Head of Business Architecture

AXA UK; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent insurance provider in the UK is seeking a Head of Business Architecture Guild to lead the strategy and execution of business architecture. The role involves translating business strategy into actionable roadmaps, maintaining business standards, and collaborating across diverse teams. Candidates should have extensive experience in business architecture and a strong understanding of business strategy. The position supports hybrid work arrangements and offers competitive pay and benefits including a pension scheme and annual leave.

Benefits

Competitive annual salary

Annual bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Private medical cover

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Wellbeing services

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in business architecture, strategy, or transformation roles within large organizations.
• Strong understanding of business strategy and ability to translate it into architectural models.
• Experience with EA frameworks like TOGAF or Zachman.

Responsibilities

• Translate business strategy into operational architecture and roadmaps.
• Define and maintain business capabilities and process models.
• Encourage effective collaboration with product and data teams.

Skills

Business architecture

Strategy formulation

Business process modelling

Stakeholder analysis

Change management

Data analysis

Communication skills

Job description

Description

The Business Architecture Guild defines and governs the architectural approach to business capabilities, value streams, and operating models. The Guild enables simplification, agility, and customer-centric design, ensuring a product-aligned operating model across product and technology teams with clear governance, standards, and end-to-end consistency.

As Head of Business Architecture Guild, you'll lead the strategy and execution for business architecture across AXA UKI. You’ll own architecture principles, patterns, and standards; translate business strategy into target operating models and actionable roadmaps; shape change programmes with consistent business design; and build and mentor a community of business architects to ensure cross-functional consistency and alignment with enterprise roadmaps.

At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You'll work at least two days a week (40%) away from home, moving to three days a week (60%) in the future. Away from home means either attendance at one of our office locations, visiting clients or attending industry events. We’re also happy to consider flexible working arrangements, which you can discuss with Talent Acquisition.

What you’ll be doing:

• Translate business strategy into target operating models and actionable architecture roadmaps.
• Define and maintain business capabilities, value streams, and process models across domains.
• Shape and assure business design across change programmes, ensuring consistency and alignment.
• Collaborate with product teams, technology, and data functions to ensure solutions meet business needs.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, or digitise business processes.
• Support investment cases with architecture insight, highlighting dependencies, risks, and design trade-offs.
• Build strong relationships across business and IT to align initiatives and promote architectural thinking.
• Contribute to the evolution of AXA’s enterprise architecture and support a shift towards modular, product-aligned structures.

Due to the number of applications we expect to receive for this role, we reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the listed closing date to ensure we’re able to effectively manage interest. Therefore, if you’re interested in joining us at AXA, please don’t hesitate to apply.

We know that some candidates may be discouraged from applying if they don't meet every requirement. If you’re excited by this job and the prospect of working at AXA but you’re not sure you tick every box, we’d still encourage you to apply.

What you’ll bring:

• Extensive experience in business architecture, strategy, or transformation roles within large, complex organisations.
• Strong understanding of business strategy and ability to translate it into architectural models and plans.
• Skilled in capturing and analysing business requirements across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proficient in business process modelling (e.g. BPMN) and operating model design.
• Comfortable using data to assess performance and inform design decisions.
• Experience evaluating solutions and assessing feasibility, value, and alignment to strategic goals.
• Strong communicator with proven ability to influence and build consensus across business and IT.
• Familiarity with EA frameworks such as TOGAF or Zachman.
• Confident supporting change initiatives and navigating organisational complexity.
• Curious, pragmatic, and continuously learning.

As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer:

At AXA UK, we’re appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive annual salary dependent on experience
• Annual company & performance-based bonus
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
• Life Assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)
• Private medical cover
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Opportunity to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days leave
• Wellbeing services & resources
• AXA employee discounts

To apply, click on the ‘apply for this job’ button, you’ll then need to log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don’t discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics. If you have a long-term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we’re proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For our support, please send an email to [e-mail].

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Who we are:

AXA UK Support Functions power AXA’s three customer-facing business units, providing the infrastructure, support and expertise to ensure our customers can always count on us. Whether you’ve got heaps of experience and qualifications behind you, or you’re just starting out, we’ll give you the support and opportunities to help you grow and develop with confidence.