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Job Description:
The Business Lead Architect (BLA) leads all architecture delivery, with direct/hands-on responsibility for the Segment Architecture. The BLA is a member of the IT Architecture Leadership Team and is in that capacity accountable to contribute to developing the IT Architecture Function in support of Business value delivery.
 
Leading the architecture delivery PT includes:

• Line Management accountability for Lead Segment architects in managing their segments, act as first point of escalation.
• Line management accountability for the (Lead) Solution Architects in managing the architecture delivery to projects and agile teams, act as first point if escalation.
• Develop and manage the architecture team (approximately 17 FTE).

 The Business Lead Architect will report to the Group IT Architect and is also a member of the IT Management Natural team.
 
In the Segment Architecture aspect of the role, the Business Lead Architect ensures the business value of IT solutions is maximized by applying knowledge of the business needs and opportunities, the existing portfolio of IT applications, and the current and emerging technology and IT service capabilities.  The BLA supports and enables the execution of the Strategy and Plans for the Portfolio of applications.
 
Responsibilities of the role include managing relationships with key stakeholders like the VP and GMs in the Technology organization, Delivery leads, IT Managers, business analysts, business process Owners, Programme and Project managers, and other Line of Business and Group Architects.  It also includes working closely with application development/deployment projects to assure and support them from an architecture perspective, and with the development of Segment Architectures. The role includes an overall accountability for managing the end-to-end lifecycle of applications and services in the portfolio from an IT architecture perspective.
 
Other accountabilities are as follows:
 
1. Maintain, or ensure maintenance of, the segment architectures, roadmaps, application portfolio inventory, landscape diagrams and lifecycle maps for the applications within the portfolio.
2. Identify and propose potential portfolio changes and improvements, including decommissioning. Develop and maintain strategic application roadmaps for the portfolio.
3. Work directly with the Technology Delivery Leads, IT Managers and Delivery teams to implement the target portfolio and address architecture issues in the application portfolio. Monitor applications portfolio health and address chronic deficiencies.
4. Work with the Technology Delivery Leads, IT Managers Interface IT Managers, Delivery teams, Business Process Owner and Business Architects to provide leadership on architecture and portfolio matters. This includes, but is not limited to benchmarking of the portfolio against external practice; externalisation efforts to keep a highly visible external perspective; advise on any project issues; advise touch points with other Lines of Business and opportunities to leverage applications, processes etc.
5. Provide Architecture input to the development of IT strategy.
6. Assure an efficient applications landscape supporting the business needs, including the needs of other Businesses served with applications and services, and adherences to prevailing standards and guidelines.
7. Develop and maintain segment architecture including target selections.
8. Ensure architecture artifact quality and retention in appropriate tools.
9. Guide and support project teams and solution architects on the use of segment and reference architectures. Provide, or make available through others, technical expertise and support to project and support personnel on IT matters in the portfolio.
10. Participate in governance processes, e.g., assurance review and signoff, and share all relevant needed documentation.  Participate at the Architecture Review Board (ARB) and relevant IT Leadership Teams.
11. Facilitate Architecture Risk Assessments on projects, and conduct Assurance Reviews and Stage Gate signoff for all projects, involving data, technical and integration architects as needed. Elevate high risk projects for ARB visibility.
13. Provide support to the PT Architects, including overall development and coordination of solution architects working in the portfolio (e.g., coaching, mentoring, input on resourcing decisions.)
14. Work with Line of Business and Group level enterprise and reference architects to develop and improve standards and reference architectures (Data models, application architecture standards, integration architecture standards, etc.).

Special Challenges:

• The organization is at the forefront of the IT developments, which requires the BLA to be able to both support differentiating business capabilities with innovative IT and have a clear vision on how these technologies can be scaled.
• The BLA leads the architecture developments and sets the architecture vision in a very innovative and fast-moving business and IT technology landscape.
• Proven interest in following external IT developments which could impact work going on.

Proven interest in actively assisting segment architects in coming up with challenging solutions, where needed, for the business.

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