Group Solution Architect

Who are we?

First Rail Holdings is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the team

The First Group is a complex organisation of largely independent transport and associated businesses. We are currently looking for a Group Enterprise Solution / Digital Architect to join the newly created Strategy and Architecture team reporting to the Group Strategy and Architecture Director.

About the job

The purpose of the role is to lead the definition of technology requirements, principles, policies and design patterns that guide the enterprise's solution investment and design decisions, as well as developing the target technology landscape and road maps for simplifying and evolving the enterprise application and integrations portfolio.

The ideal candidate will have in-depth experience in a wide range of technologies and in key technologies in use by the organisation across, front & back office, transport and logistic operations, data, AI, core infrastructure and IT services (e.g. AWS, Azure, SAP, Salesforce, retail apps, operational scheduling and rostering). Of special interest is an architect has in depth knowledge of the commercial and revenue generating solutions of organisations e.g. digital platforms for revenue generation This individual will be able to understand the complexities of the organization, processes, information, and technologies to design future-state architectural solutions that best meet the organisational needs.

Finally, a key purpose of the role is actively support and deliver the IT Governance framework across the group and its organisations, ensuring alignment to the business and technology strategies, corporate policies, mandatory regulatory requirements and ensuring that technology investment delivers value for IT.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• • understand the organisation's wide technology landscape and its interdependencies, including reference architectures
  • defining and communicating a shared technical and architectural vision across the group organisations. Developing enterprise solution architecture roadmaps, including 'as is', 'to be' and transitional states
  • defining the integration strategy, setting up the integration platform, creating and leading IT system integration processes to meet the organisation's needs
  • leading design effort and designing e2e architectures, particularly to set up new capabilities to the organisation (e.g. data platform, integration platform) and simplify the technology state (e.g. Digital commercial platform replacements, Operational ticketing applications rationalisation, logistics and resource management etc)
  • completing the impact assessment of proposed business changes in the technology state, providing recommendations, scope statements, engaging with suppliers to assess changes and providing cost and benefit models for the generation of business cases for change.
  • help identify and structure technical requirements and schedules in tenders and contracts to help consolidate suppliers, technologies, procure new services and tools. Taking an active role as required during the tender process to complete architectural evaluation of bids.
  • actively lead the design / provide strategic guidance in the design stages of projects and assure the development process
  • help define the IT Governance Framework establishing architectural principles, policies and standards. Active member in architectural boards.
  • making technical decisions regarding solutions and explaining how these decisions will impact the organisation, ensuring that multiple business teams, domain architects and suppliers are aligned to the delivery of the design.
  • performing technical audits on existing solutions, vendor capabilities and potential new ventures
  • act autonomously and actively bringing forward ideas and recommendations to improve the organisation's technology and integration landscape.
  • develop the architecture community, inspiring other architects, coaching and helping them and other IT teams understand how to meet organisational goals
  • carry out horizon scanning across industry, identifying emerging trends and their potential impact and opportunity for the organisation
  This is a hybrid role, with a mix of remote and office presence required.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• Proven background as an Enterprise Architect specialised technology solutions at group/enterprise level, serving as an Enterprise Architect in an organisation with at least an equivalent or greater scale than First Group
• Evidence of strong technology skills and knowledge of a wide range of enterprise solutions: Data platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure) core services (e.g. SAP, Salesforce) operational transport and logistics technologies (ticketing platforms, workforce management and rostering, transport route and scheduling), retail technologies (e.g. web, multi-channel experience, CRM, contact centre etc), data and AI (e.g. data platforms, data visualisation, simulation, AI models)
• Extensive management (matrix and direct) experience of architecture teams (solution and technical architects)
• Having worked on large scale technology programmes. An extensive track record of shaping, designing and delivering technology components of major digital transformation change to provide long-lasting business value across organizations.
• Development and maintenance of architecture deliverables using recognized modelling standards and enterprise architecture tools.
• Using leadership skills to develop and motivate people, including senior managers and executive members, to shape, define and design the delivery of solutions that address the most complex business challenges.
• A high degree of logic and structured thinking coupled with advanced analysis and problem-solving techniques delivery focused view.
• Inquisitive mind, endless curiosity and passion for learning about customers, industries and new approaches to doing things. How end users perform their jobs. Industry challenges and solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate, present and influence credibly and effectively at all levels of a customer's technology organization: COO/CIO to business manager to administrator.

Qualifications:

• Educated to degree level in Computer Science or equivalent.
• TOGAF or other Enterprise Architecture qualification
• AWS, Azure and other industry professional certifications

About the location

8th Floor, The Point, 37 North Wharf Road, London, E2 1AF

We all belong at First Rail Holdings. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.