Principal Enterprise Architect

ASTRAZENECA UK LIMITED; Macclesfield; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pharmaceutical company in Macclesfield is seeking a Principal Enterprise Architect focusing on sustainability. The successful candidate will develop architecture standards and technology strategies and lead efforts to align business and IT strategies. This role demands profound experience in enterprise architecture, strong analytical skills, and the ability to influence diverse teams. You will work collaboratively in an innovative environment, making a significant impact on sustainability challenges while balancing office presence with flexibility.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Continuous learning opportunities

Health and wellness programs

Qualifications

• Experience as an enterprise architect authoring architecture roadmaps.
• Proven experience leading change and developing innovative solutions.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture decisions alignment with business and IT strategy.
• Document and share best practices to enhance architecture capability.
• Develop architecture standards and technology strategies.

Skills

Architecture design

Enterprise strategy development

AI/ML solution design

Networking

Change leadership

Analytical skills

Education

Relevant technical degree or equivalent

Job description

Are you ready to inspire change and make a significant impact? At AstraZeneca, we are committed to delivering life-changing medicines while embedding sustainability into every aspect of our work. As a Principal Enterprise Architect in Sustainability, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our architecture decisions align with both business ambitions and IT strategy. This position is focused on strategic planning over a 1-5 year horizon, as well as immediate solution design projects. You will be instrumental in developing architecture standards, technology strategies, and roadmaps that support our mission to tackle the biggest sustainability challenges of our time. Provide enterprise design thinking and support across various domains of architecture including Business, Application, Integration, Cloud, Data & Analytics, and AI/ML.

Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to ensure architecture decisions support business and IT strategy, ensuring compliance with AZ standards, blueprints, and roadmaps.
• Participate in architecture assessments and reviews, contributing as a lead reviewing architect or domain expert.
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• Document and share knowledge and standard methodologies to develop the architecture capability and practice.
• Be accountable for developing architecture standards, technology domain strategies, roadmaps, and blueprints.
• Define and update 'Transition' and 'To-Be' architectures applying AZ guiding principles.
• Support solution development efforts from portfolios, participate in IT initiatives, and provide guidance for better planning and decision-making.
• Maintain a view of current and future state architecture within defined focus areas.
• Develop architecture building blocks to support enterprise architecture implementation.
• Lead or actively participate in enterprise domain teams and working groups.

Qualifications

Relevant technical degree or equivalent

• Experience as an enterprise architect authoring and completing architecture roadmaps
• Experience producing application strategies/roadmaps for a global enterprise
• Experience with rationalisation, consolidation, and integration of technology across business domains
• Experience with large justification phase work - product evaluation, case formulation
• Experience developing and influencing business strategies with multi-functional team impact
• Experience developing and leading innovative solutions
• Proven experience of leading change and challenging approaches/ideas
• Experience developing and managing relationships with third-party suppliers
• Experience designing complex technology solutions aligned to enterprise roadmaps
• Experience in designing AI/ML solutions
• Strong networking skills with good internal/external links
• Strong communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to interpret and communicate technical information into business language
• Awareness of marketplace developments and their relevance to AZ
• Ability to work well in diverse, multinational teams and influence others positively
• Open mind to learning new skills and capabilities
• Ability to follow agile and incremental architecture approaches
• Strong analytical skills on architecture trade-offs

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Demonstrate initiative, strong customer orientation, and cross-cultural working
• People development experience
• Budget management experience
• Masters or equivalent experience and/or professional certification
• Experience in sustainability initiatives in large organizations
• Good understanding of industry technology trends regarding Agentic AI
• Good eye for business
• Understanding of the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace, and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

AstraZeneca offers an environment where technical skills meet emotional intelligence. Join a team of highly qualified professionals who are persuasive communicators with empathy. We focus on the human impact of changes we drive, leading to complete solutions for the business. With the freedom to explore innovative technologies, there's never a dull moment as you create a significant footprint through continuous learning and growth.