Head of Systems & Architecture

Zodiac Maritime Limited; London; On-site; GBP 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative maritime company is seeking a Head of Systems and Architecture to shape and govern their technology landscape. This senior leadership role involves responsibilities in strategic planning, operational systems management, and technology governance. The ideal candidate will have over a decade of experience in technology leadership, robust knowledge of cloud environments, and a track record of aligning technology with business outcomes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in senior technology roles, with a focus on systems and architecture leadership.
• Strong understanding of enterprise systems and cloud platforms.
• Experience in IT governance and change management.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the enterprise technology and architecture vision.
• Oversee the health and performance of the existing technology landscape.
• Lead a high-performing team of architects and systems leads.

Skills

Leadership

Cloud Technologies

Enterprise Architecture

Systems Management

Vendor Management

Job description

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We are looking for a Head of Systems and Architecture, a senior technology leadership role accountable for shaping and governing the organisation’s overall technology landscape. This role bridges strategy and execution—ensuring that both the current-state systems and future-state architecture align with business objectives, support agility and resilience, and provide a foundation for innovation and growth. This position leads two direct reports: one focused on operational systems and landscape management, and one focused on architecture and design. The role plays a critical part in strategic planning, delivery assurance, vendor alignment, and enterprise-wide technology governance.

Key responsibilities and primary deliverables

Strategic Technology & Architecture Leadership

• Define and own the enterprise technology and architecture vision in alignment with organisational goals.
• Lead the development of a scalable, secure, and future-ready technology landscape that supports evolving business needs.
• Partner with business and executive leadership to ensure technology enables business outcomes such as growth, efficiency, innovation, and customer success.

Current-State Systems Management (through direct report)

• Oversee the health, performance, and resilience of the existing technology landscape, including infrastructure, core platforms, and enterprise applications.
• Ensure systems are maintained, supported, and optimized for availability, security, and compliance.
• Provide strategic direction for lifecycle management, technical debt reduction, and platform modernization efforts.

Architecture and Design Oversight (through direct report)

• Govern enterprise architecture standards, principles, and roadmaps across application, data, infrastructure, integration, and security domains.
• Ensure new systems and solutions are designed to meet both immediate requirements and long-term strategic goals.
• Lead or sponsor architecture review boards and ensure design governance across key projects.

Business Alignment & Technology Planning

• Translate business strategies into technology investment plans and roadmaps.
• Identify capability gaps and propose technology-led solutions to unlock new business value.
• Drive prioritization of architectural and technical initiatives based on business impact and urgency.

Team Leadership & Organisational Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of architects and systems leads.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across the technology function.
• Mentor team members and champion technical leadership within delivery teams.
• Ensure that systems and architecture meet internal standards, security, compliance, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee vendor relationships and ensure technology suppliers are aligned with architecture strategy and value delivery.
• Maintain strong governance processes to manage change, control risk, and ensure accountability across architecture and systems domains.

Technology Enablement & Innovation

• Act as a thought leader on emerging technologies, digital transformation trends, and enterprise architecture evolution.
• Promote adoption of modern delivery practices (e.g., cloud-native, API-first, DevOps, automation) to enhance agility and innovation.
• Identify and support proof-of-concept initiatives that test or demonstrate architectural shifts and new technologies.

Skills profile

• 10+ years in senior technology roles, including responsibility for systems and architecture leadership.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional technology strategy and enterprise architecture.
• Experience managing both legacy and modern technology environments in a large or complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of enterprise systems, cloud platforms, integration strategies, and architectural best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate technical concepts into business impact.
• Experience in IT governance, vendor management, and change management.
• Familiarity with enterprise architecture frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman) and modelling tools.
• Cloud certification (AWS, Azure) or enterprise architecture credentials.
• Experience leading technology transformation or digital enablement programs.
• Background in regulated or high-compliance sectors (e.g., finance, healthcare, government).

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Information Technology

• Industries

  Maritime Transportation

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