Senior business architect

🌐 Business Architect Director Grade

📍 Location: London / Hybrid

💷 Compensation: Up to £175K (inclusive of bonus) + 15% Pension + Outstanding Benefits

🕴 Sector: Wealth Management, Investment & Asset Management

📅 Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time | FTC



We are partnering with a leading financial institution undergoing a major multi-year enterprise-wide transformation. This is a unique opportunity for a Chief Architect / Head of Target Operating Model to play a pivotal role in shaping the organisation’s strategic evolution—from defining enterprise-wide operating models to spearheading complex change programmes that drive value across the investment lifecycle.


Covering technology, business transformation, and operational excellence, this role will will suit a commercially aware, C-suite-facing Enterprise Architect with a proven record of architecting and executing large-scale operating model transformation across front, middle, and back-office functions in Wealth, Investment, or Asset Management.




🗝️ Key Responsibilities



* Act as a strategic advisor to the Executive Committee and transformation board on operating model strategy, enterprise architecture, and digital change across investment operations.
* Design and drive the implementation of a comprehensive Target Operating Model (TOM) that spans people, process, technology, and data—covering core investment functions (portfolio management, trading, research, compliance, client reporting).
* Lead end-to-end strategic transformation programmes from inception through execution, ensuring alignment with the firm’s long-term digital, commercial, and regulatory goals.
* Provide architectural leadership across a federated landscape, ensuring front-to-back office integration across platforms supporting pensions, fixed income, equities, alternatives, risk, and data operations.


* Reengineer change and architecture functions for scale—embedding Agile at Scale (SAFe), TOGAF, and BizBok frameworks to enable business agility, innovation, and resilience.
* Foster a high-performance architecture practice—coaching, mentoring, and developing a team of senior enterprise, solution, and business architects.
* Partner closely with Technology, Change, and COO leadership to align business models with modernised platforms, data strategies, and digitised workflows.
* Lead roadmap development for enterprise architecture maturity, architectural governance, and strategic investment initiatives.


* Create artefacts, models, and blueprints to communicate the transformation vision to both business and technical stakeholders.
* Ensure regulatory alignment and operational efficiency while enabling scalable client-centric solutions.
* Coaching, mentoring, and developing a team of senior enterprise, solution, and business architects is a major part of this role.



✅ Candidate Profile



* Leading, coaching, mentoring, and developing a team of senior enterprise, solution, and business architects.
* Proven track record in Enterprise Architecture leadership roles within Wealth Management, Investment, or Asset Management, ideally with Tier 1 or buy-side institutions.
* Demonstrated experience designing and embedding Target Operating Models across complex, matrixed financial organisations.
* Deep understanding of front-to-back investment operations, including:
* Portfolio and fund management systems
* Order management, trading, and execution
* Data and analytics architecture
* Risk, compliance, performance, and regulatory reporting
* Strong grasp of business architecture disciplines and frameworks (TOGAF, BizBok, SAFe).
* Adept in blending Waterfall and Agile methodologies, capable of managing dual-track delivery frameworks.
* Board-level gravitas with exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills.
* Experience influencing at the C-suite, Programme Board, and Enterprise Change level.
* Visionary mindset with a pragmatic approach to transformation and execution.