Director of Strategy and Architecture

Director of Strategy & Architecture | Stevenage | £150,000 + car allowance & bonus | Hybrid - 1 day a week

Your new company
I am working on behalf of a large, privately-owned infrastructure services organisation that plays a critical role in delivering essential services across the UK. Operating at scale, the business supports a workforce of over 10,000 people and is embedded across sectors including energy, water, transport and telecommunications. The organisation is at a pivotal point in its evolution. Having established a strong operational footprint, it is now accelerating its focus on group-wide transformation, investing heavily in its technology landscape, operating model, and long-term strategic capabilities. This is not a business maintaining the status quo; it is one actively reimagining how it operates, how it leverages technology, and how it positions itself for future growth.

Technology is central to that ambition. The business is in the process of defining and building a new target operating model, working in partnership with external specialists to establish the right foundations for scale, integration, and innovation. There is a clear mandate to move beyond fragmented legacy environments towards a more cohesive, forward-looking architecture, one that enables better decision-making, drives efficiency, and supports the increasing use of data and emerging technologies across the group.

Your new role
This is a high-impact leadership role for an individual who can build architectural capability in an environment that is evolving quickly and investing seriously in its future technology landscape. The remit is not simply to govern architecture in the traditional sense, but to establish the foundations, create the right level of discipline and ensure that technology strategy develops in a way that supports long-term business growth.

At its core, the role is about creating a structure where greater maturity is needed. The successful individual will be responsible for defining architecture principles, standards and roadmaps, while also remaining close enough to delivery to modernise systems, address capability gaps, and improve integration and automation across the estate. It is a position for someone who can operate strategically, but who is equally comfortable being hands-on when required. The broader mandate is to create an environment that can support scalable growth. That means making sure technology decisions are not just right for today, but will stand up to the demands of tomorrow, all while balancing an active change agenda and helping shape a more cohesive future state. Data, AI and emerging technologies are expected to play an increasingly important role in that journey, so this will suit someone who understands how to use architecture as an enabler of competitive advantage rather than simply a control function.

From a profile perspective, this is likely to appeal to an experienced enterprise architecture leader who has worked in a complex or rapidly scaling organisation and has a track record of putting proper frameworks in place in environments where standards, governance or maturity have previously been inconsistent. The role requires broad architectural depth across applications, data, infrastructure, integration, cloud, security and AI/ML, alongside the judgement to know where to prioritise effort for the greatest commercial impact.

What makes the opportunity particularly attractive is that it offers genuine scope to shape rather than inherit. The wider function is still being built, the target operating model is still evolving and there is clear appetite for somebody who can help define how architecture should support transformation at group level. For the right individual, this is an opportunity to leave a visible mark on the direction, maturity and effectiveness of a large and operationally important business.

What you'll need to succeed
The successful individual is likely to be operating currently as a Head of Enterprise Architecture, Chief Architect or in a comparable group-level role within a complex or rapidly scaling organisation. You will bring a proven track record of establishing architecture frameworks in environments where governance, standards and consistency have historically been less defined and will be comfortable setting direction while building capability around them.

From a technical standpoint, you'll bring broad, cross-domain expertise. This includes strong understanding across applications, data, infrastructure, integration, cloud and security, alongside a working appreciation of AI and machine learning and how these can be applied in a practical business context. Experience working with data platforms and analytics, coupled with an understanding of data governance, will be key in helping the organisation move towards a more insight-driven, future-ready operating model.

There is also an expectation of formal grounding. You'll hold a degree in a relevant discipline such as Information Technology, Computer Science or Business Administration, alongside recognised enterprise architecture framework knowledge (TOGAF) and exposure to cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure.

However, style and approach are equally important in this environment. The role requires someone who can translate architecture into clear, commercially relevant language, influencing senior stakeholders and bringing alignment across diverse parts of the business. The right person will be pragmatic, delivery-oriented and able to balance long-term ambition with the realities of an evolving organisation and active change agenda. Ultimately, this will suit an individual who is comfortable operating in ambiguity, who can bring structure without over-engineering, and who takes a hands-on approach to driving progress. Someone who can set a clear architectural vision, but just as importantly, ensure it is implemented in a way that delivers tangible outcomes for the business.

What you'll get in return

• Company car (or allowance) and fuel card with a range of EV and hybrid vehicles to choose from
• Private health care and health care cash plan for you (and your family)
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Matched or contributory pension scheme

What you need to do now
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