Principal IT Architect
Hybrid aligned to your nearest Succession office location
Regular travel to London and Birmingham
Competitive package
We are Succession Wealth, from start-up in 2009, we are now one of the leading independent financial planning and wealth management business' in the UK and part of the Aviva Group.
We have an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced IT Architect to join our team. Reporting to the Head of IT Change, the Principal IT Architect will be responsible for driving measurable business outcomes through architecture. You will translate strategy into executable roadmaps, design fit‑for‑purpose solutions, and guide delivery teams so that technology investments accelerate revenue growth whilst helping to reduce cost and risk and improve customer and colleague experiences.
Key responsibilities will include:
1. Designing and implementing an enterprise-wide data architecture that aligns with business needs and objectives.
2. Developing and maintaining data models to ensure data integrity, security, and optimal performance.
3. Selecting, configuring, and implementing data management and storage solutions (data warehouses, data lakes, etc.).
4. Designing IT systems architecture, including hardware, software, networks, and security.
5. Collaborating with stakeholders across the organisation to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
6. Developing and implementing data governance strategies to ensure data quality, compliance, and security.
Essential Skills & Experience
7. Significant experience in IT architecture/engineering with proven delivery of measurable business outcomes.
8. A track record across at least two domains (e.g., digital commerce, payments, supply chain, customer 360, field ops).
9. A relevant qualification, such as Azure/AWS/GCP Architect, TOGAF or equivalent, FinOps, Security (CISSP/CCSP).
10. Business & Product Acumen: Value mapping, OKRs, business casing, unit economics.
11. Architecture Expertise: Domain driven design
12. Cloud & Platforms: Major cloud (Azure/AWS), serverless, API gateways, IDP/platform engineering.
13. Data: Streaming: Data lakes/warehouses, MDM, governance, data quality.
14. Security & Privacy: Zero trust, IAM, KMS, secrets, threat modelling, secure by design.
15. Soft Skills: Stakeholder influence, crisp narrative & visuals, facilitation, negotiation.
What you can expect from us:
A competitive basic salary, annual pay reviews and performance linked increases as well as a fantastic range of benefits including:
16. 25 days Annual leave rapidly increasing with service, plus bank holidays and additional days for Christmas closure.
17. Excellent company pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.
18. Agile and family friendly working arrangements to allow for a great work/life balance.
19. Company sick pay.
20. Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
21. Up to 40% discount on Aviva Insurance & Investment products.
22. £465 towards the purchase of home office equipment.
23. Group Life Assurance Scheme: 8 x salary.
24. Access to the Benefit Hub; discounts on shopping, dining out, holidays and lots more!
25. A range of health benefits including eye care vouchers, flu vaccinations, Annual Health Screening, Digitial GP, Mental health and Nutrition Sessions and Employee Assistance Programme.
26. Voluntary flexible benefits platform including Private Medical Insurance, Medical Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, Critical Illness and Health Screening.
27. Support with cost of professional exams /study days.
28. Charity Days.
29. Company Events
Support in achieving your career goals:
30. Sponsorship for relevant professional exams and study leave.
31. Access to funded apprenticeships in a range of topics, such as business administration, leadership & management, and accounting & finance.
32. Access to Insights Discovery, a psychometric tool, which helps individuals and teams to connect better, overcome challenges & conflict resulting in high performing teams.
33. Clear career pathways and endless internal job opportunities.
34. Access to a huge range of free courses via our Learning Management system.
We do not accept unsolicited cv submissions from agencies, any such will be accepted as a direct application from the candidate.
Succession is committed to building and preserving a culture of inclusion and diversity. With a diverse team of employees we are able to grow, innovate and deliver excellent client care to help us reach our goals as a business. Our diverse teams help us reflect and understand the communities in which we operate and the subjects we cover in our everyday work.
In recruiting for Succession, we welcome the unique contributions all candidates can bring regardless of their background and strive to ensure that every candidate is given the best chance of success through fair and equitable recruitment practice.