Architect
United Kingdom
City/Region United Kingdom
Job ID 090432
Category Technology Operations
Contract type Permanent Full Time
Applications Close 17 Jan 2025 (11.55pm GMT)
Business Unit: Chief Technology Office
Salary range: £68,000 - £90,000 per annum DOE + red Hot benefits
Location: UK Remote – with travel to some of our key hubs including Glasgow and Newcastle when required.
Contract Type: Permanent
Live to inspire change. Live a life more Virgin.
Our Team
The Enterprise Architecture function is ‘horizontal’ across the bank as it cuts across all areas with the objective to transform and set the technology direction for the bank. We provide technology Thought Leadership by setting clear direction through the Technology Strategy, Enterprise and Domain Principles, and Reference Architectures. We enable agility by right-sizing governance with a focus on scalable, secure, resilient design which is aligned to the strategic principles.
We look to drive innovation, simplification, and growth to support VM’s ambitions by enabling key building blocks and supporting simplification of the Technology estate, cost optimisation, and enhancing data use, with a focus on delivery of exceptional Customer and Colleague experience.
We're looking for an Architect to join Enterprise Architecture to help drive and embed the strategic architecture for the Bank.
What you’ll be doing
- Shaping our roadmap for Data and Data Governance
- Creating reference architectures, principles, and roadmaps to build a vision of our future and to align specific projects/ tribes to execute this vision.
- Investigating and developing high quality IT architecture options illustrating their relative merits and advantages
- Advising projects/tribes on architecture, ensuring changes have a clear target architecture, principles/guardrails and regular checkpoints to ensure adherence to the IT strategy
- Interacting with, and influencing, project and programme stakeholders across IT to ensure changes are governed appropriately and follow the agreed processes
- Leading the innovation and adoption of new technology, whilst ensuring technology products/services are selected appropriately and in line with strategic direction
- Providing advice and guidance on technology strategy, architectural accelerators, market opportunities, governance, and continuous improvements to drive better, more informed decision making
- Empowering colleagues to make architectural decisions through coherent, reusable reference materials, early engagement, and ongoing collaboration.
- Supporting the development of transformational plans that articulate the sequence and timing of activities required to deliver on the strategic priorities of the business.
- Represent Virgin Money externally with partners and suppliers, across the industry, maintaining a network of contacts
- Maintain continuous professional development ensuring technical and industry knowledge remains current
We need you to have
- Knowledge Cloud Technologies.
- Knowledge of 3 or more of the following - Azure, Power Platform, MS data fabric, Oracle, Warehouses, MDM tooling, customer master, MI tooling, Data Factory, Databricks, Synapse Analytics and Finance / Credit Risk Platforms.
- Proven experience within a senior architecture role of producing architectural artifacts. (strategies, reference architectures, roadmaps, and principles).
- Strong working knowledge of shaping and creating investment options to achieve a strategic vision.
- Experience of leading architecture direction for change initiatives setting a clear vision and guidelines to empower colleagues to create brilliant solutions
- Communication and influencing skills at all levels with the ability to explain complex concepts to non-experts
- Experience with IT and Business architecture best practices and goals, including architectural governance.
It’s a bonus if you have but not essential
- An understanding of Banking & Finance organisations.
- Experience or knowledge of Data management and governance principles
- Some insight or experience of providing data security framework
Red Hot Rewards
- Generous holidays - 38.5 days annual leave (including bank holidays and prorated if part-time) plus the option to buy more
- Up to five extra paid well-being days per year
- 20 weeks paid, gender-neutral family leave (52 weeks in total) for expectant parents and those looking to adopt
- Market-leading pension
- Free private medical cover, income protection and life assurance
- Flexible benefits include Cycle to Work, wellness and health assessments, and critical illness
Ability to work anywhere in the UK (where the role allows)
Feeling insatiably curious about this role? Apply as soon as you can. If we’re lucky to receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early and would hate you to miss out.
We're all about helping you Live a Life More Virgin, so happy to talk flexible working with you.
Success profile
As well as being a bit tech-obsessed, you’ll be adaptable, able to work with agility and enjoy collaborating with your teammates. Here are our top candidate traits.
Culture at Virgin Money
We’re an inclusive, innovative, collaborative bunch with big ideas and even bigger aspirations. We have fun, show up for one another and grow strong together.
Our colleagues are celebrated for being fully themselves, and we ensure accountability and equity are prioritised in every role. We encourage everyone to use their voices to pitch in, be an ally and make Virgin Money the fun and inclusive environment it is. We also believe in rewarding our colleagues – we offer an enviable benefits package and sprinkle in little thank-you bonuses along the way.
Interested in joining us but not sure you’ve hit every requirement on the checklist? Don’t worry. Experience is important, but it isn’t everything – potential can be just as valuable. If you’re enthusiastic, curious and hungry to learn, you could be exactly the person we need. Tell us your story, and let’s discover what your next chapter could hold.
This is my third role in Digital Engineering since I joined. The culture enables you to work in an area where you can contribute the most. It's a testament to the opportunities and encouragement available.
Technology Consultant – Digital Engineering
Influential
For us, living a life more Virgin means living well. We focus on people, not policies. Flexibility and fairness are at the core of our wellbeing initiatives, allowing our colleagues to tailor their benefits to suit them from day one. Centred around four pillars – Mind, Body, Social Connection and Finance – our initiatives include mental and physical health support, financial and medical aid, social activities, flexible working, gender-neutral family leave, wellbeing apps, discounted gym membership, counselling, information services, and so much more. People work best when they’re happy and healthy, and we like our people to be both.
Big, bold benefits
A life at Virgin Money is a rewarding one. With wellbeing and flexibility at its core, our benefits offering can be tailored to make your life a little easier. Enjoy a flexible holiday package, health plans, parental leave and everything in between from the day you join us.
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The adventures continue after your career. Invest in your future with our generous pension scheme.
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Your health and wellbeing are important to us. Our health assessments and insurance plans help you maintain yours.
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We've got you covered with our income protection and life assurance plans.
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Live life to the fullest with 30 days of leave, 8.5 bank holidays, 5 pro-rated wellbeing days.
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