Head of Design Authority - Lead Architect

Glasgow - Salary depending on Experience

Head of Design - Lead Architect -supporting applications systems and IT capability to deliver day to day operations and meet strategic objectives and goals. The role is based in Glasgow and offers a completive salary and additional benefits package.

Key Skills & Background

• Educated to degree level or equivalent, or an equivalent level of experience.
• Extensive experience in enterprise architecture and/or design authority capability within a middle tier organisation.
• Extensive experience and capability in IT strategy.
• Expert level ability to envision long term strategy and balance the long-term "big picture with short-term implications of individual decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, analytical, planning and organisational skills.
• Significant experience of successfully challenging and shaping current thinking at senior levels in an organisation.
• Hands-on leadership experience of architecture and design across an enterprise-wide change portfolio.
• Expertise in, with a rational approach demonstrable, of budget preparation and management.
• Have an expert level experience and knowledge of current and best practice design methodologies and architectural frameworks, such as TOGAF or Zachman.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the ultimate Design Authority for our client and manage the team of Architects and ensure that the Design Authority activities are performed properly and appropriately
• Lead the creation and evolution of the Design Authority team and its associated programme of processes and artefact deliverables, including the coordination of an appropriately balanced pursuit of enterprise business, information, and technology and application architecture viewpoints.
• Champion and promote the Design Authority process, outcomes and benefits to the wider organisation with a focus on executive and senior manager levels; this includes assessing (through appropriate metrics) and communicating the achievement and impact of the DA, as well as leading the development and execution of a DA communication and education plan
• Be responsible for the Centre of Excellence capability within the team and be accountable for leading on the development, introduction and embedding of new practices, methodologies and policies of change planning, design, monitoring and evaluation - in line with strategic framework and plans.
• Manage, advise, coach and counsel the team of Architects within IT and Transformation. Establish function-wide strategy, objectives and work plans, and delegate as appropriate
• Provide design and architectural leadership to major programmes and projects, ensuring that they align to our client's IT strategy and meet Design Authority standards

About the Role

The Head of Design - Lead Architect as overall Design Authority, will lead, manage and be accountable for the development and on-going maintenance of the set of business and technology architectures and blueprints that underpin the integrity and sustainable delivery of our client's business strategy. The post holder will further be accountable for the architectural design and governance of the strategic roadmap of change programmes and projects that will collectively deliver the strategic change objectives and goals. With the accountability and responsibility for the effective and efficient performance of the team of architects, the Head of Design ensure timely and effective decisions around strategic design are made and will intervene to resolve conflict issues on behalf of senior and executive level sponsors

About the Company

Our client, based in Glasgow, is a multinational organisation with over 100 years of experience, driving innovation and excellence within its sector.