Head of Business Architecture

AXA; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider in the UK is seeking an experienced Business Architect to translate business strategy into actionable roadmaps. You will collaborate with product and technology teams to ensure solutions meet business needs, enhance operational efficiency, and support change initiatives. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in business architecture and a solid understanding of business strategy. This role offers a competitive salary and a flexible working environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual performance-based bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance

Private medical cover

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Wellbeing services

Employee discounts

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in business architecture within large organizations.
• Strong understanding of translating business strategy into architectural models.
• Proficient in business process modelling and operating model design.

Responsibilities

• Translate business strategy into actionable architecture roadmaps.
• Collaborate with product teams to ensure solutions meet business needs.
• Identify opportunities to simplify or digitize business processes.

Skills

Business architecture

Business strategy

Business process modelling

Communication

Change management

Tools

BPMN

TOGAF

Zachman

Job 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. 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.

Qualifications:

• 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.

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.

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 × 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