Enterprise Architect

CitNOW Group; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in the UK is seeking an Enterprise Architect to guide the digital future of research. You will develop strategies, lead architecture designs, and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks while collaborating with diverse teams. The role requires extensive experience in enterprise architecture and a strong understanding of research computing. This position offers a salary range of £48,000 to £53,000, with a hybrid working pattern that includes at least two days on-site.

Benefits

Opportunity to impact world-leading research

Collaborative environment

Support for professional development

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in developing and implementing enterprise architecture frameworks.
• Demonstrable understanding of research computing environments, including HPC.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure, cloud platforms, and data management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain enterprise-wide architecture strategies.
• Lead design and governance of robust and secure research IT architectures.
• Collaborate with stakeholders on translating research requirements.

Skills

Enterprise architecture frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman)

Research computing environments

Stakeholder engagement

Data governance and cybersecurity knowledge

Architecture modelling tools

Education

TOGAF or other certification in Enterprise Architecture

Cloud architecture certification (AWS, Azure)

Tools

ArchiMate

UML

BPMN

Job description

The University of Manchester is seeking an outstanding Enterprise Architect – Research to play a pivotal role in shaping the digital future of our research community. As a member of the Enterprise and Business Architecture team, you will provide architectural leadership to ensure that our research‑related digital infrastructure, platforms and services are scalable, secure and aligned with the University’s ambitious research goals.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain enterprise‑wide architecture strategies for the research domain, ensuring alignment with institutional research priorities and digital transformation goals.
• Lead the design and governance of robust, secure and interoperable research IT architectures, ensuring compliance with data governance, cybersecurity and regulatory requirements (e.g. GDPR, UKRI, EOSC, open access).
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate complex research requirements into future‑proof technical solutions, acting as a trusted advisor to senior research and IT leaders.
• Guide technology investments and contribute to technical and service roadmaps that enable delivery of the University’s research outcomes.
• Support integration with national and international research platforms, data repositories and federated identity solutions.
• Provide architectural oversight for major research projects, ensuring solutions are fit for purpose and support advanced computational research and analytics.
• Contribute to business continuity planning and disaster recovery strategies for critical research systems.
• Maintain professional know‑how by keeping abreast of developments and trends in research technology and digital infrastructure.

Key Research Areas & Strategic Focus

• High‑Performance and Data‑Intensive Research Computing – architecting solutions for HPC, cloud‑based research platforms and large‑scale data management.
• Research Data Lifecycle and FAIR Principles – deep understanding of research data management, open science and compliance with funder mandates.
• Integration with National and International Research Platforms – designing architectures for seamless integration with external data repositories and collaborative research environments.
• Digital Transformation for Research – leading or contributing to digital transformation initiatives in research IT, including adoption of emerging technologies (AI, automation, advanced analytics).
• Cybersecurity and Data Governance – strong grasp of regulatory frameworks, data privacy and security best practices relevant to research environments.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Leadership – acting as a trusted advisor, translating complex requirements into robust, future‑proof architectural solutions.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in developing and implementing enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman) within large, complex organisations.
• Demonstrable understanding of research computing environments, including HPC, data‑intensive research and digital research infrastructure.
• Experience working with academic researchers, IT professionals and external partners to co‑design and deliver technology solutions.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure, cloud platforms, data management, integration technologies and software development practices.
• Track record of contributing to or leading large‑scale digital transformation or research IT programmes.
• Knowledge of data governance, cybersecurity and regulatory frameworks relevant to research (e.g. GDPR, JISC, UKRI policies, EOSC, open access mandates, Export Control).
• Proficient in architecture modelling tools and techniques (e.g. ArchiMate, UML, BPMN).
• Familiarity with FAIR data principles and research data lifecycle management.
• Desirable: TOGAF or other certification in Enterprise Architecture; cloud architecture certification (e.g. AWS, Azure).

Benefits & Opportunities

• The opportunity to shape the University’s research technology strategy and make a tangible impact on world‑leading research.
• A collaborative environment working with diverse teams across IT, research and professional services.
• Support for professional development and engagement with the latest trends in research technology.

Additional Details

• Job Title: Associate Enterprise Architect
• Locations: Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Halifax
• Salary: £48,000 – £53,000
• Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
• Working Pattern: Hybrid – at least two days per week on site.

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit. Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here. Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.