Lead Technology Architect

Closing Date

JobTitle: Lead Technology Architect

Location: Durrington (Hybrid)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Competitive depending on skills and experience

The Lead Technology Architect is a pivotal role within the Digital Architecture team responsible for shaping strategy and providing architectural leadership across Southern Waters IT and OT technology domains.

Technology Architecture is responsible for shaping and governing Southern Waters core technology landscape across infrastructure cloud networking security operational technology and data. The Lead Technology plays a strategic leadership role in defining technology direction guiding platform evolution and ensuring architectural alignment with business goals and digital ambitions.

The role provides architectural oversight across foundational platforms and infrastructure services collaborates with cross-functional teams to deliver secure scalable and cost-effective solutions and influences strategic decisions through governance forums and design authority. It acts as a key advisor on technology matters enabling business outcomes while managing complexity and risk across IT and OT environments.

This role is accountable for delivering architectural leadership across Southern Waters core technology domains ensuring alignment with strategic goals and enabling secure scalable and cost-effective solutions. Working within the Digital Architecture team and in collaboration with the wider Digital Directorate and business stakeholders the role contributes to the following key outputs:

Technology Strategy & Planning Translating business and digital objectives into actionable architecture strategies and roadmaps for infrastructure cloud security and operational technology.

Solution Architecture Shaping and guiding solution designs that meet business needs while ensuring technical integrity scalability and supportability.

Infrastructure Design Defining and evolving infrastructure patterns and domain roadmaps including hybrid cloud identity management endpoint management and virtualisation.

Enterprise IT Governance Participating in architecture forums and design authorities to provide governance and assurance across technology domains.

Technology Research Monitoring emerging technologies and evaluating their relevance and impact on Southern Waters digital landscape.

Consultancy Acting as a senior advisor to solution architects and platform teams influencing key decisions and supporting programme delivery.

Stakeholder Relationship Management Engaging with technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure architectural alignment and shared understanding of technology direction.

The role will have direct reports which will require line management and appropriate support for performance development and retention.

Skills and Competencies

The candidate must have significant skills & competency in IT Architecture which include the following:

Solution Architecture Leads the design of technology solutions across infrastructure and cloud domains ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

Infrastructure Design Defines and evolves infrastructure patterns and services to support scalable and resilient platforms.

Technology Strategy and Planning Develops and maintains strategic technology roadmaps aligned to business and digital objectives.

Enterprise IT Governance Applies governance to architecture decisions ensuring consistency compliance and reuse.

Systems Design Reviews and assures system designs for quality scalability and supportability.

Technology Research Evaluates emerging technologies and trends to inform strategic direction and innovation.

Leadership Provides technical leadership across architecture domains setting direction and priorities.

People Management Manages and develops a team of architects supporting performance growth and retention.

Knowledge

Technical

• IT Architecture
• Windows Server Active Directory DNS DHCP
• Cloud Platforms Azure hybrid cloud models
• Identity & Access Entra ID Azure AD SSO MFA
• Collaboration Tools Microsoft 365 Teams SharePoint
• Endpoint Management Intune SCCM
• Virtualisation & Load Balancing VMware ESXi/NSX F5 VMware ALB
• Linux Environments Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Operational Technology Integration IT/OT interfacing secure-by-design awareness
• Software design (Utilities regulated industries)
• Data & Analytics
• Integration & service orientated design
• Software delivery (Waterfall Agile)
• Knowledge of solutions used within the Utilities / Water sector

Qualifications - Desirable

• TOGAF
• Relevant BCS qualifications

Onsite a minimum of 2 days per week in Durrington office.