a critical role in driving transformation across IAG and the aviation industry. We are based in London, UK, with a presence in Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona and Kraków. Your work will create real impact, from everyday improvements to breakthrough change that reshapes the way the world flies.