In Team Digital, we’re planning for a future where the technology solutions we co-create and design enable us to achieve our goal to protect our greatest natural resource and allow our customers, communities and the environment to thrive.
As a team, our vision is to create an everyday digital experience for the people we serve - our customers - by putting them at the heart of everything we do. As part of our award-winning team you’ll help the business become an intelligent, connected organisation in order to deliver our digital transformation and turnaround.

The Head of Enterprise Architecture is responsible for aligning technology initiatives with business goals, ensuring that the infrastructure, software, and projects implemented advance the overall strategy of the organisation. This position involves leading the work on technology strategy, defining the enterprise architecture, and building a community of architects across different disciplines.

The role requires an understanding of both technical and business aspects, including cloud-based architectures, data architecture, and contemporary digital architecture practices. Additionally, the Head of Enterprise Architecture must engage with business and IT stakeholders, building relationships and communicating the value of enterprise architecture and its services to ensure that customer needs are consistently met and that the company's IT assets are used effectively.

What you’ll be doing as Head of Enterprise Architecture

You will focus on 4 key pillars:
Strategy:

• Updating and communicating the Technology Strategy and Applications/Capability Roadmap.
• Leading the creation of other digital strategies, e.g., Connected Assets (OT), Cloud & Infrastructure, ERP.
• Leading technology input into our five-year investment plans.

Management and Leadership:

• Line management responsibilities for a team of six to eight Enterprise Architects including objective setting, performance reviews and appraisals.
• Creating an architecture community across Enterprise, Solution and Security architecture.
• Actively participating as a key member of the Digital Extended Leadership team, contributing insights and expertise, and engaging in various events and initiatives

Governance:

• Taking responsibility for the running and improvement of the Architecture Review Board, Principles, Capabilities and Architecture SharePoint site.
• Being an escalation point for concerns from the project level governance systems

Community of Practice:
Build an Architecture Community of Practice (CoP) by:

• Defining the Purpose and Objectives
• Identifying Stakeholders and Members
• Establishing Governance and Roles
• Developing a Communication Plan
• Creating a Knowledge Management Strategy for the CoP
• Planning Regular Activities and Events
• Fostering Engagement and Collaboration
• Monitoring and Evaluating success
• Promoting the Community

Base Location: Reading - Hybrid
Working Pattern: 36 hours, with a minimum of 2 days a week on site 

What you should bring to the role
We want to bring together a team of brilliant tech minds with game changing ideas. We’re looking for people who will help us re-imagine the way we work and the way we get things done:

• A truly digital mindset. Open to collaboration. Open to risk. Open to new ways of doing things.
• Obsessed with data. Obsessed with excellence.
• People who think and behave differently to the way we do. People who don’t want to just be another cog in the machine.

You will also be able to demonstrate:

Technical Background: A strong foundation in IT and enterprise architecture principles is crucial. This includes understanding technologies, platforms, architectures, and methodologies.

Problem-Solving Skills: Being able to analyse complex problems and devise innovative solutions that meet both technical and business requirements.

Business Acumen: Understanding of how the business operates and how technology can drive business value. This includes knowledge of industry trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory requirements.

Experience with Architecture Frameworks: Familiarity with industry-standard architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman, or others, and the ability to apply them effectively.  Familiar with Application Portfolio Management.

Leadership Skills: Ability to lead and inspire a team of architects and IT professionals. This involves effective communication, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills.

Strategic Thinking: Capable of aligning IT strategy with business goals. They should be able to envision the long-term IT roadmap for the organization and make decisions that support its strategic objectives.

Risk Management: Understanding of IT risks and security considerations, and experience in developing strategies to mitigate them.

Collaboration and Communication Skills: Ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders across different departments and levels of the organization. This includes building consensus, negotiating priorities, and fostering a culture of collaboration.  Ability to present ideas clearly through discussion, and high-quality documentation or presentations.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £105,000 per annum
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (Plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance
• Annual Bonus
• Private Medical Health Care
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

Who are we?
At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive.

Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we’re committed to taking care of it for us all.

But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We need to keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?

Working at Thames Water
At Thames Water we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential service, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business.

We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, background, and differences that each individual brings.

Our over-arching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive great place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process.

Find out more about working at Thames Water.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.