Lead Data & AI Architect in Leatherhead

Title: Lead Data & AI Architect
Salary: £73,000 - £88,000
Location: Any Frazer-Nash office location with flexible hybrid working between office, client sites and home.
Closing date: 16th September 2026

At Frazer-Nash, we empower endeavour for real results. Our Digital AI team helps clients and the wider business unlock the value of data, artificial intelligence, analytics and automation, delivering innovative solutions in complex and highly regulated environments.

We are seeking an experienced Lead Data & AI Architect to provide strategic technical leadership across our Digital & AI capability. This is a senior role responsible for shaping the architecture vision for Data & AI solutions, ensuring they are scalable, secure, reusable and aligned with business strategy, governance requirements and client expectations. As the recognised authority for Data & AI architecture, you will work closely with senior stakeholders across the business, shaping technology direction, providing architecture assurance and developing the development of reference architectures, standards and technical guardrails for enterprise data platforms, analytics, automation and GenAI solutions. The ideal candidate will have a solid technical leadership background, with experience that should include several of the following: Defining and owning strategic Data AI architectures across complex organisations. Managing the development of enterprise data platforms, analytics, automation and Generative AI solutions. Acting as a design authority and providing architecture assurance for significant digital programmes and products. Establishing architecture standards, reference architectures, governance processes and reusable technical patterns. Managing technical risk and making architectural decisions that balance innovation, security, maintainability and long-term value. Providing strategic direction on data governance, security, sovereignty, integration and model lifecycle management. Advising senior stakeholders on technology strategy, delivery approaches and investment decisions. Improving consistency and reuse across Digital & AI products, platforms and delivery teams. Mentoring architects, engineers and technical leaders to build organisational capability. Supporting the adoption of emerging technologies whilst ensuring robust governance and assurance.

Essential Requirements

• Significant experience leading Data and AI architecture within complex or regulated environments.
• Significant experience shaping architecture strategy for analytics, automation, Generative AI and software-enabled products.
• Solid understanding of enterprise data platforms, integration architectures and modern Digital & AI technologies.
• Experience acting as a design authority, setting technical standards and assuring solutions through governance processes.
• Solid understanding of security, data sovereignty, data separation, assurance and model lifecycle controls.
• Experience shaping architecture direction across multiple products, programmes or delivery teams.
• Effective stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to provide constructive challenge and specialist advice to senior leadership teams.
• Experience coaching, mentoring and developing architecture, engineering or technical delivery capability.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working within highly regulated sectors such as defence, nuclear, energy, transport or government.
• Experience designing and governing enterprise-scale GenAI solutions.
• Knowledge of cloud-based Data AI platforms and services.
• Experience supporting governance, audit, accreditation or assurance activities.
• Understanding of enterprise architecture frameworks and best practice.
• Experience establishing architecture communities, standards or centres of excellence.
• Knowledge of software engineering, DevOps and modern delivery approaches.
• Chartered status or relevant professional certifications.
• Experience delivering large-scale digital transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of data governance, information management and data quality practices.

Benefits

• Happy To Talk
• Flexible Working
• Competitive salary
• 25 days' holiday entitlement
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Company pension scheme
• Targeted professional development
• Life Assurance
• Private healthcare membership
• Bonus scheme linked into company performance
• Paid membership fees to a professional institution
• Support in attaining professional membership
• Cycle to work scheme
• Share purchase scheme
• Season rail ticket loan

Due to the nature of the work that Frazer-Nash Consultancy undertake, candidates will be required to undergo pre-employment screening and must be able to satisfy clearance criteria for UK National Security Vetting.

Frazer-Nash is a leading systems, engineering and technology company. We help organisations deliver innovative engineering and technology solutions to make lives safe, secure, sustainable, and affordable. With over 1000 employees, we work from a network of nine UK and four Australian locations. Our people apply their expertise to develop, enhance and protect our clients' critical assets, systems and processes. We use our skills and talents to ensure a sustainable future for society. Our work helps deliver a safe and secure world, where natural resources are conserved, and clean energy is available to all. And we focus on actions to reduce climate change; supporting rapid and far-reaching transformations in the delivery of energy, security, industry, and transport. At the heart of our business are a set of self-defined core values. These are part of our DNA and we’re committed to upholding them – internally as part of our Frazer-Nash family; in the way we work with our customers; and when we engage with the wider world.

We care At Frazer-Nash, we care about each other; always looking to collaborate and see things from the other person’s point of view We offer mutual support, learn from one another, and work as a team to deliver the best results Everyone has a voice, and we all make the time to listen We will work with openness and collaborate effectively – thinking about our clients and our people, and responding to their needs We care about the difference we make to the wider world. We are trusted Effective collaboration is founded upon trust. We earn the trust of our customers and colleagues by delivering on the commitments we have made to them. We deliver success We deliver value and success to our customers and to our business. We continually strive to be the best at what we do. We want to do things that matter We seek out interesting and satisfying work that helps makes a difference in society We use our expertise to provide trusted, impartial professional advice to our clients By making a difference to today, we benefit the world of tomorrow – so we can all go home each day knowing that we’ve done something that really mattered.