Lead Enterprise Architect - Digital Transformation

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration package

Medical aid and pension fund

Hybrid work environment

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Enterprise Architect in Cape Town to drive the organization’s digital transformation. The role combines strategic vision with hands‑on architectural leadership across business, data, and technology domains.

You will guide cross‑functional teams, govern architecture standards, and ensure modernization initiatives align with business goals. The position offers a hybrid work model in Cape Town, with emphasis on collaboration between in‑office and remote work.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Develop, articulate, and govern the enterprise architecture strategy across business, application, data, and technology domains.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to translate strategy into architectural roadmaps.
• Evaluate emerging technologies for potential impact and applicability to strategic goals.
• Define standards, principles, and patterns for scalable IT solutions.
• Lead architectural reviews for major projects to ensure adherence to standards.
• Facilitate alignment between IT and business stakeholders on architectural decisions.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic thinking

Influencing

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science/IT/related field

Tools

TOGAF

Zachman

AWS

Azure

GCP

APIs & Integration

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly expanding financial services firm, is seeking an accomplished Lead Enterprise Architect to spearhead its digital transformation initiatives. This critical role is based in Cape Town, Western Cape, offering a hybrid work model that balances remote flexibility with in-office collaboration. You will be responsible for defining and maintaining the overarching enterprise architecture, ensuring it aligns with business strategy and drives innovation. This position requires a visionary leader capable of guiding technical strategy, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring the successful implementation of new technologies and solutions across the organization. You will play a key role in modernizing our client's technology landscape and positioning it for future growth and market leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, articulate, and govern the enterprise architecture strategy, encompassing business, application, data, and technology domains.
• Collaborate with executive leadership and business unit heads to translate strategic objectives into actionable architectural roadmaps.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and trends, assessing their potential impact and applicability to the organization's strategic goals.
• Define architectural standards, principles, and patterns to ensure consistency, scalability, and maintainability of IT solutions.
• Lead architectural reviews for major projects and initiatives, providing guidance and ensuring adherence to architectural standards.
• Facilitate communication and alignment between IT teams and business stakeholders regarding architectural decisions and their implications.
• Manage the technology lifecycle, identifying opportunities for modernization and rationalization of the IT landscape.
• Oversee the development and implementation of target state architectures that support business agility and digital innovation.
• Mentor and guide a team of enterprise and solution architects, fostering a culture of technical excellence.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in enterprise architecture, with a significant portion in a leadership role.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing enterprise-wide architectural strategies, preferably within the financial services sector.
• Deep understanding of various architectural frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman) and methodologies.
• Extensive experience with cloud computing (AWS, Azure, GCP), microservices, API strategies, and modern application development paradigms.
• Strong knowledge of data architecture, data governance, and master data management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Experience with large-scale system integration and digital transformation programs.
• Familiarity with business process modeling and re-engineering.

Benefits

• Our client offers a highly competitive remuneration package, including a substantial bonus structure, comprehensive medical aid, and pension fund contributions.
• Employees benefit from a generous leave allowance, professional development opportunities, and a supportive hybrid work environment that values work-life balance.
• You will have the opportunity to work on transformative projects that shape the future of the financial industry in Cape Town and beyond.