At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and implementation of innovative tech solutions in a hybrid work environment.
- Company: Join the UK's largest employee-owned business, known for its commitment to quality and service.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for personal growth.
- Other info: Be part of a culture that values respect, innovation, and personal development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in financial services technology while collaborating with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in financial services tech and strong leadership skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 62900 - 115000 £ per year.
Salary: £62,900 to £115,000. Contract type: Permanent. Working pattern: The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the London head office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business.
As a Partner within our Technology & Change operating model, your primary focus is collaborating to drive tangible value for both our customers and our business. The Architecture function acts as our strategic compass—identifying the technical capabilities required for the Partnership to successfully operate, adapt, and transform.
Reporting to the Enterprise Architect PL5 for Shared Capability, you will benefit from a structured handover and be fully empowered to take ownership of the John Lewis Financial Services (JLFS) technology strategy. You will navigate the Partnership's federated matrix and vendor ecosystem as a visible leader within the JLFS Technology Management community.
Key Responsibilities- Design for Impact & Strategy: Architect, design, and support the implementation of sustainable, highly effective technology solutions. Define architectural intent and technical guardrails (covering vendor, environmental, security, data, and technology considerations) aligned with the broader enterprise strategy.
- Guide Strategic Investments & Roadmapping: Act as a trusted technology advisor to validate investments, ensure a sound ROI, and own the capability maturity roadmaps for the Technology Reference Model. Effectively balance short-term, in-year benefits (like MVPs and test-and-learns) against long-term strategic capabilities.
- Domain-Driven Design & System Modeling: Champion Domain-Driven Design (DDD) principles by continuously refining enterprise domain models. Work closely with Product and business teams to ensure technical boundaries accurately reflect the evolving business landscape, while designing reusable implementation patterns to accelerate delivery pace.
- Technology Governance & Risk: Optimise technology design governance to balance Partnership and relevant Regulatory decisions processes while supporting pace of change and team autonomy. Pragmatically balance technology and information risk while continuously driving a measurable reduction in technical debt.
- Collaborate & Influence Outcomes: Guide technology outcomes within cross-functional teams, working seamlessly alongside internal engineering colleagues, third-party SMEs, Product, and Business Partners to bridge the gap between architectural vision and pragmatic delivery.
- Team Empowerment & Agility: Embrace agile working principles to empower teams to make autonomous decisions at-pace. Actively coach, develop, and support an empowered architecture community, optimizing resource allocation and supporting recruitment workflows when required.
- Market Insight & Innovation: Actively leverage internal and external networks to stay ahead of customer requirements, market conditions, and emerging technological advancements, feeding these insights directly into the enterprise's strategic thinking.
- Financial Services Tech Experience: Direct experience or deep familiarity with the financial services technology domain (JLFS), including navigating strict regulatory decision processes and compliance frameworks.
- Active Empathy & Culture Building: Experience fostering a culture of mutual respect and psychological safety when navigating complex integrations, shifting team workflows, or managing external SME relationships.
- Team Coaching & Community Growth: A background in coaching, developing, and supporting engineering or architecture communities, promoting technical best practices, and participating in resource planning or talent recruitment.
- Domain-Driven Design (DDD) & Systems Thinking: Proven ability to translate business strategies into technical capabilities, draw clear domain boundaries, map business domains to system architectures, and design reusable integration patterns.
- Commercial Acumen & FinOps: Strong financial awareness to evaluate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) against tangible customer value, with a track record of validating the ROI on large technology investments and forecasting vendor demand.
- Agile Roadmapping & Capability Planning: Advanced proficiency in building and maintaining capability maturity roadmaps, demonstrating the ability to expertly balance short-term MVP delivery with long-term, multi-year strategic enterprise goals.
- Influence & Collaborative Leadership: A proven ability to lead through influence rather than just authority, build consensus among diverse stakeholders, empower engineering teams, and collaborate effectively with third-party SMEs.
- Risk, Resiliency & Governance Management: Strong capability to define and enforce technology guardrails (spanning security, data, environments, and vendors) while actively managing technical debt and improving operational resilience.
- Analytical Capability & Adaptability: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with comfort navigating fast-paced, ambiguous environments and maintaining architectural documentation accuracy.
- Future-Focused Horizon Scanning: A demonstrated habit of leveraging external professional networks to benchmark emerging technological advancements and successfully applying those trends to line-of-business strategies.
Closing Date: July 15, 2026. Pay: £62,900.00 - £115,000.00 Annual. Contract Type: Permanent. Hours of Work: 08:30 - 17:00. Job Level: Partnership Level 6. Where You'll Be Working: London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, SW1V 2QQ.
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP: We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us. We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose. As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.
Important points to note: It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles. We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
Enterprise Architect employer: John Lewis
As a Retail Sales Assistant at John Lewis in Horsham, you will be part of a renowned company that values its employees and fosters a supportive work culture. With competitive pay and the opportunity for uncapped commission, you can grow your skills in a dynamic retail environment while enjoying flexible working hours. John Lewis is committed to employee development, ensuring that you have access to training and growth opportunities that make your role both meaningful and rewarding.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Enterprise Architect
✨Join the IT Consultancy Buzz
Get involved in local or virtual IT consultancy meetups and forums. This is where we can rub shoulders with industry professionals, get insights into what John Lewis values, and even spot unadvertised opportunities. Don't miss out on these chances to make a name for ourselves in the IT world!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Create a personal project or case study relevant to the challenges John Lewis might face. Use platforms like GitHub or Medium to share your findings. This not only demonstrates our consulting skills but shows a proactive attitude, making us stand out from the crowd when applying for that full-time gig.
✨Leverage LinkedIn for Connections
Follow and engage with the relevant thought leaders and influencers in IT consultancy on LinkedIn. Share insightful content and join discussions to gain visibility. A well-placed comment or shared article could catch the attention of someone at John Lewis!
✨Direct Apply to John Lewis
Let's not forget to apply directly through the John Lewis website! Tailor your application to showcase our understanding of their consulting style and how we can contribute to their projects. A personalised approach can make a huge difference in landing that full-time position!
We think you need these skills to ace Enterprise Architect
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at John Lewis.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at John Lewis. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at John Lewis
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
