Lead Engineering Architect

Ordnance Survey; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension up to 12.07%

Performance-related bonus

28 days annual leave + bank holidays

Hybrid and flexible working

Learning and development support

Free OS Maps access

Volunteering leave

Job summary

Ordnance Survey is recruiting a Lead Engineering Architect to guide the Engineering Architecture capability. Based at our Southampton HQ with a hybrid working pattern, you will translate strategic direction into practical engineering standards and roadmaps, and lead a high‑performing architecture practice across technology platforms and services.

You will partner with Enterprise Architecture, Engineering, Product and Delivery to drive aligned outcomes, while balancing governance, autonomy and

Qualifications

• Experience leading engineering architecture in a complex environment.
• Strong architectural and technical expertise across modern platforms.
• Ability to translate strategy into practical engineering decisions.
• Proven collaboration across multiple teams and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Engineering Architecture capability and roadmaps.
• Translate direction into practical standards and guidance.
• Build a high‑performing architecture practice.
• Coordinate priorities, demand and capacity across teams.
• Promote reuse, interoperability and simplification across the estate.
• Provide governance and assurance for effective decisions.
• Support engineering teams with technical leadership and modern practices.
• Foster partnerships across Technology and the organisation.

Skills

Engineering architecture

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Cloud‑Native Architecture

Architecture governance

Technical leadership

Platform engineering

Solution architecture

Tools

Enterprise Architecture Framework

IT Architecture

Job description

At Ordnance Survey, technology underpins many of the products and services that customers, partners and colleagues rely on every day. As our technology landscape evolves, strong engineering architecture is essential to ensuring our platforms and services remain scalable, resilient and aligned to long‑term organisational needs. We're looking for an experienced and collaborative Lead Engineering Architect to lead our Engineering Architecture capability. Working closely with Enterprise Architecture, Engineering, Product and Delivery teams, you'll help turn architectural direction into practical outcomes, enabling teams to deliver consistently, efficiently and at scale. Acting as the delivery‑focused counterpart to Enterprise Architecture, you'll help create the standards, patterns and guidance that support great technology decisions while balancing governance, autonomy and innovation.

What you'll be doing You'll lead the Engineering Architecture capability, helping ensure our technology platforms, services and solutions evolve in line with organisational priorities and future target states. You will be accountable for:

• Translating architectural direction into practical engineering standards, patterns and guidance.
• Leading engineering architecture roadmaps that support technology and business outcomes.
• Building and developing a high‑performing Engineering Architecture practice.
• Coordinating architecture priorities, demand and capacity to focus effort where it delivers greatest value.
• Promoting reuse, interoperability and simplification across the technology estate.
• Providing proportionate architecture governance and assurance that enables effective decision‑making.
• Supporting engineering teams through technical leadership, guidance and modern engineering practices.
• Building strong partnerships across Technology and the wider organisation to drive aligned outcomes.
• Engage - Build trust, alignment and shared purpose across teams, functions and stakeholders.
• Grow - Develop leaders, strengthen capability and prepare the organisation for future challenges and opportunities.
• Deliver - Drive joined‑up outcomes through effective decision‑making, collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.
• OS conducts pre‑employment checks for anyone made an offer of employment, including identity, right to work, employment history and criminal record checks (via Disclosure & Barring Services (DBS)).

As an OS Leader Operating at the Leading Other Leaders level within the OS Leadership Framework, you will lead through Engage, Grow and Deliver, creating the environment, capability and alignment needed for teams and leaders to succeed.

You'll be an experienced technology leader who combines strategic thinking with practical delivery and enjoys working across teams to solve complex technology challenges,

• Experience leading engineering, solution or technology architecture in a complex environment.
• Strong architectural and technical expertise across modern engineering platforms and practices.
• The ability to turn strategic direction into practical outcomes and technology decisions.
• Strong influencing skills and experience working across multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Experience developing technical capability and future talent.
• A collaborative, outcome‑focused leadership style., AI Architecture, Architecture Development, Architecture Reviews, Cloud‑Native Architecture, Design, Engineering Architecture, Enterprise Architecture Framework, IT Architecture, Leadership, People Performance Management, Platform Engineering, Solution Architecture, Technology Development, Technology Governance, Technology Roadmap

Some of our roles may require additional security vetting. We will advise candidates during the recruitment process if additional vetting may be required for that specific role.

We embrace a hybrid working model at OS, because we believe in flexibility and balance. You'll be based at our fantastic HQ in Southampton, Hampshire, where you'll spend 50% of your working week collaborating face‑to‑face with colleagues. It's all about combining the best of both worlds: connection and autonomy to help you thrive.

This is an opportunity to lead the continued development of Engineering Architecture at Ordnance Survey, helping ensure our technology platforms and services remain aligned, scalable and fit for the future.

You'll play a key role in shaping how technology decisions are made across the organisation, enabling teams to deliver more effectively while supporting innovation and long‑term sustainability.

We know that great candidates don't always meet every requirement listed.

We value different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds, and we know that diverse teams help us make better decisions, solve problems more effectively and achieve stronger outcomes for our customers and communities.

The Rewards

We want you to love what you do and feel supported to do your best work. Our benefits include:

• Competitive salary and pension (OS contribute up to 12.07%)
• Performance‑related bonus (where applicable)
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing with service)
• Enhanced family leave, including paid partner leave
• Hybrid and flexible working options
• Learning and development support, coaching and mentoring
• Free subscription to OS Maps and access to wellbeing support
• Volunteering leave and matched fundraising