Lead Architect

We are investing in simplifying, modernising and transforming our technology landscape and we are looking for two Lead Architects one for Personal Unsecured Lending (including credit cards, loans and financial wellbeing) and one for Colleague Channels to drive this change.

We’re recruiting two Lead Architects to join our Consumer and Digital Architecture team - one aligned to Consumer Lending platforms and the other to Consumer Relationship platforms. Each role plays a critical part in delivering technology strategy across areas central to the Group’s growth. 

These roles define, uphold and communicate the Technology Strategy and direction to support the Group’s vision and strategic intent, with a clear focus on the capabilities needed to ensure long term success aligning out Technology agenda with the Group’s Strategy. 

You’ll shape and own the architecture strategy for your platform area, providing strong architectural leadership and thought partnership to business and technology change teams. Building trusted relationships will be key, as you influence decisions, align with wider Group strategy, and drive effective, well-governed delivery. As a senior leader in the architecture community, you’ll work confidently with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leaders and Executives, to turn strategic ambition into real outcomes.  

You’ll make a difference by: 

• Proposing the architectural strategy for Loans, Cards and Financial Wellbeing or Colleague Channels and manage its development and/or delivery, in line with the Technology strategy and the Consumer Lending / Relationships strategy. 

• Driving the definition of architecture roadmaps, guardrails and patterns to drive change over the medium and long term against our Technology Strategy. Ensuring that Roadmaps meet the needs of significant customers relating to complex, often customised products and services 

• Bringing together business design, customer outcomes, a deep understanding of the Loans, Cards and Financial Wellbeing architecture or Colleague Channels and the Technology Strategy to drive the right enterprise outcome.

• Setting the direction for change management in the platform to enable major change programmes, taking personal responsibility for a few business-critical projects. 

• Defining governing policies and has a presence at governance forums to ensure the roadmaps, guardrails and patterns are effectively adhered to, in line with Group and Technology strategies.  

• Deep knowledge of AI with experience that spans strategy, architecture, governance, and delivery at scale.   

• Acting as business partner to board members and senior internal business leaders to ensure technology delivers on business outcomes. 

• Conducting external research to stay atop of industry best practice including technology, customer and products trends and utilising this knowledge when delivering business design activities to enable overall corporate strategy. 

• Effectively leading a team of architects specialising in Personal Unsecured Lending or Colleague Channels to ensure the architecture is driven in line with the group and technology strategy. 

About us 

We’re on an exciting journey and there couldn’t be a better time to join us. The investment we’re making in our people, data, and technology are leading to innovative projects, fresh possibilities, and countless new ways for our people to work, learn, and thrive! 

What you need: 

• A proven track record in an Architect role, having successfully helped drive the architecture vision and strategy, is essential. 

• Experience in business skills such as corporate governance, business control, solution development, and design. 

• Technical knowledge of Public/Private Cloud, APIs, traditional hosting, and event-driven architectures. 

• Architectural expertise, including feasibility assessments and road-mapping. 

• Personal strengths: agile mindset, digital approach, strong communication, leadership, and alignment with company values. An open, collaborative, approachable and friendly style, working well with both senior and junior colleagues, building strong relationships, and breaking down barriers.

• Passion & energy, ownership of one’s work/portfolio & driving this forward with laser focus on value to customers & clients. 

• Gravitas and impact to operate at a director level. You’ll use strong storytelling skills, both written and verbally, in how you present your communication recommendations in line with priorities. 

About working for us 

Our focus is to ensure we're inclusive every day, building an organisation that reflects modern society and celebrates diversity in all its forms. 

We want our people to feel that they belong and can be their best, regardless of background, identity or culture. 

We were one of the first major organisations to set goals on diversity in senior roles, create a menopause health package, and a dedicated Working with Cancer initiative. 

And it’s why we especially welcome applications from under-represented groups. 

We’re disability confident. So, if you’d like reasonable adjustments to be made to our recruitment processes, just let us know. 

We also offer a wide-ranging benefits package, which includes: 

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15% 

• An annual bonus award, subject to Group performance 

• Share schemes including free shares. 

• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping. 

• 30 days’ holiday, with bank holidays on top 

• A range of wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies 

Want to do amazing work, that’s interesting and makes a difference to millions of people? Join our journey!