Lead Architect - Technology Strategy & Application Architecture

• EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Permanent
• DEPARTMENT: Information Systems
• DIVISION: Group
• WORKPLACE STRUCTURE: Hybrid

ROLE OVERVIEW

PURPOSE OF JOB

• As JTC enters the Genesis era of growth and
• transformation under private equity ownership, the Group’s ambition is to
• become a data- and AI-powered specialist-services platform where every
• interaction, acquisition and piece of expertise makes the firm smarter, more
• efficient and easier to scale.
• The Lead Architect sits within Application
• Architecture, part of the Technology Strategy & Application Architecture
• function within JTC’s unified Tech-AI operating model. The role owns JTC’s
• target-state application architecture and leads the design of solution
• architecture for priority initiatives, working across an estate that has been
• built up through acquisition and contains duplicated systems and point-to-point
• integrations requiring active rationalisation.
• The postholder will provide architecture input
• into buy-vs-build and vendor decisions, including evaluating third-party and
• embedded AI tools, and will design the solution architecture for priority
• initiatives, working closely with AI Engineering & Data Science and Group
• Data so that AI, agentic and data platform components are built onto the estate
• coherently and without creating vendor lock-in. As JTC continues to grow by
• acquisition, the role also covers assessing new acquisitions’ technology estates
• against the target architecture and helping prioritise what gets integrated
• first.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

TARGET ARCHITECTURE & GOVERNANCE

• Define and own JTC’s target-state application architecture, rationalising a fragmented, acquisition-built estate of duplicated systems and point-to-point integrations.
• Provide architecture input into buy-vs-build and vendor decisions, including evaluating third-party and embedded AI tools for fit with the Group’s data and application estate.
• Establish architecture standards, integration patterns and principles, and run or contribute to the architecture governance forum for the Group.
• Assess new acquisitions’ technology estates against the target architecture and help prioritise what gets integrated first.

SOLUTION ARCHITECTURE & DELIVERY

• Design the solution architecture for priority initiatives, translating the target architecture into delivery-ready designs.
• Work hands-on across specific integration and delivery projects, including those spanning multiple existing systems being consolidated or replaced.
• Partner directly with AI Engineering & Data Science and Group Data on the architecture of agentic and data platform components, ensuring AI capability is built onto the estate coherently and without creating vendor lock-in.

AI & AGENTIC ARCHITECTURE

Maintain current, practical fluency in agentic and AI architecture patterns, including orchestration, retrieval and grounding, and MCP-style integration, sufficient to credibly shape how these fit he wider estate.

Contribute architecture positions on AI-related integration, data dependencies and target-state implications as new agentic capabilities move from prototype into production.

REGULATORY & RISK AWARENESS

Make architecture decisions with awareness of JTC’s regulated, multi-jurisdiction footprint, recognising that data residency, cross-border transfer and compliance requirements vary by jurisdiction and should be confirmed with Compliance and Legal rather than assumed.

DOCUMENTATION & CAPABILITY BUILDING

• Document architecture decisions, standards and patterns clearly enough to be usable by other teams without ongoing explanation.
• Contribute to the
• ongoing development of the Application Architecture capability as the team and
• function grow.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Senior architecture experience that includes real exposure to target-state and governance decisions, combined with current, hands-on solution design experience from within the last one to two years.
• Experience operating in a fragmented, multi-entity, acquisitive estate rather than a greenfield environment, ideally including consolidation of point-to-point integrations.
• Demonstrable experience contributing to buy-vs-build and vendor decisions, including evaluating embedded AI or SaaS tools.
• Current, practical fluency in AI and agentic architecture patterns, sufficient to partner credibly with AI engineering teams.
• Strong modern solution design experience, including cloud-native architecture, APIs and integration patterns.
• Experience in a regulated, multi-jurisdiction environment, ideally Financial Services or Professional Services, with sound judgement on when to involve Compliance and Legal.
• Experience with technology integration during M&A or acquisition-driven growth is highly advantageous.
• Strong written communication skills, able to produce documentation and standards that are usable by others without ongoing explanation.
• Comfortable operating without a large architecture team, moving between strategic and hands-on delivery work as needed.
• A relevant degree in computer science, engineering or a related discipline, and relevant professional certifications, are valued but not required.

OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION & WELLBEING

• JTC is committed to fostering a healthy, inclusive
• organisation where all individuals feel welcome and feel able to participate in
• the workplace fully. We value different perspectives, backgrounds and lived
• experiences. This includes supporting employee wellbeing so that people feel
• equipped to thrive.
• #LI-AM1