Enterprise Architect FTC, Hybrid / Reading

Guardian Financial Services; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Medical Insurance

Pension Scheme

Cycle to Work

Travel Insurance

Gym Memberships

GP access

25 days holiday

Job summary

Guardian is seeking an Enterprise Architect on a six‑month fixed term basis in Reading. You will shape and validate the architectural roadmap, drive governance and lead multi‑vendor initiatives to simplify and modernize our Azure cloud platform.

You will partner with DevOps, developers, analysts and business stakeholders, communicating at CxO level and ensuring compliance with regulations and risk requirements. This role offers hybrid working and strong growth potential.

Qualifications

• Experience in UK Financial Services, especially Life and Protection.
• Proven ability to develop and manage architectural roadmaps.
• Establish and drive architecture governance processes.
• Design and transition to evolutionary architecture supporting multiple workstreams.
• Lead complex multi‑vendor solutions with technical direction.
• Collaborate with DevOps, developers, analysts and stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively with CxO and board level teams.
• Understand regulatory requirements and risk management in architecture.
• Consider future needs: efficiency, simplicity, agility, maintainability.

Responsibilities

• Validate architectural findings and help plan next steps.
• Plan sequencing of work to simplify and modernize the architecture.
• Establish governance and maintain architecture documentation.
• Lead cross‑functional teams across vendors and platforms.
• Ensure security, continuity and disaster recovery considerations are addressed.
• Work with governance forums and senior stakeholders.

Skills

UK Financial Services

Architecture roadmaps

Architecture governance

Evolutionary architecture

Stakeholder management

Tech leadership

DevOps collaboration

CxO communication

Education

TOGAF certification

Bachelors in CS/engineering

Tools

Azure

JIRA

Confluence

Github

Job description

At Guardian, our mission is simple: to ensure every family has protection they truly believe in. We're challenging the market with a fresh approach and a brand promise — Life. Made Better. We are looking for an Enterprise Architect to join on a six month fixed term basis.

What does a Team Manager, Back Office do?

Guardian experienced rapid growth supported by a fully digital, Microsoft Azure cloud-based platform. The onboarding journey for advisers and policy holders is entirely digital, whilst servicing customers post policy inception is hybrid digital/manual.

Given the rapid growth, there has now been the build-up of tech debt and Guardian has launched an Architecture Review to understand where architectural constraints may hamper future growth plans and market opportunities.

Phase 1 of the review was an internal deep dive, and we're now looking for an external 'pair of eyes' to validate our findings and assumptions and to help us plan and sequence the work we need to do to ensure our architecture is simplified, brought up to date and is fit to support Guardian in the next phase of its journey.

Who are we looking for?

You will have experience of and be able to demonstrate:

• Prior experience of working in the UK Financial Services sector, ideally within the Life and Protection space
• Experience of creating, developing and managing architectural roadmaps
• Experience of establishing and driving architecture governance processes
• Experience of designing and transitioning to an evolutionary architecture model supporting multiple parallel workstreams
• Experience of working with DevOps, Developers, business analysts, solution architects and business stakeholders
• Experience of technical leadership on complex multi-vendor solutions
• Ability to work with limited supervision but collaboratively and enthusiastically with a strong team ethic
• Excellent communication skills and stakeholder management (to CxO and board level)
• Ability to ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations and best practices
• Demonstrable consideration of risk management and the mitigation of technical risks associated with architecture decisions
• Demonstrable consideration of future needs in terms of efficiency, simplicity, agility, adaptability, maintainability
• Understanding of legal and regulatory requirements
• Fully cognisant of information and Cyber security, business continuity and disaster recovery needs.

Knowledge/Understanding of the following areas would be advantageous

• Microsoft Azure cloud technologies
• Data warehousing and analytics solutions
• Data modelling and development of API definitions
• Microsoft DevOps and Github
• Relational and non-relational database technologies
• Common architectural and integration design patterns
• Implementation of standards-based authentication and identity management solutions
• Business domain specific standards such as ORIGO messaging
• A background in either C#/.Net or Java centric development
• Familiarity with Atlassian tool set (JIRA/Confluence)
• Familiarity with one or more architecture methodologies (e.g. TOGAF)
• Familiarity with Agile Delivery Principles, Methods and Tools
• Familiarity with Domain Driven Design and Clean Architecture

What’s in it for you?

• Private Medical Insurance with rewards for yourself with discounted rates for your family members
• Competitive Company Pension Scheme
• Access to several employee discounted schemes to suit your lifestyle including but not limited to:
• Private dental insurance
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Comprehensive Europe and Worldwide Travel Insurance
• Medical Cash Plan
• Gym memberships
• Access to 24/7 GP service for you and your family
• 25 days pro rata holiday with the option to purchase more

This is an exciting time to be joining us with plenty of opportunity for professional growth

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds, identities and experiences and we actively promote equal opportunities in our recruitment process.

Most of our vacancies can be offered on a hybrid basis, working 50% of your working time per month from the office. We can also consider flexible working.