Enterprise Architect - Contractor

Company Description

Civica's Central Government & Defence (CGD) business helps government organisations transform the services that matter most. We design, build and manage secure digital services, data platforms and modern applications that improve outcomes for citizens and public servants. Combining public sector expertise with capabilities in digital, data, AI and cloud, we work alongside our clients to deliver intelligent solutions and lasting impact.

Travel Requirements:

• 4 days per week in London

Requirements

Enterprise Architecture Leadership

• Develop and maintain the organisation's Enterprise Architecture.
• Establish current-state, transition-state and target-state architectures.
• Create and manage enterprise roadmaps aligned to strategic outcomes.
• Ensure traceability between organisational objectives, capabilities, programmes, projects and technology investments.
• Act as the senior enterprise architecture authority across the organisation.
• Provide independent challenge and architectural assurance to programmes and projects.

Strategic Alignment

• Work with senior stakeholders to understand strategic objectives and future capability requirements.
• Translate business strategy into actionable architectural roadmaps.
• Ensure programmes and projects support long-term enterprise objectives.
• Align architectural decisions to Defence and government standards where appropriate.

Capability Roadmap Integration

The Enterprise Architect will act as the integrating authority across organisational capability planning.

This includes:

• Ensuring alignment between business strategy and technology delivery.
• Aligning enterprise architecture with the Technology Capability Roadmap owned by the CTO.
• Aligning enterprise architecture with the Data Capability Roadmap owned by the CDO.
• Identifying dependencies across data, technology, application and business capabilities.
• Supporting investment prioritisation and capability sequencing.
• Ensuring architecture remains coherent across multiple programmes and suppliers.

Architecture Governance

• Establish and maintain enterprise architecture governance processes.
• Define architecture principles, standards and modelling conventions.
• Review architecture deliverables from projects and suppliers.
• Support governance boards with architecture assessments and recommendations.
• Identify and escalate architecture risks, issues and technical debt.
• Maintain architectural decision records and assurance documentation.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage with HQ stakeholders to capture strategic and operational requirements.
• Work closely with Programme Managers, Product Managers and Service Owners.
• Collaborate with Defence client, supplier organisations and internal delivery teams.
• Provide enterprise architecture guidance across multiple business and technology domains.
• Act as the focal point for enterprise-wide architectural coordination.

Architecture Community Leadership

A significant proportion of architectural activity is currently delivered across separate projects, teams and supplier organisations. Improving visibility and coordination of this activity will be a critical early objective.

The successful candidate will:

• Establish and lead an Enterprise Architecture Community of Practice.
• Create a bi-weekly architecture forum bringing together architects across the organisation.
• Improve visibility of architectural work and decision-making.
• Encourage collaboration across business, enterprise, data, solution and technical architecture disciplines.
• Promote knowledge sharing, standardisation and reuse.
• Reduce duplication and conflicting architectural approaches.
• Establish effective engagement between embedded architects, programme teams and suppliers. This is considered a key Day One responsibility.

Business, Data and Technology Architecture

Business Architecture

• Develop enterprise capability models.
• Support operating model development.
• Capture strategic business requirements and capability needs.
• Maintain strategic traceability from HQ objectives through to delivery.

Data Architecture Alignment

Working alongside Data Architecture teams and the CDO function:

• Support enterprise data strategies and data platform initiatives.
• Ensure consistency of information architecture across the organisation.
• Align architecture activities with the Data Capability Roadmap.
• Support enterprise data governance and information management objectives.

Technology Architecture Alignment

Working alongside Technology Architecture teams and the CTO function:

• Assess the current technology landscape.
• Northstar Requirements (ZTA, Agentic AI, Event Driven Architectures)
• Support technology modernisation planning.
• Align architecture activities with the HQ Capability Roadmap.
• Identify technology risks and opportunities.

Legacy Rationalisation and Transition Planning

• Maintain visibility of enterprise applications and technology services.
• Identify systems approaching end-of-life.
• Develop migration and transition strategies.
• Support portfolio rationalisation activities.
• Ensure replacement capabilities align with target-state architecture.

Attention will be required to:

• Tactical solutions currently supporting critical operational functions.
• Building resilience into existing tactical services.
• Transitioning tactical solutions towards strategic target-state capabilities.

Identity, Access and Enterprise Integration

The role will support ongoing work relating to:

• Identity and Access Management (IAM).
• User provisioning and lifecycle management.
• Enterprise integration patterns.
• Data platform interoperability.
• Cross-domain information sharing requirements.

The Enterprise Architect will ensure these initiatives align with broader enterprise architecture objectives and existing programmes of work.

Architecture Frameworks and Tooling

The role will utilise the following core frameworks and tools:

Frameworks

• NATO Architecture Framework (NAF)
• ArchiMate (Primary Modelling Notation)
• MOD and Defence Digital standards as applicable

Tooling

• Sparx Enterprise Architect (Authoritative Architecture Repository)
• Atlassian Confluence (Prolaborate)
• Atlassian Jira

The successful candidate should have significant experience creating and managing architecture repositories and models using these tools.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience in Enterprise Architecture within large, complex organisations.
• Experience operating within Defence, Government or highly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of Enterprise Architecture frameworks and methodologies.
• Experience using ArchiMate to develop enterprise architecture artefacts.
• Experience of architecture governance and assurance.
• Experience engaging senior stakeholders and influencing strategic decision-making.
• Experience coordinating architecture across multiple suppliers and delivery organisations.
• Experience developing enterprise roadmaps and transition plans.
• Knowledge of data, application and technology architecture domains.
• Experience using Sparx Enterprise Architect.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working within Defence organisations.
• Experience with the NATO Architecture Framework (NAF).
• Experience establishing architecture communities of practice.
• Experience supporting large-scale transformation programmes.
• Knowledge of identity and access management architectures.
• Experience working alongside CTO and CDO functions.
• Experience with agile product and portfolio delivery models.

Benefits

At Civica, we are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We believe that a variety of perspectives drives innovation and excellence, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristic. Our recruitment process is designed to ensure fairness and transparency, so every candidate has an equal chance to contribute to our mission.

If you need any adjustments or accommodations to participate in our recruitment process, please let us know. We are here to support you.