Architecture Operations Manager

📋 Description

• • Own and continuously evolve the Architecture Workload Portfolio, acting as the single source of truth for every design request, initiative, and strategic programme across NEC SWS. You will maintain real-time visibility of priorities, resource commitments, and delivery status, ensuring that every stakeholder—from programme directors to engineers—understands what is being built, why it matters, and when it will land.
• • Orchestrate end-to-end delivery across the full architecture lifecycle—from initial investigation and feasibility studies through detailed design, peer review, implementation support, and post-deployment validation. You will coordinate enterprise, security, and technical solution architects, project managers, and engineering squads to remove blockers, balance competing demands, and keep critical milestones on track.
• • Serve as the primary interface between the Architecture & Design practice and the Project Change Approval Board (PCAB). You will translate incoming work requests into clear, prioritised architecture tasks, secure the right talent for each engagement, and ensure that governance checkpoints are met without slowing delivery velocity.
• • Champion rigorous quality and governance standards that safeguard NEC SWS’s reputation for secure, scalable, and future-proof solutions. You will maintain decision logs, design rationales, and risk registers so that every choice is traceable, auditable, and aligned to regulatory and internal policy requirements.
• • Build and nurture trusted relationships with business unit leaders, product owners, customer success teams, and external partners. You will proactively surface risks, negotiate scope trade-offs, and escalate issues before they threaten customer satisfaction or strategic outcomes.
• • Curate a living knowledge ecosystem—wikis, design pattern libraries, reusable templates, and training curricula—that accelerates onboarding, reduces rework, and preserves institutional memory. You will run monthly knowledge-sharing forums and quarterly deep-dive workshops to keep the practice at the forefront of industry best practice.
• • Drive continuous improvement by piloting new tooling (e.g., low-code portfolio dashboards, AI-assisted estimation models) and refining workflows to cut cycle time and boost first-time-right quality. You will measure impact through KPIs such as architecture throughput, rework ratio, and stakeholder NPS.
• • Optimise resource utilisation by maintaining transparent time-tracking, forecasting capacity 6–12 weeks ahead, and dynamically reallocating architects to high-value initiatives. You will feed workforce analytics into recruitment and upskilling plans, ensuring the practice can meet tomorrow’s demands.
• • Provide inspirational line management for a distributed team, conducting 1:1s, objective setting, and career development planning that aligns personal aspirations with NEC SWS’s growth trajectory. You will foster psychological safety and celebrate wins that exemplify the company’s Involved, Innovative, Inspiring, Improve values.
• • Organise and host regular practice calls, retrospectives, and social events—both virtual and in-person—that strengthen team cohesion, celebrate diversity of thought, and embed a culture of relentless learning and mutual support.