Principal Enterprise Architect

Co-op Group; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Company car or car allowance

Annual bonus

Pension up to 10% employer contrib.

Gym access

Job summary

Co-op Group in Manchester is seeking a Principal Enterprise Architect to lead enterprise-wide change, shaping technology strategy and investment. The role partners with senior leaders to translate business goals into architecture outcomes and to deliver value through product-led ways of working.

You will influence roadmaps, standards and governance frameworks, drive architectural excellence, and mentor teams across the organisation in a hybrid working setup with workshops, meetings and events.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in an Enterprise Architecture role within a large organisation.
• Strong strategic, analytical and architectural thinking to connect strategy and tech decisions.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain enterprise architecture strategies and roadmaps aligned to business priorities.
• Set and evolve architecture principles, standards, governance and guardrails for decision making.
• Partner with Product Line Architects and Engineering teams to shape target architectures and roadmaps.
• Provide guidance on major technology decisions and ensure value delivery across the organisation.
• Build relationships with senior leaders to translate future needs into technology outcomes.

Skills

Enterprise architecture

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Governance frameworks

TOGAF

Job description

City Of Manchester, Greater Manchester, M60 0AG

Pay:

£80,000 to £90,000 per year, plus excellent benefits

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours:

Full time

Disability Confident:

No

Closing Date:

19/11/2026

About this job

Principal Enterprise Architect £80,000 - £90,000 plus private healthcare, company car or car allowance and more great benefits (Work Level 4) Manchester city centre

• in this role you'll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office as required for workshops, team meetings and events, typically one or twice per month (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy). We're reshaping our Digital, Technology and Data function for the future, creating new opportunities, strengthening our capability, and building clearer, more resilient ways of working so we can deliver even better services for our Co-op, our colleagues, members and customers.

We're looking for a Principal Enterprise Architect to join our Enterprise Architecture team and help us shape the future of technology across our Co-op.

In this role, you'll take an enterprise-wide view of change, helping us connect business strategy, technology investment and transformation activity across the organisation.

You'll work with senior leaders to develop architecture strategy, influence major technology decisions and ensure we're delivering change that creates real value for our colleagues, members and customers.

Why this role matters We're at an exciting point in our journey.

As our organisation continues to evolve, we're strengthening how we make technology decisions, govern change and deliver value through product-led ways of working.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape how enterprise architecture operates at Co-op, influencing everything from strategic roadmaps and technology standards to governance frameworks and future ways of working.

If you're passionate about connecting business goals with technology strategy and enjoy building approaches that enable organisations to thrive, here you'll have the freedom and support to make a lasting impact.

What you'll do

• Develop and maintain enterprise architecture strategies, target states and roadmaps that align technology investment and transformation activity to our business priorities
• Set and evolve enterprise architecture principles, standards, governance frameworks and guardrails that enable effective decision-making across business, data, application and technology architecture
• Partner with Product Line Architects and Engineering teams to shape target architectures, technology roadmaps and strategic technology decisions, ensuring architecture enables delivery through platforms, practices and code
• Provide guidance and assurance on major technology decisions, helping teams make informed choices that align with our wider strategy and long-term goals
• Build strong relationships with senior business and technology leaders to understand future needs and translate them into technology outcomes
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and rationalise technology platforms across the organisation, driving efficiency, resilience and long-term value
• Lead enterprise-wide analysis of emerging technologies, industry trends and market developments to identify opportunities, risks and innovation potential
• Coach, mentor and support architects across the organisation, helping to develop capability, share best practice and ensure transformation delivers measurable business value What you'll bring We're committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria.

To thrive here, you'll need to bring:

Significant experience operating in an Enterprise Architecture role within a large, complex organisation, with a track record of shaping technology strategy and enterprise-wide change

Strong strategic, analytical and architectural thinking skills, with the ability to evaluate complex business and technology challenges, connect related initiatives and make pragmatic recommendations that balance competing priorities

Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills, with experience building alignment and driving informed decision-making across senior business and technology leaders without direct authority

Strong commercial awareness and judgement, with the ability to balance business value, cost, risk and operational considerations when shaping technology decisions and investment priorities

Leadership skills, with experience of coaching, mentoring and developing others through structured development frameworks, while creating an inclusive and supportive team environment.

Experience developing enterprise architecture governance, standards, frameworks and assurance processes, ideally within organisations adopting product-based ways of working

Experience applying recognised Enterprise Architecture frameworks such as TOGAF or equivalent practical experience We know some people may hesitate to apply if they don't meet every requirement.

At Co-op, we're committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply.

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we're owned by our members.

And because we're owned by you, we can do right by you.

So when you join us, you're not just taking a job, you're joining a movement.

We're an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we're powered by purpose.

We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you'll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance) - 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ) - 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream
• early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice - 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme A place you'll belong We're building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We're proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we'll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

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