Overall purpose of role

Barclays has a complex and diverse data environment. The bank is amid a complex data transformation program including the adoption of a federated data sharing model underpinned by shared enterprise data platforms and patterns. This role will work closely with the BUK CDAO engineering and product management function to lead and manage the architecture process and teams within BUK CDAO, providing technical guidance, mentorship, and support to ensure the delivery of high-quality data solutions, driving technical end to end designs and data models.

The role will manage a team of specialised architects/designers and modellers to oversee the delivery of architecture for the BUK CDAO function.

Key Accountabilities

• Developing the architecture framework, practices and ceremonies to ensure architecture governance and excellence across CDAO deliverables
• Lead architecture teams effectively, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture to achieve project goals and meet organizational objectives.
• Oversee timelines, team allocation, risk management and task prioritization to ensure the successful delivery of solutions within scope, time, and budget.
• Mentor and support team members' professional growth, conduct performance reviews, provide actionable feedback, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Evaluation and enhancement of architecture processes, tools, and methodologies to increase efficiency, streamline workflows, and optimize team productivity.
• Collaboration with business partners, product managers, engineering peers and other stakeholders to translate business problems into feasible and deliverable solutions
• Partner with other CIO and CDAOs to develop End to End solutions and domains specific data product
• Support other key BUK enterprise data programmes

Person Specification

• Effective communication with all levels of the organization. Must be able to translate high level strategy and vision into business language and vice versa, up to and including Board level.
• Influencing/networking – developing internal and external business relationships and using own knowledge, skills, and experience to influence others’ opinions and actions.
• Strategic Thinker – able to translate strategy from the top level down, from ethos to outcome.
• Has energy, resilience, and determination to deliver excellent results in new and challenging situations, irrespective of role boundaries
• Change focused, not afraid to challenge the status quo, curious and keen to explore new opportunities
• Innovative and curious mind-set to ensure continuous improvement, with the ability and tenacity to deliver change in a complex global organisation
• Flexible and responsive to change, with ability to flex management techniques to fit the dynamic and wide-ranging change initiatives across the business.
• People focused – have genuine passion for Colleague experience, and continuously driving towards a culture which is inclusive, where colleagues feel valued, and talent is nurtured

Essential Skills/Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading and growing teams of senior technology customer facing professionals.
• 10+ years' experience design/implementation/consulting experience across architecture disciplines within a data function
• 5+ years of experience in the delivery of data programs and or data engineering.
• High level of comfort communicating effectively across internal and/or external organizations, with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to new technologies and learn quickly.
• Ability to speak in public and in front of an audience
• Technical degree required (or equivalent work experience); Computer Science background highly desired.

Desirable skills/Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of software development tools and methodologies.
• Role models and mentors, helping to coach and strengthen the technical expertise and know-how of our engineering, solution architecture and product community.
• Evangelists, both internally and externally, helping to elevate the Architecture community and establish themselves as a go-to resource on given technologies and technology-enabled capabilities.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to new technologies and learn quickly, with a key focus on how to implement and make it successful within a large organisation.
• Experience working within software development and/or financial industry.
• Operate as a trusted advisor for a specific technology, platform, or capability domain, helping to shape use cases and implementation in a consistently excellent manner.

Purpose of the role

To set direction and design solutions for the banks most complex IT systems and / or platforms, inc. using industry leading approaches in response to the most challenging functional and non-functional requirements.

Accountabilities

• Set the banks strategic architecture direction for a specialist technology area(s), e.g. development of trading platforms.
• Provision of deep technical expertise in designing and evaluating complex technology architectures to stakeholders, including overseeing and coordinating solution architects, to encourage continuous learning across the architecture community.
• Management of innovative design, engineering initiatives and complex technology projects, through the collaboration with technical experts across the bank to resolve complex problems that support the banks technology strategy.
• Development and promotion of architectural standards, guidelines and governance policies to ensure consistency, quality and compliance to support the mitigation of various risks including breaches, access and regulatory violation.
• Identification of emerging technology trends, patterns and innovations that may impact the bank and implement potential solutions that align with the banks strategic objectives.
• Development and maintenance of advisor relationships with business partners, architects and engineering teams to drive successful design, adoption and engineering outcomes.
• Advocation of optimal solutions that address the banks technological needs through clear and compelling communication to support architectural decisions.
• Support of engineering and architecture community initiatives to mentor team members, streamline operations, share and grow knowledge.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.