Senior Enterprise Architect

We are currently recruiting for a Senior Enterprise Architect (Core Infrastructure) to join our London office.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

The core of the global technology department's mission is to provide stable, reliable, and secure platforms and services to our partners, staff and clients and fulfil our regulatory obligations across 30+ countries. To ensure that a consistent and standardised IT service is delivered to all offices, IT is managed and led as a global function, enabling all offices to benefit from complete systems integration and economies of scale. We have around 400 technologists based predominantly in the UK, Singapore and increasingly in the US.

Enterprise Architecture and Technology Platforms

To develop and maintain the firm's technology strategy and enterprise architecture. In parallel, own, improve and simplify the firm's key technology 'building blocks' by designing, building and managing the core technology platforms which are fundamental to delivering strategic business goals.

ROLE PURPOSE

Reporting to the Head of Enterprise Architecture and Technology Strategy, this role will support the creation and maintenance of a strategic IT infrastructure roadmap that aligns with the firm's business objectives. The person will work closely with leadership to ensure that the underlying core IT infrastructure is optimized for cost, risk reduction, and enables innovation. The role is a member of the Enterprise Architecture and Technology platform leadership team and will play a role in motivating a team of skilled IT professionals and directing external third-party service providers.

The role is accountable for leading the strategic design and maintenance of the core IT infrastructure roadmap for the firm. As such, this individual will own the strategy for the foundational technology components that support the business. The role will also be responsible for researching as well as evaluating new and emerging technologies that would provide robust IT infrastructure capabilities for the business.

The role will collaborate with platform architects, solution architects and other leaders to ensure that overall objectives are understood and addressed in the architectural strategy. The selected candidate will provide technical expertise, guidance and mentorship for architects in the IT organization.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define the vision, blueprint, standards and roadmap for the firm's foundational infrastructure systems - including networks, servers, storage, and cloud resources, to meet current and future business needs.
• Develop relationships with fee earners, business teams and IT leaders to influence and manage the delivery of enterprise architecture aligned to strategic business objectives.
• Ensure alignment between infrastructure platforms target architectures, roadmaps, and changes such that they are collectively defined, implemented and operated by design.
• Provide the highest level of technical expertise. Provide leadership and assurance to facilitate the resolution to the most complex, critical, and challenging infrastructure technology problems.
• Ensure resiliency within the IT core infrastructure by closely working with Information Security to align the cyber security framework to the IT infrastructure roadmap and identify, assess and mitigate risks.
• Chair technical architecture review forums, providing assurance and ensuring that architecture designs and decisions are reviewed, approved and recorded according to the firm's processes and policies.
• Promote best practice strategic technology components, standards and drive consistency and consolidation across the infrastructure portfolio.
• Advise Platform and Solution Architects on projects or major changes by providing a cross-firm view of infrastructure services, targets, standards and best practices.
• Support service transition planning and conduct retrospective reviews to assess if systems are being operated in alignment with solution designs.
• Provide strategic vendor assessments to ensure that potential new solutions are feasible, sustainable and aligned to the strategic objectives of the firm.
• Collaborate with the Enterprise Architecture & Technology Platforms leadership team to collectively define, implement and operate the firm's enterprise architecture.
• Contribute to the management of the enterprise architecture budget and benefits delivery, developing estimates and tracking performance against plans.
• Proactively identify and pursue opportunities for continuous improvement in enterprise architecture frameworks, processes and tooling.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Experience

• Extensive experience of creating and managing strategic roadmaps for core infrastructure technologies, preferably within the legal or professional services sector.
• Proven experience of defining and operating Enterprise architecture frameworks and processes.
• Comprehensive knowledge of information security frameworks and approaches.
• Understanding of modern infrastructure technologies and their operational management.
• Applied knowledge of IT strategic planning, design, and operations processes.
• Knowledge of current IT and data market trends and technology innovations.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts to business leaders.
• Proven track record of managing teams.
• At least 10 years background in the IT industry, with a focus on enterprise architecture principles

Personal

• Proven stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Proven business acumen and ability to understand how they add value to the function, firm or clients.
• Ability to lead and develop team members.
• Promotes the firm's values at all times and is comfortable working with a wide range of people and departments.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Additional information - External

A&O Shearman is a global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 28 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.