Director of Architecture and Software Engineering

British Heart Foundation; Kingston upon Thames; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health charity in the UK is looking for a Director of Architecture and Data Management to lead impactful initiatives across technical architecture and data governance. The successful candidate will have extensive experience in senior architecture roles and team leadership, with a strong grasp of enterprise and data architecture frameworks. This hybrid position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the charity's mission, working flexibly between home and the London office.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in a senior data engineering and/or architecture role.
• Experience managing virtual, international, and matrixed teams.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and govern BHF’s technical architecture.
• Implement architectural standards and best practices.
• Drive initiatives for applications and integration changes.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Architecture frameworks

Data architecture

Cloud platforms

Job description

Our vision is a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases. A world where everyone has a healthier heart, for longer. British Heart Foundation (BHF) is the leading independent funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases, and the largest charity retailer in the UK. Our lifesaving work is advanced by investment in medical research – we have over £400 million of BHF-funded research underway, with an aspiration to invest £1 billion in research over the next ten years.

The BHF has an exciting opportunity for an exceptional leader to join as our new Director of Architecture and Data Management, who will play an instrumental part in leading and driving impact across both the Architecture and Data Management technical. You'll identify and drive impact across BHF, through effective leadership across:

• Architecture, including Enterprise Architecture and Solution Architecture, leading and collaborating to deliver the overarching Technical Vision for BHF’s Architecture, enabling the full team to effectively govern the architecture within their respective domains.
• Architecture chapter from an overarching perspective, ensuring the wider technology portfolios have the right capabilities and that there is strong community for the capabilities to support, develop skills and collaborate.
• Governance and standards, enabling all teams to deliver against BHF’s priorities in a structured, cohesive and supported manner through effective controls across technical design authority forums.
• Data Architecture strategy, including data modelling, integration patterns and platform design.
• Knowledge management, including central repositories for Architecture and Data Management, comprising of as-is configuration, transitional states and designs for future technologies, as well as a central repository for coding frameworks and standards.

Working arrangements

This is a hybrid role, where your work will be split between your home and at least one day per week, on average, in our London Office. This may vary from time to time, so you will need to work in a flexible way to unlock your best work for our cause.

About you

With a deep understanding of enterprise and solution architecture frameworks, you'll have a strong understanding of cloud platforms, as well as knowledge of data architecture, integration patterns and API management and an awareness of cybersecurity principles and regulatory compliance.

• Extensive experience working in a senior data engineering and/or architecture (EA or SA) role.
• Broad experience in team leadership and competency development.
• Broad experience in all aspects of architecture covering data, security, applications and infrastructure.
• Experience in designing, developing, and supporting technology solutions.
• Experience in managing and working with virtual, international and matrixed teams, as well as 3rd parties.
• Stakeholder management and communicating with stakeholders up to a C-suite level.
• Defining and implementing architectural standards and best practice.
• Leading significant applications and integration change initiatives.

With a collaborative and inclusive leadership style, comfortable working across large hybrid teams, you’ll have a strong sense of accountability and integrity and will be resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

About us

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. By funding research for over six decades, we’ve helped keep millions of hearts beating and millions of families together. We’re investing in ground-breaking research that will get us closer than ever to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases. We value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, celebrate diversity, and make inclusion part of what we do every day. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, Igniting Change, along with our internal EDI group, Kaleidoscope, and a growing number of employee network groups (our Affinity Groups) help us create an environment where all our colleagues and volunteers can succeed.

Interview process

First stage interviews will be held, via MS Teams w/c 19th January 2026. Successful candidates will then be invited to attend an in-person interview, at our London offices, w/c 26th January 2026. This in person interview will include a Q&A session, a presentation element and a wider stakeholder panel session.

How to apply

BHF has partnered with search firm Henderson Scott, with Robbie McGregor leading the recruitment for this role.

To apply for this role, or speak with a member of their team, please email a copy of your latest CV to: [e-mail]

Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process at application or interview, please liaise with Henderson Scott.