Principal Architect

Looking for a challenge in one of the world’s largest airfreight logistics organisation and a FTSE 100 company?

At IAG Cargo we are in the business of moving things. From antibiotics to rhinoceros, gold bullion to avocados and everything in between. Whatever people need, wherever they are. In an era of digital screens and closed borders, we open the skies and fly the world to bring people the things they really need.

As the logistics and cargo brand of the International Airlines Group, you will work across the globally recognised brands of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Level and Vueling as we build and shape a new logistics company. We believe in a world that is always moving, with values that underpin our business. By always delivering, always improving, always listening and always working with integrity, we are creating an inclusive business that works for its customers and its colleagues around the globe.

Purpose of the role

Within the IAG Cargo technology function, the Enterprise Architects drive the architecture strategy, roadmap and target IT landscape vision for the IAG Cargo Business. The role holder will be an energetic, structured, and detailed individual who has a strong passion for driving continual business and technology change.

Reporting directly to the Head of Enterprise Architecture, this role will be a key part of the technology management team, ensuring our technology solutions are fully aligned and contribute to the vision and strategic direction of the organisation. To this end, the Cloud Enterprise Architect will have key responsibilities that include:

• Understanding and defining the technology landscape that supports IAG Cargo’s IT systems including cloud strategy & architecture, applications, infrastructure & technology roadmaps, and ensuring that it aligns with the overall IT strategy.
• Delivering the technology roadmaps needed to ensure that IAG Cargo’s IT landscape is scalable, reliable, and secure, and supporting the business enterprise architecture, strategy, and vision.
• Contributing to the view of enterprise IT capabilities, through the strategic definition of enterprise-wide technology architecture, ensuring it supports the strategic requirements of the business.
• Identification of opportunities to work across IAG Tech to underpin the successful delivery of major architectural initiatives.
• Driving the technology architecture thought leadership, effectively influencing stakeholders to help define the future state.
• Management of supplier relationships, ensuring any third-party deliverables meet strategic, technical, and cost requirements.
• Identification and execution of continual improvement opportunities, ensuring the best outcomes for IAG and its operating companies, driving optimal solutions through the implementation of the architecture roadmap.
• Developing and maintaining relationships within / across the Group and externally to identify and promote best practices and industry trends, helping to translate these into strategy, policies, standards, and best practices.

Accountabilities

Working in partnership with IAG Tech & the IAG Cargo business, the Cloud Enterprise Architect will:

• Ensure alignment between Business Strategy and Cloud, Infrastructure and Application Architecture frameworks and standards.
• Ensure alignment between technology architecture frameworks and standards and overall business strategy.
• Review existing technical architecture to identify design gaps and new requirements.
• Establish trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the Group and within the IAG Cargo Operating Company, providing consultancy support.
• Ensure all architecture activity within IAG Cargo is aligned in terms of business vision and goals.
• Provide expertise to programme and project managers with the design, planning & governance of projects and business initiatives in relation to cloud and technology architecture.
• Collaborate with Architects in other areas as required to ensure solutions fit with the business and technical architecture and strategic direction.
• Recognise opportunities for business or IT change and communicate them persuasively to appropriate stakeholders.
• Identify cross portfolio dependencies and issues and act to resolve them.
• Lead the production and ensure the quality, timely delivery, and appropriateness of architecture artefacts.
• Develop and document the current and future state cloud and technology architectures. Continuously monitor the documentation and update as necessary to show changes, additions, and alterations.
• Review existing cloud and technology architectures, identify design gaps, and recommend enhancements where needed.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, integrating them into the architecture and IT landscape if/when needed.
• Support the business in understanding and interpreting the architecture and ensure awareness and use of existing architecture artefacts.
• Ensure design is consistent with the architecture and drives resolution of architecture issues throughout the project lifecycle.
• Liaise closely with service partners and suppliers where third-party work or packages involve significant architectural decisions.
• Follow the agreed methods and use the appropriate tools for architecture. Promote and support these methods and tools.

This role may require travel and working from multiple sites/locations. Willing and able to travel to participate in meetings, workshops, and other related activities.

Key Stakeholders

Internal (multiple stakeholders within each of the business & IT functions)

• Architects
• Business Partners
• Delivery & Product teams
• IT Operations & Infrastructure (O&I)
• Senior managers from IAG Cargo
• Senior managers from across the Group and relevant business areas
• IAG GBS colleagues

External

• Consulting Partners
• Technology & Professional Services Partners
• Delivery & Service Management Partners
• Third-party framework providers and key solution suppliers

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level, or equivalent qualification.
• Certification in TOGAF or an equivalent qualification in IT architecture
• Recognised technology qualifications, e.g. AWS cloud certifications.

Skills

• Displays confidence and resilience, plus an energy to deliver results.
• Excellent team working skills and ability to build and maintain strong relationships.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to explain complex IT/technology solutions in a coherent manner.
• Demonstrates leadership and an ability to influence and persuade across the organisation at senior levels, leading by example and aligning stakeholder groups around a common vision.
• Collaborative, open working, resulting in recognition as a valued partner by colleagues and senior stakeholders across the organisation.
• Problem solving & understanding of the broader business context (business acumen)
• Innovation: transforming industry trends into practical, cost effective, secure, scalable, and supportable solutions.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Experience

• Delivery and ownership of Cloud Architectures and Technology Roadmaps.
• Experience of working with Cloud Platforms and exploiting cloud services (especially AWS).
• Proven track record in senior cloud, infrastructure, and technical architecture roles, managing the impact of emerging business and end-user technologies to shape cloud, applications, infrastructure and technology strategies and roadmaps.
• Experience of successfully completing significant architecture and consultancy assignments, embracing and managing both business and IT change as necessary to help shape future direction.
• Proven track record of confidently leading architecture activities.
• Proven track record of successful stakeholder management at a senior level, with a proven ability of influencing and persuading across the organisation.
• Business partnering, working as a valued partner with internal and external stakeholders across a diverse stakeholder base, delivering a value-added service to business partners and customers.
• Experience of and contribution to applicable best practice and/or methodologies and their effective application.
• Demonstrable awareness of worldwide architecture trends and practice, championing their use to deliver business benefit.
• Experience of operating across multiple countries and cultures is desirable but not essential.
• Having some cargo or air freight knowledge would be desirable but is not essential.