Core Architecture - Senior Enterprise Architect | S4 | Technology | Milton Keynes/Hybrid | Internal Mobility

Core Architecture - Senior Enterprise Architect | S4 | Technology | Milton Keynes/Hybrid | Internal Mobility

Country: United Kingdom

IT STARTS HERE

Santander (www.santander.com) is evolving from a global, high-impact brand into a technology-driven organisation, and our people are at the heart of this journey. Together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible.

This is more than a strategic shift. It’s a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

Our mission is to contribute to help more people and businesses prosper. We embrace a strong risk culture and all our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

Core Architecture is a fundamental part of the organization covering areas like understanding application estate, maturing architecture processes/tooling, ensuring alignment to enterprise strategy, compliance and modern engineering practices.

Enterprise Architecture is part of the wider CTO function within Santander UK. It works closely with other architecture teams (e.g. Solution, Technical, Data & Security Architecture) and liaises with Business and IT colleagues in Santander UK, as well as the wider Santander Group.

The Enterprise Architecture team concentrates on the application landscape working with business, CIO and group colleagues to develop strategic roadmaps and provide solution architecture capabilities enabling successful delivery. As part of the Enterprise Architecture team the role focuses on the tools and processes required to manage a complex application estate effectively as well as leading on cross domain initiatives.

The successful candidate will have strong knowledge of architecture practices across enterprise and solution domains, with demonstrable experience of working within a large and complex organisation.

THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE

CTO Core Architecture is looking for a Senior Enterprise Architect based out of Milton Keynes

We’re shaping the way we work through innovation, cutting-edge technology, collaboration and the freedom to explore new ideas. To succeed in this role, you will be responsible for:

• Leading the development of strategic plans and roadmaps that systemically improve Santander UK’s ability to manage its architectural landscape & application estate within the Enterprise Services domain and deliver at pace.

• Aligning delivery teams & sub-domain architecture leads to the Enterprise Services Domain strategy as it evolves across Santander, working across all business lines to link this to business strategies.

• Reviewing, defining & maintaining complex Strategic and Transitional Architectures working closely with UK & Group colleagues. Architectures need to be holistic e.g. functional & technical to deliver sustainable and cost-effective solutions to meet the domains goals & vision.

• Communicating complex concepts & strategies, to drive, challenge and influence a diverse set of stakeholders to ensure consistency of understanding and alignment of goals within the organisation - UK & Group - and externally.

• Reviewing project solution design(s) to ensure that it meets the banks strategic needs & goals. Architectures need to consider functional / technical / network / infrastructure / security aspects / cross domain dependencies to deliver sustainable and cost-effective solutions to meet the domains goals & vision.

• Ensuring that key architectural decisions are governed accordingly, providing guidance and input ensuring consistency in deliverables methodology & governance processes. Managing caveats and resolving associated actions.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Our people are our greatest strength. Every individual contributes unique perspectives that make us stronger as a team and as an organisation. We’re enabling teams to go beyond by valuing who they are and empowering what they bring.

The following requirements represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Professional Experience

• Comprehensive experience of working as an architect within a complex organisation with a diverse technical landscape coupled with pragmatic understanding of how architecture, change delivery and support perspectives interact. (Required)

• The ability to communicate complex concepts, to challenge and influence a diverse set of stakeholders to ensure consistency of understanding and alignment of goals. To be a confident and practised communicator, with excellent stakeholder management skills, both within the organisation and externally (Required)

• Experience of planning and organizing concepts, e.g. mentoring Solution Architects to review solution design for projects, understand the key architectural decisions and provide guidance and input ensuring consistency in deliverables methodology & governance processes. Managing caveats and resolving associated actions. (Required)

• Strong knowledge of integration approaches and patterns (required)

• Being flexible with a ‘can do’ attitude with a strong sense of initiative with the ability to learn fast - new concepts and skills - and deal calmly with situations under pressure. (Required)

• Be passionate about driving and leading change by creating practical, workable architectures and strategies aligned to the bank’s IT principles and following the bank’s governance processes. (Required)

• Experience defining and driving improvements across the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), including CI/CD, development standards, quality gates, automation, traceability and engineering governance. (Required)

• Experience using EA repositories, application portfolio management and service management tooling to support architecture governance, lifecycle management and strategic planning. E.g. Service Now, Abacus (Required)

• Experience defining architecture principles, standards, patterns, approved technology processes and technology lifecycle management within a regulated environment. (Required)

• Experience with modern engineering platforms and tooling such as GitHub, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, SonarQube, JFrog and associated CI/CD ecosystems. (Preferred)

• Knowledge of emerging AI-enabled software engineering capabilities (e.g. GitHub Copilot, AI-assisted development, engineering productivity metrics and governance). (Preferred)

Education

• Degree in Computing relating subject (Preferred)

• English & Maths GCSE/O Level Pass (Preferred)

Languages

• English (Required)

• Spanish (Preferred)

Hard Skills

• Experience with architecture and service management toolsets (Abacus, ServiceNow etc.) (Preferred)

• An understanding of Banking Service Domains, Enterprise Architecture, and SDLC (Preferred)

Soft Skills

• Ability to collaborate with peers as well as stakeholders. (Required)

• Line management experience (Preferred)

• Ability to represent designs illustratively and succinctly (Preferred)

WE VALUE YOUR IMPACT

At Santander, your contribution matters. We recognise the difference you make every day, and we make sure you feel valued, supported and rewarded in return.
Here, recognition goes beyond pay. It’s about the pride you feel in your work, the impact you have on customers and communities, and the opportunities you have to grow and thrive — personally and professionally.

Salary Range:
£87,200.00 - £130,800.00 per annum (depending on experience)

This salary range represents the expected remuneration for the role. Annual salary is based on a standard 35-hour working week. Actual salary offered will depend on skills, experience, qualifications and location.

• Competitive rewards that reflect the real impact you make and the value you bring.

• Wellbeing that goes beyond work — we work with a range of wellbeing partners across our 4 pillars of wellbeing (physical, mental, social and financial) to give you access to a suite of apps, discounted gym and fitness access, weekly online classes, flexible healthcare and mental health support.

• Support for every life stage — from menopause and pregnancy to parenthood and beyond, with enhanced family leave, childcare options and tailored wellbeing support.

• Time to give back through volunteering opportunities that let you make a difference in the communities we serve.

• Global growth opportunities to shape your career, learn new skills and explore what’s possible across our international network.

Ready to be recognised? It starts with you.

LOCAL COMPLIANCE

At Santander, we’re proud to be an inclusive organisation that provides equal opportunities for everyone — regardless of age, gender, disability, civil status, race, religion or sexual orientation.

We’re committed to creating a recruitment experience that’s accessible, fair and welcoming for all candidates.

We want our people to thrive — at work and at home — while delivering the best outcomes for our customers and supporting each other to grow.

To make this possible, our roles are site-based with a hybrid working pattern, where colleagues are expected to attend the office at least 12 days per month (pro-rata for part-time roles).

When applying, please consider the travel distance, time and cost to your chosen office location(s).

We welcome applications on the understanding that, should you be offered this role, there may be no relocation package available.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply.

For further Guidance please visit Internal Mobility - Candidate Guidance.

If you want to know more about the opportunity:

Please contact

Julian Philpot – Julian.Philpot@Santander.Co.Uk

#LI-DNI