Lead Cloud Architect (Azure)

Lead Azure Architect - Banking - £115,% bonus, up to 20% pension - Hybrid working based in London

Reporting to the Head of Architecture, this role carries enterprise-wide responsibilities for shaping and influencing the bank's technology landscape. Your mission is to align the change portfolio with strategic technology goals, ensuring consistency throughout the delivery lifecycle.

As a leader within the architecture community, you will:

• Develop and maintain an enterprise view of the current and target infrastructure and cyber technology landscapes.
• Architect, design, and document solutions across on-premise and cloud platforms.
• Create and assure technology roadmaps aligned with the bank's strategic ambitions.
• Contribute to technology strategy, roadmaps, and research efforts.
• Provide expert guidance for proofs of concept, engineering solutions, and implementation activities.

Role & Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the enterprise architecture needed to achieve strategic outcomes.
• Maintain the current architecture landscape while developing target architecture and roadmaps.
• Deliver high-quality enterprise architecture designs, ensuring alignment with business value and broader technology strategies.
• Lead migrations of on-premise applications to Azure, ensuring minimal downtime and data integrity.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to integrate business requirements into architecture roadmaps and designs.
• Support delivery teams throughout project lifecycles to achieve target outcomes.
• Actively contribute to the Technology Design Authority, reviewing and approving new technologies and services.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Guide and mentor a small team of architects within the infrastructure and cyber domain.
• Stay informed on emerging technologies and introduce innovations where appropriate.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in developing architectural strategies and roadmaps.
• Expertise in designing solutions in Azure, microservices, containerization, and Azure Landing Zone environments.
• Familiarity with enterprise architecture principles and effective governance practices.
• Strong background in IT architecture methodologies and cloud computing platforms.
• Proficiency in translating enterprise strategies into actionable roadmaps and solutions.
• Experience in technology evaluation and selection to support organizational goals.

Desirable Skills

• Understanding of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
• Strong commercial awareness to balance technology choices with financial considerations.
• Broad technology experience, including integration, middleware, and business systems.
• Knowledge of software development methodologies.
• Experience in regulated industries (e.g., banking, finance, or insurance).

Interdisciplinary Skills

• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Proactive, solution-oriented mindset with advanced problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong prioritization skills to manage competing demands effectively.
• Experience collaborating with project managers to build robust technical project plans.