Lead Architect (Mission) - Airline Ops

easyJet; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted staff travel

Annual holiday allowance

Work Abroad 30 days

Electric vehicle lease scheme

Pension and life assurance

Job summary

easyJet seeks a Lead Architect to shape the target-state architecture for Airline Operations, covering areas such as Crew, Airports, Flight Operations, or Engineering. You will establish standards, guardrails, and design principles to guide cross-team delivery while aligning with enterprise direction.

As a senior technologist, you will influence senior leadership, lead architecture reviews, and drive migrations to shared services.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in senior architecture roles across product and platform domains.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms, data architectures, and API-driven integration.
• Experience with identity federation and partner access management.
• Proven track record implementing AI-enabled operational capabilities or predictive analytics.
• TOGAF/ArchiMate certification or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural direction within the Airline Operations Mission scope.
• Define architectural standards and guardrails for multi-product teams.
• Create patterns, constraints and design principles for adoption across product teams.
• Facilitate architecture reviews and governance discussions.
• Drive migration of capabilities to shared Airline Operations Platform services.
• Identify emerging tech trends and readiness for AI and platform evolution.

Skills

Domain Architecture

Enterprise Architecture

Solution Architecture

Governance

Cloud-native

Leadership & Stakeholders

Education

TOGAF certification

ArchiMate certification

Tools

ArchiMate

TOGAF

Job description

We are easyJet – a FTSE-250 listed, £multi-billion low-cost airline that serves tens of millions of customers every single year. If you’re reading this, you have probably already been an easyJet customer, and you’ll know that there is no more iconic (or Orange!) travel brand in Europe. We fly more than 1,207 routes, connecting 38 countries across Europe, and employ more than 18,000 colleagues. We’re on a mission to make low-cost travel easy – and whatever your role here, you’ll connect millions of people to what they love using Europe’s best airline network, great value fares, and friendly service. What makes us easyJet? Our Promise Behaviours – we are Safe, Bold, Welcoming and Challenging. Four Behaviours. One Spirit. One easyJet.

We are seeking a Lead Architect to join our Airline Operations team. This pivotal role is accountable for the architectural integrity, direction, and outcomes within a defined Airline Operations Mission (e.g. Crew, Airports, Flight Operations, or Engineering).

You will define and evolve target-state architecture, standards, and guardrails, ensuring technology change aligns with enterprise direction while enabling teams to make effective local decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide architectural direction and decision guidance within the Mission scope, acting as the escalation point for significant cross-product, cross-domain, or enterprise impact.
• Define architectural standards and guardrails, supporting teams in consistent application.
• Establish patterns, constraints, and design principles for adoption across product teams.
• Facilitate architecture reviews and design discussions, ensuring alignment with strategic direction.
• Assess and support teams with deviations from agreed standards.
• Identify and drive migration of capabilities to shared Airline Operations Platform services.
• Identify emerging technology trends and ensure readiness for future requirements, including AI, automation, and platform evolution.

Role Requirements

• Experience working across senior leadership, architecture communities, and product delivery teams.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including those outside direct authority.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Balance strategic thinking with practical delivery considerations and trade-offs.
• Familiarity with observability platforms, telemetry, event streaming, and modern data architectures.
• Knowledge of automation frameworks, digital operations platforms, and emerging technology trends.
• Experience with cloud-native architectures and platform engineering approaches.
• Understanding of identity federation and third party/partner access management.
• Experience implementing AI-enabled operational capabilities or predictive analytics solutions.
• TOGAF, ArchiMate, or equivalent architecture certification.
• Experience operating within product-centric technology organisations.

Key Technical Skills

• Significant experience in Domain Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, Solution Architecture, or Lead Architecture roles.
• Ability to define architectural strategies, technology roadmaps, and target architectures.
• Experience operating above solution-level architecture, providing governance across multi-product architecture landscapes, and managing build/buy/platform decisions at scale.
• Experience evolving legacy solutions and reducing or eliminating technical debt using industry patterns.
• Establishing architecture standards, governance frameworks, and assurance processes.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, cloud platforms, APIs, integration patterns, and event-driven architectures.
• Familiarity with observability platforms, telemetry, event streaming, and modern data architectures.
• Knowledge of automation frameworks, digital operations platforms, and emerging technology trends.
• Understanding of data architecture, operational data platforms, and analytics ecosystems.
• Experience with cloud-native architectures and platform engineering approaches.
• Understanding of identity federation and third-party/partner access management.
• Experience implementing AI-enabled operational capabilities or predictive analytics solutions.

Desirable Skills

• Experience within aviation, airline operations technology environments, or demonstrable comparable experience.
• Knowledge of areas such as crew rostering, integrated control centres, departure control systems (DCS), passenger processing, baggage operations, airport operational systems, frontline workforce technology, flight planning, flight deck systems, aircraft maintenance, or engineering supply chain.

Why Join Us?

You’ll be part of a forward-thinking team, driving architectural excellence and innovation in airline operations. If you’re passionate about technology, leadership, and shaping the future of aviation, we’d love to hear from you.

Please note that this role does not meet the criteria for visa sponsorship, and we are therefore unable to consider applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK.

What You’ll Get In Return

At easyJet, we pride ourselves on a vibrant and inclusive workplace culture that supports and rewards innovation and excellence.

We Offer

• Competitive base salary
• Annual bonus potential.
• 25 days holiday, pension scheme, life assurance, and a flexible benefits package.
• Discounted staff travel scheme for friends and family
• Annual credit for discount on easyJet holidays
• ‘Work Away’ scheme, allowing you to work abroad for 30 days a year
• Electric vehicle lease salary sacrifice scheme

Location & Hours of Work

We operate a hybrid working policy of 40%-60% of the month spent with colleagues.

Reasonable Adjustments

At easyJet, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse customers we serve across Europe. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds. If you require specific adjustments or support during the application or recruitment process, such as extra time for assessments or accessible interview locations, please contact us at [e-mail].

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure accessibility and accommodation

Business Area

Information Technology (IT)

Primary Location

United Kingdom-London-London Luton Airport

Organisation

Information Technology (IT)

Schedule

Full-time

Unposting Date

Ongoing