Architecture Practice Operations Lead

📋 Description

• • NEC Software Solutions is seeking a highly organised and people-focused Architecture Practice Operations Lead to join our dynamic team. This pivotal role is responsible for the day-to-day operational activities that ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of our Architecture and Design practice. Reporting directly to the Architecture Practice Manager, you will become an integral part of a diverse architecture group, working alongside enterprise, security, and technical solution architects. Your primary focus will be on providing essential people leadership, seamless operational coordination, and insightful reporting within the Architecture & Design team, while fostering strong collaborative relationships with the wider business.
• • This position is ideally suited for an individual who thrives on optimising ways of working, enjoys process improvement, and is passionate about empowering teams to achieve their highest potential. You will be instrumental in shaping the operational landscape of our growing architecture practice, making a tangible impact on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.
• • Key Responsibilities:
• • People Leadership & Team Support:
• • Provide direct line management to members of the architecture team, conducting regular one-to-one check-ins to foster professional development and address individual needs.
• • Oversee and manage essential people administration tasks, including timesheet approvals, annual leave requests, and absence reporting, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• • Actively support the entire performance review lifecycle, from objective setting and mid-year reviews to year-end evaluations, ensuring a fair and constructive process.
• • Proactively identify and address any early signs of wellbeing, behavioural, or performance concerns, escalating issues appropriately to ensure timely intervention and support.
• • Cultivate and champion a supportive, inclusive, and high-trust team culture where every member feels valued and empowered.
• • Act as a role model for practice behaviours, demonstrating professionalism, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement in all interactions.
• • Operational Coordination & Work Intake Administration:
• • Meticulously maintain the practice’s workload tracker, ensuring all information is accurate, up-to-date, and readily accessible for planning and decision-making.
• • Efficiently record, validate, and manage new work requests, including assigning appropriate resources and facilitating prioritisation discussions.
• • Diligently track the progress, ownership, dependencies, and priorities across all active workstreams, providing clear visibility to stakeholders.
• • Promptly highlight any delays, risks, or blockers to relevant leads and stakeholders, facilitating swift resolution and minimising impact.
• • Support and coordinate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Engineering, Delivery, Security, and Product, to ensure seamless project execution.
• • Prepare concise summaries and insightful analyses for monthly practice workload and capacity review sessions, informing strategic planning.
• • Reporting, Analytics & Insight:
• • Produce clear, structured, and visually appealing reports and dashboards utilising tools such as Excel and Power BI to communicate key information.
• • Track and report on critical practice Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including throughput, work quality, lifecycle efficiency, and Learning & Development (L&D) engagement.
• • Analyse trends in operational data to support informed planning, effective prioritisation, strategic resourcing, and sound operational decision-making.
• • Provide valuable insights into work patterns, common delays, demand fluctuations, and capacity utilisation to drive continuous improvement.
• • Uphold high data quality standards across all operational reporting activities, ensuring reliability and accuracy.
• • Process Consistency, Governance & Improvement:
• • Maintain and continuously enhance operational guides, work instructions, templates, and onboarding materials to ensure clarity and consistency.
• • Support the implementation and adherence to consistent ways of working across the entire practice.
• • Proactively identify opportunities to simplify workflows, reduce operational friction, and improve overall efficiency.
• • Collaborate with other teams to align operational improvements, tooling strategies, and governance frameworks, fostering a unified approach.
• • Practice Culture, Learning & Development & Engagement:
• • Promote active participation in learning sessions, workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and communities of practice.
• • Track L&D activity, maintain comprehensive training records, and provide insights into development engagement levels.
• • Support the organisation of practice events, retrospectives, planning sessions, and other initiatives designed to strengthen team culture and cohesion.
• • Maintain and organise shared knowledge resources, documentation libraries, and reusable assets to facilitate knowledge transfer and best practice sharing.
• • Encourage collaboration among team members and ensure visibility of best practices and reusable artefacts across the practice.
• • NEC SWS Values in Action:
• • Involved: You will help maintain open communication and ensure accurate information flow across teams, embodying our 'Involved' value.
• • Inspiring: By supporting a well-organised practice environment, you will inspire confidence and clarity, reflecting our 'Inspiring' value.
• • Innovative: You will actively look for practical ways to enhance operational tools and processes, demonstrating our 'Innovative' spirit.
• • Improve: You will contribute to steady and meaningful improvements that benefit the practice and the wider organisation, aligning with our 'Improve' value.