Director, Senior Technical Architect in Tadworth

We are seeking a Director, Senior Technical Architect to serve as the technical leader accountable for shaping the architecture and technology strategy for key Executive Leadership Team (ELT)-level AI programs at Pfizer. This leader will define the architecture and technical direction for these high-priority AI programs, ensuring they are modern, secure, scalable, reusable, and aligned to Pfizer’s enterprise architecture standards and Digital platform strategy.

The role is accountable for translating ambiguous, high-priority ELT-level AI ambitions into a clear architecture and technology strategy, and for connecting these programs to Pfizer’s enterprise platforms and standards. This leader will work as a trusted technical advisor to senior business and Digital leaders, enterprise architects, and platform teams to ensure the AI programs’ architecture is coherent, well-governed, and delivers measurable value.

This position requires a senior, hands-on technical architect who can operate at the intersection of enterprise AI strategy, technology strategy, modern engineering, AI-enabled delivery, and architectural governance. As a technical authority, the Director will create clarity from complexity, make sound architecture and technology choices, guide teams through influence, and set the technical direction that helps these AI programs deliver faster, safer, and more reusable capabilities at enterprise scale.

What You Will Achieve

• Architecture and Technology Strategy: Shape the architecture and technology strategy for key ELT-level AI programs, connecting program ambitions, enterprise architecture standards, and emerging AI capabilities into a clear, actionable roadmap and target-state architecture.
• Solution and Reference Architecture: Define the target and reference architectures for the AI programs, establishing key technical standards, integration patterns, and guardrails, and ensuring architecture decisions are sound, sustainable, and fit for enterprise scale.
• Enterprise and Platform Alignment: Connect the AI programs’ architecture to Pfizer’s enterprise platforms and standards, ensuring they reuse shared capabilities (agent, data, memory, and security platforms) and integrate cleanly into the broader platform spine.
• Trusted Technical Advisor: Partner with senior business and Digital leaders and ELT sponsors as a trusted advisor, translating ambiguous AI ambitions into practical architecture choices, delivery models, and measurable outcomes.
• Responsible AI Architecture: Define how AI, automation, and modern engineering practices are responsibly architected across the programs to increase speed, improve quality, strengthen decision-making, and maintain appropriate governance, controls, and verification.
• Technical Guidance and Mentorship: Provide architectural leadership and mentorship to the AI program engineering and delivery teams, raising technical standards and building capability through influence rather than direct authority.
• Reliability, Security, and Governance: Establish and uphold expectations for reliability, security, documentation, and operational excellence across the AI programs’ architecture, ensuring it is compliant, observable, and resilient.

ROLE BEHAVIOURS

• Don’t Lose Your Curiosity: Fosters a culture of curiosity and continuous learning across the AI programs; explores and pilots emerging AI technologies; brings outside-in perspectives into the programs’ technical direction.
• Set an example for your team: Consistently demonstrate a clear architectural vision, positive energy, and exemplary engineering practices that motivate the program teams to strive for their highest potential.
• Own the Outcome: Sets clear accountability standards focused on business impact and architectural health; takes end-to-end ownership of technical outcomes across the AI programs; drives quality and delivery commitments in the AI era.
• Connect Across Disciplines: Bridges technical and business domains across the AI programs; inspires holistic solutions spanning architecture, engineering, and operations; brings broad technical and business perspective; translates specialized knowledge into accessible explanations; thinks like a business insider.
• Communicate with Precision: Champions spec-driven development and precise technical communication; frames trade-offs clearly; communicates effectively from ELT sponsors to engineers; drives clarity as a core value across the programs.
• Think in Systems: Shapes systems design and architecture practices across the AI programs; anticipates failure modes and designs for resilience; influences cross-team architecture decisions; creates clarity from complexity; bridges technical systems with business processes.

Here Is What You Need (Minimum Requirements)

• Applicant must have a bachelor’s degree with at least 8 years of experience; OR a master’s degree with at least 7 years of experience; OR a PhD with 5+ years of experience.
• Demonstrated experience defining the architecture and technology strategy for significant programs, products, or technology domains — ideally AI or data-intensive.
• Deep, hands-on technical expertise in modern engineering practices, cloud platforms, data and integration patterns, APIs, AI/ML services, security, and reliability.
• Experience acting as a technical advisor or design authority, guiding teams and stakeholders through influence rather than direct authority.
• Experience partnering with senior business and Digital stakeholders on high-visibility programs to shape technical direction and measurable outcomes.

Bonus Points If You Have (Preferred Requirements)

• Degree in a technology, engineering, or related discipline preferred.
• Experience operating in a highly regulated, global enterprise environment with complex compliance, privacy, security, and risk expectations.
• Experience architecting AI, agentic, or automation solutions and applying platform reuse to improve speed and quality.
• Track record of influencing senior stakeholders, building trusted partnerships, and creating clarity in ambiguous situations.
• Recognized technical depth in AI and modern architecture (e.g., agentic platforms, LLMs, data platforms, cloud, and enterprise integration).

Leadership Capabilities

• Technical Strategy and Judgment: Connects enterprise AI ambitions, enterprise architecture, and technology strategy into a practical technical direction that guides design and investment.
• Influence and Partnership: Communicates clearly with senior business and Digital stakeholders, frames trade-offs, builds alignment, and drives decisions through influence rather than formal authority.
• Technical Depth and Breadth: Brings hands-on technical credibility to guide engineers, challenge assumptions, evaluate emerging technologies, and make sound technology choices for the AI programs.
• Capability Building: Mentors engineers and technical staff, raises technical standards, and builds capability across the programs through coaching and influence.
• AI and Modern Delivery Mindset: Understands how AI, automation, modern engineering, product thinking, and platform reuse can improve speed, quality, and value while maintaining appropriate controls and verification.