Chief Architect & Design Leader (Strategy & Architecture)

We have an opportunity available within our Technology Team as a Head of Design and Architecture. This newly created role will be part of the Technology Leadership Team and will report directly to our Director of Technology. The ideal candidate will be a strategic and dynamic leader who will drive forward the charity’s Digital and Technology architecture vision, ensuring solutions are modern, secure, scalable, and aligned to organisational goals. This role will drive the development of an enterprise-wide architecture framework, bringing consistency across systems, platforms, and data while improving user experience and maximising impact.

Working closely with leaders across Digital, Data and Technology, the successful candidate will provide expert leadership to Solution Architects and technical teams, shape the technology roadmap, identify modernisation opportunities, and ensure technology investments deliver long-term value, efficiency, and sustainability.

• Lead the Technical Design Authority (TDA), setting direction, chairing governance forums, and ensuring all technology changes adhere to enterprise architecture principles and organisational strategy.
• Define and maintain the enterprise architecture vision, ensuring a coherent, future‑ready technology ecosystem aligned with organisational needs and long‑term strategy.
• Oversee and assure all solution designs, including internal architecture outputs and third‑party partner designs, ensuring they are secure, scalable, cost‑effective, and aligned to enterprise‑wide standards.
• Support the creation and maintenance of the technology roadmap working closely with the Technology Director and in close collaboration with leaders within Technology, setting direction for platforms, tooling, integrations, and modernisation activities.
• Lead, develop, and mentor architects and design specialists, embedding high standards of delivery, design thinking, and architectural excellence across the team.

You will be contracted to our Haig House hub with a minimum expectation of two days per week working in person at the hub and flexibility for working remotely/at home when not on site.

• 28 days paid holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with service, with optional annual leave purchase scheme of up to 5 working days
• Enhanced paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Generous pension contributions, with Employer contributions ranging from 6% to 10%
• Range of flexible working options may be available, depending on your role
• Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential counselling, financial and legal advice
• Range of courses delivered by learning specialists to support your development goals and objectives
• Opportunities to volunteer
• Travel loans, Cycle to Work, and more!

RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics. As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interview schemes for candidates who declare an Armed Forces connection and/or a disability. However, candidates are only eligible for this scheme if their application clearly demonstrates that they meet all of the essential criteria listed in the Person Specification for the role. We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role(s). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.