Enterprise Architect

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients.  We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications.  We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals. 

About the role:

As an Enterprise Architect, you’ll play a critical role in shaping and governing enterprise-wide architecture across a complex portfolio of programmes within the energy and utilities sector. This is a strategic yet hands-on position, where you’ll balance long-term architectural direction with the practical realities of delivery.

You’ll work across business and technology teams to ensure solutions are aligned with enterprise strategy, secure by design, and capable of operating within highly regulated and operationally critical environments. From influencing roadmaps and defining architectural principles, through to assuring detailed solution designs, your work will directly support safe, scalable, and resilient transformation.

Working closely with programme teams, architects, and technical specialists, you’ll provide the governance, clarity, and direction needed to enable consistent, high-quality delivery across multiple initiatives.

As an Enterprise Architect, you will:

• Shape and assure end-to-end enterprise solution designs across multiple programmes, ensuring alignment with architectural principles and strategic roadmaps.
• Balance long-term strategy with immediate delivery needs, contributing to roadmap evolution and business priorities.
• Define and maintain architectural guardrails, including principles, standards, and patterns to support secure and scalable delivery.
• Provide architectural governance, ensuring solutions meet security, operational resilience, and compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with programme managers, business analysts, service owners, and technical teams to ensure cohesive delivery.
• Operate across the full system lifecycle, supporting both agile and waterfall delivery approaches.
• Support procurement activities, including defining technical requirements and evaluating supplier proposals.
• Govern the use of identity, monitoring, network, and platform technologies in line with enterprise standards.
• Ensure alignment between business strategy, customer outcomes, and technical delivery.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement across architecture and service domains.
• Engage and influence stakeholders across both technical and non-technical areas to build alignment and confidence.

Requirements

• Proven experience in enterprise or solution architecture, with a track record of delivering secure, scalable solutions.
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture frameworks and structured approaches (e.g. TOGAF).
• Ability to operate at both a strategic and detailed technical level when required.
• Experience working in complex or regulated environments such as energy, utilities, public sector, or finance.
• Understanding of Operational Technology environments (e.g. SCADA, control systems, remote operations).
• Experience with security solutions, networks, virtualization, and real-time systems.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS.
• Experience supporting procurement processes, including tender specification and supplier evaluation.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and challenge constructively.
• Experience working across both agile and waterfall delivery models.

It would be great if you also had:

• TOGAF certification.
• Experience with tools such as BizzDesign.
• Knowledge of Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF).
• Understanding of OT security principles.
• Experience working with critical infrastructure or safety-critical systems.

Benefits

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success. We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life. In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package:

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance. We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however, are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can.
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes.

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.

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