Architecture Lead in Manchester

Affinity Reply is a leading UK-based architecture consultancy focused exclusively on optimising IT/business alignment and minimising the cost of business and technology change. We distinguish ourselves by fostering trusted client relationships, ensuring successful outcomes through our proactive and insightful approach. To meet the growing demands of our clients, we are seeking exceptional individuals who are passionate about driving digital transformation and delivering outstanding results.

As a Digital Architecture Lead, you will play a pivotal role in leading and shaping the enterprise architecture strategy for our Financial Services clients, providing visionary leadership to guide large-scale business and IT transformation initiatives across a diverse range of client engagements. You will collaborate with senior stakeholders to define and align business and IT strategies, ensuring that clients' architectural designs support their long-term goals and business objectives. Additionally, you will be responsible for business development, driving growth within existing accounts while actively acquiring new clients.

• Lead the development and implementation of enterprise architecture frameworks, strategies, and roadmaps that align with clients' business goals and objectives.
• Act as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives and senior client stakeholders, providing strategic insights and recommendations on enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and IT strategy.
• Lead the design and integration of complex, enterprise-wide solutions, ensuring alignment across business processes, technology platforms, and organisational structure to deliver long-term business value.
• Direct and oversee large-scale transformation initiatives, managing the architectural components of business and IT change, ensuring smooth transitions and successful adoption of new technologies and systems.
• Define and enforce enterprise architecture governance frameworks, methodologies, and standards across client organisations, ensuring compliance, consistency, and alignment with business objectives.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with enterprise architecture initiatives, ensuring that solutions are sustainable, secure, and meet client expectations.
• Foster a culture of innovation by identifying emerging technologies, trends, and business opportunities that drive competitive advantage, ensuring clients stay at the forefront of their industries.

• Extensive experience designing and integrating complex, large-scale enterprise architecture solutions that support business objectives, scalability, and flexibility.
• Outstanding communication skills with the ability to collaborate across diverse teams and present complex architectural concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to manage and influence senior client stakeholders, ensuring alignment of architecture strategies with business objectives.
• Strong skills in identifying risks and designing solutions that mitigate potential issues, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
• Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy and lead client engagements, influence senior stakeholders, and guide decision-making.
• Deep understanding of emerging technologies and trends, with the ability to integrate innovative solutions that provide a competitive advantage for clients.
• A collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, fostering positive relationships and aligning efforts towards common goals.
• Ability to lead, mentor, and develop junior architects, fostering an environment of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement within the team.

• A bachelor’s degree in business, information technology, or a related field is required.
• Proven experience in business development, either new business or serving as a Technical Account Manager or Account CTO.
• Experience across Financial Services is essential.
• Deep expertise in enterprise architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman, or equivalent.
• A formally recognised Enterprise Architecture certification, plus subject matter expert knowledge in at least one enterprise architecture domain discipline.
• Should be comfortable across the entire technology stack.
• Exceptional experience advising senior stakeholders, including C-suite executives, on enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and IT strategy.
• Proven ability to lead enterprise-wide architecture initiatives and the capacity to influence strategic business and technology decisions.
• Experience of delivering architecture capabilities in an Agile environment; knowledge of Agile methodology, tooling and processes.

Reply is an Equal Opportunities Employer and committed to embracing diversity in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, identity, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status or parental status or any other characteristic protected by the Law. Reply is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, please let us know of any Reasonable Adjustments you may need.