Enterprise Architect

Xeinadin; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company Pension Scheme

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Additional annual leave for seniority

Buy up to 5 extra days leave (max 30)

Job summary

Xeinadin is seeking an Enterprise Architect in Manchester to establish and lead the Enterprise Architecture function. You will govern technology, data, applications, and integrations, reporting to IT leadership, and drive a platform-led ecosystem while reducing technical debt.

The role requires defining target-state architecture, engagement with business stakeholders, and delivering architecture governance to support growth and M&A activity in a private-equity backed professional services

Qualifications

• Significant experience as Enterprise/Lead/Chief Architect.
• Experience establishing governance and standards in growing organisations.
• Proficient in defining operating models and governance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the Enterprise Architecture function from inception.
• Develop and maintain the architecture framework, standards and governance processes.
• Create current-state, transition-state and target-state models.
• Define principles to drive standardisation, simplification and scalability.
• Act as authority for strategic technology decisions across apps, data, integrations and platforms.
• Establish Architecture Review Boards and governance forums.

Skills

Enterprise Architecture

Architecture governance

Cloud-first

Data governance

Stakeholder engagement

Acquisitions / private equity

Regulatory environment

API standards

Job description

Vacancy Name Enterprise Architect

Vacancy No VN2354

Employment Type Permanent

Duration N/A

Location City Manchester

Location Country United Kingdom

Company Description

Xeinadin was established in 2019 when a number of leading business advisory and accountancy practices across the UK and Ireland came together to re-imagine the future of accountancy. Our collective mission to provide locally forged, trusted business advice to SMEs through forward-thinking, close-knit relationships remains pivotal to our growth. It's our people who drive our business forward, and we offer them future-focused career opportunities whilst supporting individual specialisms. Our regional offices of over 3000 colleagues operate collaboratively, combining collective expertise to maximise potential.

Description

The Enterprise Architect is responsible for establishing and leading Enterprise Architecture capability across Xeinadin, providing strategic direction, governance and oversight of technology, data, applications, integrations and platforms.

Reporting to the IT Director, the role will introduce architecture governance from the ground up, ensuring all business demand is assessed, prioritised and aligned to a clearly defined target-state architecture.

The Enterprise Architect will be accountable for reducing technical debt, increasing standardisation, improving platform integration and ensuring technology investments contribute to a scalable, secure and commercially effective operating model.

In addition to architecture leadership, the role will provide interim leadership of Data Architecture and Data Governance while the wider data function matures and expands.

The role will work closely with business stakeholders, Digital Accountancy Solutions (DAS), Operations, Finance, M&A, IT and Executive leadership to ensure Xeinadin develops a fully integrated, platform-led technology ecosystem capable of supporting growth, acquisition activity and operational standardisation.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Leadership

• Establish and lead the Enterprise Architecture function from inception.
• Develop and maintain the enterprise architecture framework, standards and governance processes.
• Create and maintain current-state, transition-state and target-state architecture models.
• Define architecture principles that drive standardisation, simplification and scalability.
• Act as the authority for strategic technology decisions across applications, data, integrations and platforms.

Architecture Governance

• Establish Architecture Review Boards, governance forums and decision-making processes.
• Define architecture policies, standards and controls.
• Ensure solutions comply with enterprise architecture principles and technology standards.
• Create governance processes that support rapid growth whilst maintaining architectural integrity.
• Provide architectural oversight of all major technology initiatives.

Demand & Portfolio Alignment

• Work closely with the Head of Strategic Demand & Portfolio, PMO, DAS and business stakeholders to ensure all demand is reviewed through an architecture lens.
• Ensure business requirements are translated into strategic technology outcomes.
• Challenge requests that increase complexity, duplication or technical debt.
• Help define technology investment priorities and sequencing.
• Ensure initiatives support the long‑term target operating model.

Technical Debt Reduction & Rationalisation

• Develop and lead a structured technical debt remediation programme.
• Identify duplication, platform fragmentation and unnecessary complexity.
• Lead application portfolio rationalisation initiatives.
• Drive standardisation across infrastructure, applications, integrations and data.
• Reduce operational risk through simplification and consolidation.

Technology Ecosystem & Integration Strategy

• Own the enterprise-wide application and integration architecture.
• Develop a strategic roadmap for a fully integrated technology ecosystem.
• Ensure data and process flows are aligned across business platforms.
• Define integration patterns, API standards and interoperability principles.
• Establish clear ownership of systems and business capabilities.

Data Architecture (Interim Ownership)

• Provide interim leadership of Data Architecture and Data Governance capability.
• Develop data architecture standards, principles and target-state designs.
• Establish governance for master data, reporting, analytics and information management.
• Support the development of enterprise reporting, analytics and AI readiness.
• Build the foundations for a future dedicated data leadership team.

Business Engagement

• Build strong relationships across Operational Leadership, Service Lines, Finance, DAS and Executive stakeholders.
• Develop a deep understanding of accountancy, audit, advisory and professional services operations.
• Translate business strategy into technology roadmaps.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior business stakeholders.

M&A and Private Equity Environment

• Support acquisition due diligence from a technology and architecture perspective.
• Assess inherited applications, integrations, risks and technical debt.
• Define integration strategies for acquired practices.
• Support delivery of synergies and standardisation initiatives.
• Operate effectively within a private-equity-backed environment where growth, scalability, governance and value creation are critical priorities.

Requirements

Key Requirements

Essential Skills & Experience

• Significant experience operating as an Enterprise Architect, Lead Architect or Chief Architect.
• Experience establishing architecture governance and standards within a growing organisation.
• Experience defining enterprise architecture operating models and governance frameworks.
• Strong understanding of business, application, data and technology architecture disciplines.
• Experience reducing technical debt and driving platform simplification programmes.
• Experience delivering enterprise-wide integration and platform transformation initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of application portfolio management and rationalisation.
• Experience working with cloud-first architectures and modern SaaS ecosystems.
• Experience leading or influencing data architecture and governance activities.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence executive-level decisions.
• Experience operating within regulated, complex environments.
• experience in an acquisitive, private-equity-backed professional services organisation

Industry Experience

Highly desirable:

• Professional Services.
• Accountancy.
• Audit.
• Advisory.
• Financial Services.
• Multi-site organisations.
• Acquisition-led growth businesses.
• Private-equity-backed organisations.

The successful candidate should understand:

• Practice Management platforms.
• Audit and Assurance workflows.
• Tax operations.
• Payroll operations.
• Document Management.
• Regulatory compliance requirements.
• Data governance in professional services environments.

Additional Requirements Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial awareness.
• Highly credible at Executive and Board level.
• Able to balance long-term architecture goals with short-term business needs.
• Naturally collaborative and influential.
• Strong governance mindset without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Analytical, structured and detail orientated.
• Comfortable challenging established approaches.
• Passionate about standardisation, simplification and continuous improvement.
• Able to operate successfully in a fast-moving, acquisitive, private-equity-backed environment.

Model Hybrid

Salary Competitive

Benefits

• Company Pension Scheme
• 25 days of annual leave + bank holidays
• Additional annual leave days from certain levels of seniority
• Ability to buy up to 5 days of annual leave to reach a maximum of 30 days per annum
• Business closure over Christmas*
• Life Assurance x4 annual salary
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Enhanced Company Sick Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24/7 support, free and confidential
• Corporate Discounts Platform

Flexible Benefits platform with ability to opt-in to various insurances (level of seniority dependent & self-funded at corporate rates) such as:

• Critical Illness Cover
• Cash plan
• Cycle to work
• Eye care
• Dental
• subject to exceptions and business needs