Lead Technology Architect

Southern Water; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Water is seeking a Lead Technology Architect to drive architectural strategy across IT and OT domains. The role sits in the Digital Architecture team and partners with business stakeholders to shape technology direction, governance, and platform evolution.

The position requires strategic thinking, leadership, and extensive experience in enterprise IT architectures, cloud, security, and data. Hybrid work arrangement and senior advisory responsibilities are involved.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in technology architecture across IT and OT.
• Proven leadership and people-management skills.
• Experience with hybrid cloud environments and enterprise IT governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural leadership across Southern Water’s IT and OT domains.
• Lead strategy, roadmaps and governance for infrastructure, cloud, security and data.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver scalable solutions.
• Mentor and manage a team of architects ensuring performance and development.
• Participate in design authorities and governance forums.

Skills

Solution Architecture

Infrastructure Design

Technology Strategy

Enterprise IT Governance

Systems Design

Technology Research

Leadership

People Management

Tools

Microsoft 365

Intune

SCCM

VMware ESXi/NSX

F5

Azure

Job description

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Competitive depending on skills and experience

Closing Date

2026-09-01

Job Title: Lead Technology Architect

Location: Durrington (Hybrid)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Competitive depending on skills and experience

The

The Lead Technology Architect is a pivotal role within the Digital Architecture team, responsible for shaping strategy and providing architectural leadership across Southern Water’s IT and OT technology domains.

Technology Architecture is responsible for shaping and governing Southern Water’s core technology landscape across infrastructure, cloud, networking, security, operational technology and data. The Lead Technology plays a strategic leadership role in defining technology direction, guiding platform evolution, and ensuring architectural alignment with business goals and digital ambitions.

The role provides architectural oversight across foundational platforms and infrastructure services, collaborates with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions, and influences strategic decisions through governance forums and design authority. It acts as a key advisor on technology matters, enabling business outcomes while managing complexity and risk across IT and OT environments.

Role

This role is accountable for delivering architectural leadership across Southern Water’s core technology domains, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and enabling secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions. Working within the Digital Architecture team and in collaboration with the wider Digital Directorate and business stakeholders, the role contributes to the following key outputs:

Technology Strategy & Planning

Translating business and digital objectives into actionable architecture strategies and roadmaps for infrastructure, cloud, security, and operational technology.

Solution Architecture

Shaping and guiding solution designs that meet business needs while ensuring technical integrity, scalability, and supportability.

Infrastructure Design

Defining and evolving infrastructure patterns and domain roadmaps, including hybrid cloud, identity management, endpoint management, and virtualisation.

Enterprise IT Governance

Participating in architecture forums and design authorities to provide governance and assurance across technology domains.

Technology Research

Monitoring emerging technologies and evaluating their relevance and impact on Southern Water’s digital landscape.

Consultancy

Acting as a senior advisor to solution architects and platform teams, influencing key decisions and supporting programme delivery.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

Engaging with technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure architectural alignment and shared understanding of technology direction.

The role will have direct reports, which will require line management and appropriate support for performance, development and retention.

Skills And Competencies

• Solution Architecture – Leads the design of technology solutions across infrastructure and cloud domains, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
• Infrastructure Design – Defines and evolves infrastructure patterns and services to support scalable and resilient platforms.
• Technology Strategy and Planning – Develops and maintains strategic technology roadmaps aligned to business and digital objectives.
• Enterprise IT Governance – Applies governance to architecture decisions, ensuring consistency, compliance, and reuse.
• Systems Design – Reviews and assures system designs for quality, scalability, and supportability.
• Technology Research – Evaluates emerging technologies and trends to inform strategic direction and innovation.
• Leadership – Provides technical leadership across architecture domains, setting direction and priorities.
• People Management – Manages and develops a team of architects, supporting performance, growth, and retention.

Knowledge

• Technical
• IT Architecture
• Windows Server, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP
• Cloud Platforms – Azure, hybrid cloud models
• Identity & Access – Entra ID, Azure AD, SSO, MFA
• Collaboration Tools – Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint
• Endpoint Management – Intune, SCCM
• Virtualisation & Load Balancing – VMware ESXi/NSX, F5, VMware ALB
• Linux Environments – Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Operational Technology Integration – IT/OT interfacing, secure‑by‑design awareness
• Software design (Utilities, regulated industries)
• Data & Analytics
• Integration & service orientated design
• Software delivery (Waterfall, Agile)
• Knowledge of solutions used within the Utilities / Water sector

Qualifications - Desirable

• TOGAF
• Relevant BCS qualifications

Onsite a minimum of 2 days per week in Durrington office.