Data and AI Architecture Director

Data and AI Architecture Director

Apply locations: London, Manchester, Bristol, Halifax, Leeds

Time type: Full time

Posted on: Posted 3 Days Ago

Time left to apply: End Date: February 3, 2025 (24 days left to apply)

End Date: Sunday 02 February 2025

We support flexible working – click here for more information on flexible working options

Flexible Working Options: Hybrid Working, Job Share

Job Description:

As the Architecture Director, reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer, you will be a key member of the CTO Leadership Team. You will work alongside fellow Architecture Directors who oversee Enterprise Functions, Consumer & Digital, IP&I, and Commercial, as well as Heads of Architecture for Cloud, Infrastructure & Engineering, and Technology Resilience & Risk. Your role will be vital in driving simplification, transformation, modernization, innovation, and technology, which are central to our strategic priorities.

In this role, you will play a critical part in defining and leading change across all Data and AI functions within the business. You will collaborate with the Group COO, CDAO, and CIO Enabling to drive growth and transformation. Your responsibilities will include defining roadmaps, providing input on business plans, and leading the way to innovative solutions. You will be responsible for our group-wide data technology choices and data solution design, as well as supporting our AI and Analytics strategies. Your leadership will be pivotal in defining the Data and AI architecture, vision, and strategy.

Architecture is essential to the Group’s ability to provide reliable, innovative, and safe products and services. As an Architecture Director, you will lead a team of technical experts to develop reference architecture, coordinate plans and roadmaps to minimize conflicts between business and technology goals, and translate business requirements into architectural solutions. You will lead the Data Architecture vision, strategy, and roadmaps, and play a significant role in AI adoption at Lloyds Banking Group. Ensuring alignment among business, technology delivery, and data enablers, you will apply your expertise to areas including Enterprise Data Provisioning, Customer Data Services, Analytics & AI Services, and Intelligent Automation.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in delivering enterprise-scale solutions using technologies such as cloud deployment models and supporting technologies (e.g., Azure, GCP), cloud-native principles and supporting technologies (e.g., microservices, DevOps, containers & CI/CD), AI, front-end technologies, and API frameworks. You should also be familiar with modern data paradigms (including event streaming), cybersecurity (e.g., zero trust, PKI), resilience by design, and the role of technology in supporting our Group-wide sustainability agenda (e.g., green coding, carbon calculators). As the Data Architecture Director, you will play a strategic leadership role within Lloyds Banking Group, ensuring our data roadmaps and reference architecture are ready to support initiatives throughout the Group.

Key Accountabilities:

• Solely accountable for the Data and AI Architecture vision and strategy: Define and implement a best-in-class data strategy that aligns with our business goals, serving as the go-to strategic technologist for the Group COO, CDAO, CIO Enabling, BPLs, and TPLs, enabling the design and delivery of business and technology objectives.
• Be the leader in driving our AI Technology Architecture, playing a crucial role in ensuring our roadmaps and patterns meet the constantly evolving needs of our Business, and are responsive to advances in Data and AI technology.
• Build and develop excellent relationships with The Board, GEC, and Business Directors, presenting CEO-ready technology solutions, visions, and roadmaps while ensuring alignment with our Group strategy and technology strategy.
• Lead a team of skilled Architects, encouraging their professional development, promoting knowledge sharing, and cultivating a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Design modern data systems that ensure scalability and efficiency, supported by modern technology solutions and systems integration. Define and uphold our data quality standards, ensuring best-in-class data management practices.
• Pivotal to the growth of AI within LBG, core to supporting widespread enterprise adoption is defining our target architecture for AI including approach for models, training/fine tuning, RAG, embeddings, workbench, AI platform, compute, governance, and ensuring efficient and ethical usage.
• Establish robust AI implementation frameworks and patterns that align with regulatory requirements and industry standard methodologies, ensuring compliance. Lead the development of AI governance policies to maintain transparency accountability and trust in AI driven solutions.
• Own and design centralised end-to-end data architecture solutions, including data model designs and database development standards.
• Governance and Strategic Forums: establish and maintain an influential and essential role in governance, strategic, and business forums.
• Direct and set investment priorities, Build and develop excellent relationships with The Board, GEC, and Business Directors.
• As required, commission and manage the delivery of work from external partners, to establish architectural definitions in priority areas.

Key Capabilities, Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Accountable for the data, analytics and AI architecture, reference artefacts and strategies and how these support the Group's Business Strategies, Technology Strategy and Data Strategy.
• Proven influence at the highest levels of the organisation, including the Board, Group CEO, Divisional CEOs, CIOs, CDAO, BPLs and TPLs and GEC; backed a sound understanding of their objectives and how technology and data can help achieve them.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise architecture and translating business and technical needs into data architectures which drive efficiency, innovation and growth in a safe and secure manner.
• Design data flows, understand data generation, management, and transition; build frameworks to track data assets, govern usage and storage, and integrate systems for smooth data flow across departments and applications.
• Analyse, plan, and define data architecture frameworks, including security (in partnership with the CSO), reference data, metadata, and master data (in partnership with the CDAO).
• Key to designing and delivering our migration away from our Group Data Warehouse, defining the future of scalable data architectures that can support growing volumes of data and real-time processing needs, ensuring data flows smoothly across departments and applications (e.g., CRM, ERP, and Cloud Platforms).
• Research data acquisition opportunities, commissioning and managing the delivery of work from external partners where required.
• Optimise existing data systems to improve performance, reduce costs, and support faster decision-making.
• A demonstrated ability to comprehend, implement and maintain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary IT architecture frameworks, concepts, layers and technologies including AI, cloud computing, data analytics, API, digital solutions, Core Banking and mobile applications across various product lines, distribution channels and innovation initiatives for Group functions.
• Places sustainability at the heart of decisions, to contribute to our Group-wide sustainability agenda, supported by a knowledge of sustainable technologies (e.g. green coding).
• A demonstrable ability to apply your constant, current and critical awareness of market-leading solutions from FinTechs, enterprise software providers to ‘Build vs Buy’ scenarios.
• Consistently and constantly demonstrates and role models our Group values, promoting and contributing to DE&I via ACCESS, BOLD, Boost, Breakthrough, Family Matters, Rainbow and REACH.
• An excellent ability to synthesise complex and competing data to input and output valuable insights and conclusions around our technology roadmaps and reference architecture.
• Understanding of corporate governance; willingness to lead from the front; ability to manage large or matrixed teams.
• Effective business control: breadth of knowledge across the Data functions of Lloyds Banking Group and the wider financial services industry; understanding of economic, political and social trends; ability to identify, articulate and manage risks to strategy.
• Excellent collaborator management, to ensure that advantageous Partnerships are established, and that the requirements of programme mobilisation are balanced with those of our target Technology Strategy.
• Actively contributes to the wider enterprise-wide Architecture evolution within the Bank and bringing in external industry insights, and actively participates in the Architecture community.
• Lead thinking and vision for capabilities such as Data Mesh, Data Fabric and Data Schemas.

If you have any questions about this role, please contact Vic's BSM at View email address on click.appcast.io

At Lloyds Banking Group, we're driven by a clear purpose; to help Britain prosper. Across the Group, our colleagues are focused on making a difference to customers, businesses and communities. With us you'll have a key role to play in shaping the financial services of the future, whilst the scale and reach of our Group means you'll have many opportunities to learn, grow and develop.

We keep your data safe. So, we'll only ever ask you to provide confidential or sensitive information once you have formally been invited along to an interview or accepted a verbal offer to join us which is when we run our background checks. We'll always explain what we need and why, with any request coming from a trusted Lloyds Banking Group person.

We're focused on creating a values-led culture and are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the customers and communities we serve. Together we’re building a truly inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference.