At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and coordinate architecture teams to drive innovative solutions across the organisation.
- Company: Join a leading airline group with a focus on sustainable transformation.
- Benefits: Enjoy health insurance, pension, performance bonuses, and a supportive work/life balance.
- Other info: Work in a fast-paced environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic industry while working with diverse teams globally.
- Qualifications: Experience in enterprise architecture and proven leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
About Us
We are part of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world’s leading airline groups and owner of some of the biggest brands in the sky. IAG Transform provides creative and innovative solutions to drive sustainable transformation by delivering procurement and airline services, as well as group-wide systems across IAG. Each operating company benefits from the Transform centralised model, driving efficiencies, automation, and economies of scale.
Purpose of the role
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.
Your 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.
- Ensure target states, transition roadmaps and architectural principles are clearly defined, maintained and actively used.
- 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.
- Ensure architectural risks, constraints and decisions are identified early and managed appropriately through delivery.
- 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 within the architecture team.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing team culture.
- Ensure appropriate deployment of architecture resources 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 ensuring the right architectural capability is engaged at the right time.
- Balance longer-term architectural outcomes with immediate delivery pressures.
- Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement
- Act as a senior architectural representative with business leaders, programme sponsors and technology leadership.
- Engage with 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.
- Maintain awareness of industry architecture trends and emerging technologies and assess relevance pragmatically.
Your skills, experience and qualifications
Essential
- 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 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. The opportunity to work in a multi-cultural environment with great offices in many locations. We support our people in maintaining work/life balance, as well as providing the many benefits one would expect from a global organisation, including 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.
Architecture Manager in London employer: IAG Transform UK
As part of the International Airlines Group, we offer an exceptional work environment for the Architecture Manager role, characterised by a commitment to innovation and sustainable transformation. Our inclusive culture fosters professional growth and collaboration, while our global presence provides unique opportunities to engage with diverse teams and cutting-edge technologies. With competitive benefits such as health insurance, pension plans, and performance bonuses, we prioritise the well-being and development of our employees, making us an outstanding employer in the aviation industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Architecture Manager in London
✨Get Your Portfolio Game On Point
As an aspiring architect, your portfolio is your golden ticket. Make sure it's not just a collection of your best work, but tells a story about your design process and creative thought. Showcase a range of projects, from conceptual sketches to final renderings—think of it as a visual CV!
✨Slide into Networking Events
Architecture thrives on community connections, so keep an eye out for local architecture meetups, exhibitions, and lectures. These events are gold for meeting industry professionals, and who knows? You might just bump into someone from IAG Transform UK who can give you the insider scoop on their hiring process!
✨Learn the Software Inside Out
Make sure you're up to speed with design software like AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp. Being able to discuss your proficiency during interviews can really set you apart. Plus, if you can mention particular projects where you’ve used them, you’ll demonstrate both skill and practical experience.
✨Refine Your Interview Skills
Interviews for architecture roles can get quite technical, so practice answering questions about your design process and decision-making strategies. Prepare for potential design challenges they might put forward in interviews—show them you can think on your feet and come up with innovative solutions!
We think you need these skills to ace Architecture Manager in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Design Skills:Architecture is all about creativity and technical skills, so make sure your portfolio is front and centre! Include a range of your best projects, showcasing different styles and techniques. Don't forget to explain your design process and the challenges you overcame for each project – it gives hiring managers a glimpse into your thought process!
Tailor Your CV to Architecture:When putting together your CV, highlight relevant experience in architectural design software, like AutoCAD or Revit. Plus, if you have any internships or coursework that involved real-world projects, be sure to mention them. We want to see not just what you've done, but how it relates directly to this role at IAG Transform UK!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to express your passion for architecture and what drew you to IAG Transform UK. Talk about specific projects or values of theirs you admire, and how you see yourself contributing to their team. We want to feel your enthusiasm – let it shine through your words!
Use Professional Terminology:Don't shy away from using industry-specific jargon that demonstrates your expertise! Terms like 'sustainability', 'scale', and 'aesthetics' can not only show your knowledge but also help you connect with the hiring team. Just ensure it's done in a way that's relatable and not overly technical, so we can see your passion clearly!
How to prepare for a job interview at IAG Transform UK
✨Master the Technical Questions
In an architecture interview, be ready to tackle some technical questions about building codes, design principles, and software like AutoCAD or Revit. Brush up on your knowledge of materials and components, as you might even face scenarios to solve during the interview that showcase your problem-solving skills in real-time.
✨Bring Your Portfolio to Life
Your portfolio is your golden ticket! Make sure it not only showcases your best work but also highlights your design thinking process, from sketches to final outputs. During the interview, be prepared to discuss the projects in detail—what challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and what you learnt.
✨Demonstrate Your Passion for Sustainability
In today's architecture landscape, sustainability is key. Be sure to highlight any projects that involved eco-friendly designs or your understanding of sustainable practices. This will show that you’re not just familiar with the trends but are genuinely passionate about creating a better future through your designs.
✨Engage with Your Interviewers
Architecture is a collaborative field, so showing that you're a team player is essential. When conversing with the interviewers, actively listen and respond to their ideas. This isn’t just about you showing off your skills, but also about connecting and demonstrating how well you’d fit into their team at IAG Transform UK.
