Associate Director, AI Enterprise Architect, EY-Parthenon

EY-Parthenon; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

EY-Parthenon in London is seeking an AI Enterprise Architect – Associate Director to lead strategic AI architecture and advisory engagements. You will shape AI target architectures, governance, and transformation agendas across client programmes, partnering with directors and clients to unlock value.

You will translate complex AI opportunities into actionable roadmaps, drive multi-disciplinary teams, review technical designs, and guide prototyping and investments to scale AI in enterprise

Qualifications

• 7+ years spanning technology strategy, AI advisory, enterprise architecture, solution architecture or related disciplines.
• Hands-on experience designing AI architectures or ML systems in production.
• Experience translating AI opportunities into investment priorities and transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Advise on AI target architectures and evaluate options against business objectives.
• Structure complex client problems into hypotheses and actionable recommendations.
• Design end-to-end AI target architectures across data, models, and operating models.
• Define AI governance, security, data residency and regulatory considerations.
• Develop board-ready recommendations on AI-enabled growth and transformation.

Skills

Enterprise architecture

Generative AI

Python

Cloud platforms

Stakeholder communication

Strategy advisory

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Tools

Databricks

Snowflake

ERP/CRM systems

SAP

Oracle

Salesforce

Job description

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go.

Join EY and help to build a better working world.

AI Enterprise Architect – Associate Director

Your Key Responsibilities

As an AI Enterprise Architect, you’ll typically be responsible for

providing strategic and technology advisory leadership across AI strategy, transformation and transaction engagements, with support from our Directors and Partners

This will include:

• Advising clients on AI target architectures and evaluating architectural options against business objectives, value creation opportunities, investment constraints and risk considerations


• Structure ambiguous client problems into hypotheses, analyses and actionable recommendations


• Designing end-to-end AI target architectures spanning data foundations, models, orchestration, integration, security, enterprise systems and the operating model required to run them


• Assessing AI, technology and data maturity of enterprises including the credibility of data/AI claims, the durability of application landscape, infrastructure and data to scale AI in a enterprise context and translating findings into executive recommendations, investment priorities and transformation roadmaps


• Defining AI solutions for targeted use cases or complex AI products that span across value streams that are underpinned by existing enterprise IT & data landscapes, including prioritisation of use cases based on value, feasibility, scalability and strategic relevance


• Develop board-ready recommendations on AI-enabled growth, productivity and transformation opportunities


• Developing the technical and economic case for AI, including inference and token costs, infrastructure requirements, cost-to-serve, gross-margin sensitivity and build, buy or partner decisions


• Advising on AI governance, security, data residency, responsible AI and relevant regulatory requirements, including the EU AI Act and the evolving UK regulatory environment


• Guiding prototyping teams and using prototypes to test strategic, operational, commercial and technical assumptions


• Defining architecture standards, reference patterns, assessment frameworks, strategy and assessment frameworks and reusable technical assets for the practice


• Communicating strategic implications, investment trade-offs, architecture decisions and technical risks clearly to boards, investment committees, executive teams and non-technical stakeholders


• Supporting proposals, technical workshops and pursuit meetings, acting as a credibility anchor on complex AI questions and leading executive workshops, client problem-solving sessions and strategic discussions


• Coaching colleagues and building AI architecture capability across EY-Parthenon and the wider EY organisation, including engagement teams comprising strategy consultants and technical specialists

Skills And Attributes For Success

Successful candidates will combine deep technical expertise with the ability to operate effectively in a strategy consulting environment They will be intellectually curious, commercially aware and able to form clear judgements under significant time pressure

Technical depth

• Strong enterprise architecture experience across AI, data, applications, integration, infrastructure, security and operating-model considerations


• A practical understanding of generative AI, machine learning, foundation models, retrieval architectures, orchestration, agentic patterns and modern data platforms


• Experience designing AI or machine-learning systems that progressed beyond proof of concept into sustained production use


• Practical familiarity with Python and AI development approaches sufficient to review technical designs, guide prototyping efforts and challenge technical assumptions


• Experience with cloud-native and hybrid environments, including at least one of AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform


• Working knowledge of modern data platforms such as Databricks or Snowflake, and integration with core enterprise systems


• A strong understanding of AI unit economics and the difference between a successful demonstration and a system that is affordable, scalable and supportable in production


• Familiarity with emerging AI architectures, agentic systems and enterprise AI design patterns

Consulting capability

• Strong answer-first communication and the ability to structure complex technical questions under demanding deadlines


• The ability to explain an architecture decision, technical risk or investment requirement clearly to a non-technical executive audience


• Evidence of constructively influencing senior stakeholders, including where the appropriate recommendation is to stop, redesign or defer an initiative


• The confidence to form a defensible view using incomplete information while being clear about assumptions and limitations


• Experience operating under compressed transaction or executive decision-making timelines


• A collaborative and low-ego working style, with a willingness to operate as an integrated member of a strategy engagement rather than as an external technical authority


• The ability to translate technology choices into implications for value, cost, scalability, risk, competitive differentiation and strategic control

To Qualify for the Role, You Must

• 7+ years spanning technology strategy, AI advisory, enterprise architecture, solution architecture, technology consulting or related disciplines


• Have hands‑on experience designing AI architectures or machine‑learning systems that reached and remained in production


• Have experience working at the intersection of business strategy and technology, helping senior executives translate AI opportunities into investment priorities, transformation initiatives and measurable business outcomes


• Have demonstrable enterprise architecture experience across cloud-native or hybrid technology environments


• Have experience integrating AI and data solutions with enterprise systems such as ERP, CRM, supply‑chain, manufacturing or other operational platforms


• Practical familiarity with Python and AI development approaches orchestration, agent, retrieval and evaluation approaches


• Have experience assessing the scalability, security, reliability, performance and cost of AI systems


• Have strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting technical recommendations to senior stakeholders


• Be able to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams comprising strategy consultants, engineers, data scientists, commercial specialists and sector experts


• Be comfortable delivering high-quality answers under tight and sometimes transaction‑driven deadlines


• Be able to provide vendor‑neutral advice and objectively evaluate competing technologies, platforms and delivery models


• A masters degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science or related analytical discipline from a reputable university

Ideally, You Will Also

• Have experience supporting technology, digital or AI diligence engagements, including the assessment of scalability, risks, capability gaps and value creation opportunities


• Have experience evaluating AI‑enabled products, software businesses, data assets or technology‑led investment theses, translating technical findings into commercial and strategic implications


• Bring sector expertise in one or more of the following industries: Media, Retail & Consumer Products, Industrials, Automotive, Technology or Software, with an understanding of the key technology and AI value drivers within those sectors


• Have experience advising on responsible AI, AI governance, model risk, AI security, regulatory compliance or technology assurance


• Have worked with major enterprise technology platforms, including ERP, CRM, supply chain, manufacturing and data platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, Snowflake, Databricks or Palantir, and understand their role in enabling enterprise AI adoption


• Have experience developing reusable assessment frameworks, architecture patterns, strategic recommendations or reference assets that accelerate client delivery and capability building


• Be an effective coach and mentor, able to develop the technical and commercial confidence of both specialist and non‑specialist colleagues


• Be a highly collaborative team player with the ability to build trusted relationships across clients, EY-Parthenon and the wider EY organisation, both in the UK and internationally

What We Offer

We offer an attractive remuneration package where you’ll be rewarded for your performance. Our comprehensive Total Rewards package includes support for flexible working and career development, and with FlexEY you can select benefits that suit your needs, covering holidays, health and well‑being, insurance, savings and a wide range of discounts, offers and promotions.

Plus, we offer:

• Continuous learning: Through continuous training, coaching and mentorship, you’ll develop the mindset and skills needed to accelerate your career and become a transformational leader.


• Real exposure: Opportunities to advise senior business leaders and investors on high‑priority AI strategy, architecture and transaction questions.


• Technical impact: The opportunity to shape architecture standards, reusable assets and the development of EY‑Parthenon’s AI capabilities.


• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.


• Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.

The Exceptional EY Experience. It’s Yours To Build.