Principal Enterprise Architect

Principal Enterprise Architect

Introduction to role

AstraZeneca is focused on accelerating the delivery of life-changing medicines that build enduring value for people, society, and the planet. We strive to drive positive change beyond the impact of our medicines by embedding sustainability into everything we do – from the lab to the patient. We are tackling the biggest sustainability challenges of our time, including the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, health equity, and health system resilience. These are interconnected and requirteamworkon within and beyond the health sector.

The Principal Enterprise Architect in Sustainability will ensure that common architecture decisions support both business ambitions and IT strategy. The role will deliver architectures that are aligned with relevant AZ architecture standards, blueprints, and roadmaps. The role will build a balance between the immediate and the strategic. As a Principal Architect in Sustainability, the role is focused on strategic planning typically over the 1-5 year horizon as well as the immediate project work of solution design. The role will be accountable for the development of architecture standards, domain IT strategy, roadmaps (1-5 years), and blueprints. The role will understand implications of architecture requirements to ‘As-Is’ architectures and define/update ‘To-Be’ architectures applying AZ architecture guiding principles. The Principal Architect will also support solution development efforts originating from enterprise portfolios (R&D, Commercial, and Operations), participate in and/or lead IT initiatives, domain groups, and provide active guidance for better planning and decision making.

This role sits in the Operations part of AZ, which has a broad portfolio covering Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Pharmaceutical Development, Quality, and Global Sustainability. The Principal Architect will mainly work in the Global Sustainability domain but must be flexible to work in other mentioned domains as and when required, applying the architecture expertise.

Accountabilities

• Provide Enterprise Design thinking & support to AZ’s Enterprise covering following domains of architecture.
• Business
• Application
• Integration
• Cloud
• Data & Analytics
• AI/ML (incl. GenAI and Agentic-AI)
• Lead the effort to ensure that common architecture decisions support the business and IT strategy, and that the architectures delivered are aligned with relevant AZ architecture standards, blueprints, and roadmaps.
• Participate in Architecture Assessments & Reviews either as Lead Reviewing Architect or as a domain expert in the review team.
• Contribute to the development of the Architecture Capability and practice, by documenting and sharing knowledge and standard methodologies with peer architects.
• Be accountable for the development of architecture standards, technology domain strategies, roadmaps, and blueprints for one or more architecture focus areas.
• Understand implications of IT architecture requirements to ‘As-Is’ architectures and define/update ‘Transition’ and To-Be’ architectures applying AZ architecture guiding principles.
• Support solution development efforts originating from portfolios, participate in IT initiatives and provide active guidance and value for better planning and decision making.
• Maintain a view of the current and future state (1-5 years) architecture within a defined architecture focus area.
• Develop Architecture Building Blocks to support implementation of Enterprise Architecture in the specific area.
• Lead and/or provide active participation in Enterprise domain teams and working groups applicable to domain accountability.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Relevant technical degree or equivalent
• Experience as an enterprise architect for a business domain authoring and completing architecture roadmaps
• Experience producing application strategies/roadmaps for a global enterprise in their focused architecture domain
• Experience with rationalisation, consolidation and integration of technology across business domains
• Experience with large Justification phase work – product evaluation, business case formulation
• Experience developing and influencing business strategies with multi-functional team impact.
• Experience developing and leading innovative solutions
• Proven experience of leading change and challenging approaches/ideas
• Experience developing and managing relationships with third party suppliers
• Experience crafting complex technology solutions aligned to enterprise roadmaps
• Experience in crafting AI/ML (incl. GenAI) solutions
• Strong networking skills with good internal/external links
• Strong communication, facilitation and relationship building skills
• Ability to interpret and communicate technical information into business language
• Awareness of developments in the marketplace and understand the relevance and potential impact to AZ
• Ability to work well in diverse, multinational teams and proven ability to influence others to achieve positive outcomes
• An open mind to learning new skills and capabilities
• Ability to follow principles of agile and incremental architecture approaches
• Strong analytical skills on architecture trade-offs

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Demonstrate initiative, strong customer orientation, and cross-cultural working
• People Development experience
• Budget Management experience
• Masters and/or Professional Certification
• Experience in Sustainability initiatives in large organisations and defining appropriate technology roadmaps
• Good understanding of industry technology trends regarding Agentic AI
• Good eye for business
• Understanding of the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry and of competitor activity

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash ambitious thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

At AstraZeneca, we architect enterprise platforms to uncover the best technology that aligns with our strategic direction and investment. Here we focus on understanding business requirements to re-use and simplify our technology landscape. It means we can scale fast as we flex and apply the right technology and platform to each situation.

Ready to take on this exciting challenge?

Apply now!