Lead Enterprise Architect

ABOUT THE ROLE

Now is an exciting time to join OUP. Are you ready to take on a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of our Education Division? Our Architecture function is working closely with senior business leaders to define the roadmap to advance our digital capabilities. For our Education Division this means increasing our digital products, creating global products on a shared platform, expanding further our Maths offer, creating great revision tools utilising AI to deliver tailored planning and feedback and expanding our assessment offer.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Enterprise Architect to join our team and collaborate at the highest levels of our organization. In this role, you will leverage your extensive expertise in both business and technology to work closely with the Divisional Managing Director and their direct reports, influencing and guiding their strategic initiatives and technology. Your technical acumen and strategic thinking will be crucial in identifying opportunities to exploit technology for competitive advantage and developing comprehensive roadmaps to achieve our goals. With a deep understanding of the education sector, both in the UK and internationally, you will play a key role in transforming our technology to meet the evolving needs of the market.

As the Education Division Lead Enterprise Architect, you will build strong relationships with the Divisional Managing Director and their direct reports, acting as a trusted advisor and influencer. Your ability to align technology solutions with business strategies will be essential in developing a multi-year roadmap of IT change and investment. You will collaborate with senior management and technical specialists to ensure that our technology investments are optimized for efficiency and innovation. Additionally, your in-depth knowledge of pedagogy and assessment will enable you to design and implement robust systems tailored to the unique needs of the education sector.

We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.

ABOUT YOU

To excel as a Senior Enterprise Architect at OUP, you’ll need a blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and strong interpersonal skills. Here are some key skills and attributes that are essential for this role:

• TECHNICAL ACUMEN: Deep understanding of industry technology solutions, enterprise architecture frameworks, IT infrastructure, and emerging technologies. Experience in designing and implementing complex IT systems is crucial.
• STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP: Ability to align technology solutions with business strategies. You should be able to develop and communicate a clear vision and roadmap for IT change and investment.
• STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT: Strong skills in building and maintaining relationships with senior stakeholders, including the Divisional Managing Director and senior leadership teams. You should be able to influence and guide strategic decisions.
• EDUCATION SECTOR KNOWLEDGE: In-depth understanding of the education sector, including UK key stages and international K-12 systems. Familiarity with assessment and qualification processes is important.
• ANALYTICAL THINKING: Ability to analyse complex situations, consider multiple perspectives, and identify potential risks and opportunities. You should be comfortable navigating uncertainty and making decisions.
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to articulate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and to produce coherent and compelling roadmaps.
• COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK: Experience working with cross-functional teams, including domain-specific enterprise architects and technical specialists. Ability to promote efficiency and standardization while enabling business differentiation.
• ADAPTABILITY: Flexibility to adjust strategies and plans based on changing circumstances and market dynamics. You should be open to exploring new ideas and emerging technologies.
• PROBLEM-SOLVING: Strong problem-solving skills to address challenges and find innovative solutions that align with organizational goals.

These skills will help you succeed in this influential role, driving strategic technology initiatives and contributing to the overall success of OUP’s Education Division and the wider Press. Join us in this critical role and help drive our success through strategic technology leadership.

BENEFITS

We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies.

We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts.

This role comes with the added benefit of private medical insurance, a car/allowance, and management bonus.

Please see our Rewards and Recognition page for more information.

QUERIES

Please contact tobi.ogunnaike@oup.com with any queries relating to this role.

We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce, and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and encourage applications from all.