Enterprise Architect (London)

Linklaters

Linklaters is a global law firm, with 31 offices in 21 countries worldwide.

Linklaters is a people business. Being best in class in the eyes of our clients means that our people must be exceptional.

We look not only for brilliant minds, but for people who will thrive in our environment: people who love working collaboratively and demonstrate the innovative, efficient, agile, entrepreneurial, and responsible mind-set we aim to bring to every interaction.

Ours is an environment of outperformance. We achieve this not with targets and incentives, but by fostering a positive, supportive, fair, and open atmosphere.

We respect and value difference but insist on inclusivity. We celebrate all aspects of diversity and challenge any form of bias. This is vital to our ability to work as one team, with a common goal.

The Role

Linklaters is embarking on a period of change that will see a significant transformation to the core technology platforms supporting our lawyers and business teams, including a fundamental evolution in our ERP solutions.

To help drive this period of change, Linklaters is expanding its Technology Architecture team to include an Enterprise Architect primarily focussed on our People domain, who will help guide the Firm in maximising the benefits of our Workday platform and beyond.

The Enterprise Architect will:

• apply technical and commercial understanding to achieve business outcomes via effective programs of change and investment;
• provide guidance for the technical design of systems and projects, ensuring solutions are architected for global delivery;
• collaborate with all areas of the Technology department and business on the role of architecture, influencing key stakeholders towards changes that develop the technology platform in line with the strategy;
• ensure the Firm’s business strategy, technology strategy and market trends are aligned in the enterprise’s processes and systems;
• examine areas of the Technology function, looking for opportunities to improve the services we offer to the Practice and our clients, whether that service improvement is a quality / productivity improvement or a cost reduction; and,
• drive business value from strategic investments by exploiting existing technology platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Technical:

• Identify areas of the business where technology can achieve an improved service, adding value to the client, with measurable payback.
• Exploit the existing technology platform identifying areas where technology can provide an enhanced service.
• Understand the scope of the Practice activities, documenting business drivers and priorities through engagement of appropriate Technology teams, key members of Business Teams and the Practice.
• Research new technologies relevant to Linklaters’ business goals and the technology platform.
• Maintain architectural and strategic trend knowledge of:
• people technologies, particularly those supporting professional services firms;
• data analytics platforms; and,
• cloud technologies.
• Produce, maintain and communicate enterprise architecture resources (roadmaps, strategies, etc.) that are aligned with the aims of the Business and our Technology strategy, collaborating closely with Technology stakeholders in their development.
• Influence the full lifecycle of the technical solutions delivered by business projects from initial concept, requirements gathering, specification, design, delivery and acceptance into operational support.
• Ensure that projects implement change that is global in nature and adhere to appropriate regulatory/compliance requirements.
• Provide services to the Technology department that emphasise good architecture practice and achieve conformity with the Enterprise Architecture.
• Provide an assurance role, ensuring that all architecture activities and deliverables (in-house and outsourced) are produced to a high quality and are consistent with existing standards, policies and strategies
• Undertake regular reviews and audits of the technology platform, producing strategies on its development in line with the Enterprise Architecture.
• Maintain an excellent knowledge of Linklaters technology platform and communicate this to all areas of the business.
• Assess trends and developments that are occurring in the Legal IT sector and more broadly across the industry.

Business:

• Act as a Trusted Advisor, through engagement with the Practice and Business Teams, providing strategic technology advice that is easily consumed by all stakeholder levels across the Firm.
• Maintain knowledge of emerging trends and strategies within relevant business areas, including the legal practice and finance.
• Assess emerging trends and establish whether they would benefit the Firm; those trends being related to the economic or political climate, technical advances, or evolution of the legal sector.
• Evaluate technology opportunities from a commercial perspective, ensuring proposed changes add tangible business value.
• Ensure architectural standards and policies align with business goals and priorities.

Personal:

• Develop good working relationships with business stakeholders as well as all Technology colleagues.
• Maintain and develop strategic relationships with key technology suppliers.

About You

• Practical and commercial experience in a strategic and/or technical change role within an IT system driven environment.
• Strong knowledge of the technology market and its providers, with an understanding of new and emerging technologies.
• Has worked in an international organisation, with an appreciation of cultural differences and styles.
• Understanding of the techniques and concepts of software and system development, and service management disciplines.
• Experience of working with functions in the people domain, including HR, talent management, recruitment, payroll and learning.
• Experience of enterprise HR platform, such as Workday or Success Factors.
• Experience of other business management domains.
• Knowledge of different project management techniques.
• Experience of working in a product focussed organisation.
• Experience with data analytics and machine learning technologies.
• Commercial Skills
• Experience of building and maintaining effective working relationships at all levels.
• Previous experience in guiding an organisation through procuring complex, enterprise platforms.
• Negotiating skills.
• Experience within a professional services organisation, preferably within the legal sector.
• Able to operate from London.
• Flexibility to travel throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas as required.

Benefits

This role is based at the Linklaters London office with a hybrid working model available.

Joining Team Linklaters will see you qualify for a range of benefits designed to reward the vital contribution you'll be making to our success. These include:

Health & Wellbeing:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Free in-house fitness centre and subsidised health club memberships
• Free onsite GP service and periodic health assessments

Finance:

• Pension and flexible savings options
• Income protection and life assurance
• Mortgage advice and will-writing services

Family & Lifestyle:

• Electric car and cycle to work schemes
• Emergency family care
• Additional holiday/birthday leave
• Maternity/paternity/shared parental leave
• Travel insurance and season ticket loan
• Option to join sports and social clubs, as well as our employee networks groups (such as our Gender Equality Network, With Pride, or Social Mobility Networks)

If you think this role would suit you, please click apply below. We look forward to hearing from you!

Technical Skills

This list of duties and responsibilities above is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for, the performance of this job. As such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

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