Head of Enterprise Architecture

Head of Enterprise Architecture

Duties and Responsibilties :

Architectural Vision & Principles

Define, evangelize, and maintain The Companys architectural vision, principles, and standards.

Ensure every solution is designed against a consistent, future-ready blueprint that supports strategic objectives.

Architecture Governance & Oversight

Establish and chair the Architecture Review Board; manage exceptions and enforce compliance.

Maintain a living reference architecture library, patterns catalog, and technology standards.

Perform architecture health-checks, risk assessments, and design reviews for all major initiatives.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

Conduct horizon scanning and Proof-of-Concepts for emerging technologies (e.g., AI / ML, serverless, edge computing).

Streamline the architecture lifecycleimproving methods, toolchains, and collaborationto accelerate delivery.

Publish best-practice patterns, lead workshops, and update guidance to ensure rapid adoption.

Execute post-implementation reviews to measure performance, scalability, and user feedback; drive enhancements.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

Partner with Security, Data Governance, PMO, Software Development, and Business Units to embed architecture early in project lifecycles.

Lead architecture evaluations for key vendors, negotiate technology standards in SLAs, and influence vendor roadmaps.

Success Metrics & KPIs

Adoption : percentage of major projects reviewed by the EA function.

Cycle Time Reduction : percentage decrease in delivery lead time through reusable reference architectures.

Risk Mitigation : Number of critical design vulnerabilities detected and remediated pre-go-live.

Technical Ecosystem & Tools

Define reference models for cloud / hybrid platforms and integration patterns (API-first, microservices, event-driven).

Select and manage EA tools to support modelling, reporting, and repository management.

Compliance, Risk & Data Privacy

Embed regulatory requirements and enterprise risk controls into architecture blueprints.

Partner with Risk & Compliance to assess residual architecture risks and own remediation plans.

People & Financial Management

Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing architecture team; define career paths and growth plans.

Forecast resource capacity, allocate skilled staff to critical programs, and maintain continuity of expertise.

Develop and manage the EA functions operating budgetforecasting, approval, and cost control in line with The Companys guidelines.

Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high engagement.

Professional Development & Culture

Champion continuous learning : support certification pursuits (TOGAF, CISSP, cloud accreditations) and internal architecture guilds.

Promote diversity, inclusion, and an open knowledge-sharing environment across IT and business communities.

Management Reporting

Produce and maintain a set of EA KPIs in alignment with the agreed objectives.

Update executive leadership monthly on trends, emerging risks, and resource capacity.

Deliver a concise architecture review that covers :

As-Is vs To-Be progress against roadmaps

Summary of design reviews and risk mitigations completed

Stakeholder Briefings

Present tailored reports to the CIO / CTO, PMO, and business unit heads, highlighting :

Upcoming architecture dependencies or potential blockers

Remediation plans for critical compliance or security gaps

Opportunities to reuse existing components for cost or time savings

Qualifications :

Honours degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field.

TOGAF, Zachman, or equivalent EA framework certification (required).

CISSP, MCSE / MCTS, or PRINCE2 (advantageous).

8 to 10 years in IT architecture or solution design, including 5+ years in a leadership role.

Proven track record leading architecture for large-scale, cross-domain implementations.

Hands-on expertise across business, data, application, and technology domains.

Deep understanding of security architecture, infrastructure design, software development lifecycles, and data management.

Familiarity with ITIL, COBIT, and other related frameworks.

Expertise in the development and reviewing of reference architectures.