The Technical Architect is responsible for designing and governing ESR Group's cross-platform technical architecture, with a primary focus on data integration, systems interoperability, and cross-system design impact analysis. Working within ESR's agreed enterprise architecture direction, this role ensures that technology solutions are well-integrated, technically sound, and aligned to the Group's transformation objectives.
This role provides hands-on technical leadership across application integration, data flows, and platform connectivity — working closely with business stakeholders, delivery teams, and technology partners to ensure that systems connect effectively and that design changes are assessed for cross-platform impact.
The Technical Architect acts as a trusted technical partner to the Head of IT, Head of Applications, project delivery teams, and business functions, helping maintain coherence and integrity across ESR's evolving technology landscape.
Key Responsibilities
Cross-System Design & Integration Architecture
- Design and govern data integration patterns, APIs, and middleware approaches across ESR's technology landscape.
- Lead cross-system design impact analysis for new, evolving, or decommissioned platforms.
- Define integration standards and data flow patterns that support interoperability between enterprise applications.
- Produce integration architecture blueprints, interface specifications, and system dependency models.
- Ensure data consistency, quality, and traceability across integrated systems and platforms.
Technical Architecture & Platform Alignment
- Provide technical architecture guidance to project and delivery teams, aligned to ESR's agreed enterprise architecture direction.
- Review proposed technical designs for cross-platform consistency, integration risk, and architectural coherence.
- Support the evaluation and selection of platforms and tools where technical architecture input is required.
- Identify opportunities to reduce integration complexity, technical debt, and system duplication.
- Maintain reference architectures and technical standards for integration, data flows, and platform connectivity.
Architecture Governance & Standards
- Support architecture governance processes by reviewing solution designs for integration and cross-system impacts.
- Ensure technical designs comply with enterprise architecture standards, security requirements, and integration principles.
- Collaborate with project teams to identify and resolve integration risks and design conflicts early.
- Contribute to technology procurement and vendor evaluation activities where data and integration architecture are relevant.
- Assess solution fit, interoperability, and long-term sustainability for technology investments.
Data Architecture
- Define and maintain data architecture standards covering integration patterns, master data, information flows, and interoperability.
- Support data quality, master data management, reporting, analytics, and AI enablement from an integration and architecture perspective.
- Ensure data governance and management practices are supported through sound architectural design.
- Support large transformation programs — including ERP, CRM, data platform, and digital initiatives — with integration and data architecture guidance.
Stakeholder Collaboration
- Work closely with project managers, application teams, data teams, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into integration and technical designs.
- Communicate architecture decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Partner with the Head of IT and Head of Applications on platform, integration, and data architecture matters.
- Support regional and group teams with cross-platform technical guidance and architecture input.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline.
- Cloud, integration, or data architecture certifications advantageous (e.g. Azure Integration Services, MuleSoft, AWS, Databricks).
- TOGAF awareness or certification beneficial.
Essential Experience
- 8+ years' experience in solution architecture, integration architecture, or technical architecture roles.
- Proven experience designing and governing data integration solutions across enterprise application landscapes (ERP, CRM, data platforms, cloud, etc.).
- Strong understanding of integration patterns, APIs, middleware, ETL/ELT, event-driven architecture, and enterprise data flows.
- Experience conducting cross-system design impact analysis and producing integration architecture documentation (blueprints, interface specs, dependency maps).
- Ability to assess technology risks, solution fit, and long-term interoperability across complex platform environments.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills across technical and business audiences.
- Experience working within or alongside enterprise architecture frameworks and governance processes.
Preferred Experience
- Experience within real estate, logistics, infrastructure, investment management, or large enterprise environments.
- Familiarity with ERP, CRM, data platforms, cloud integration services, and digital workplace technologies.
- Experience working within matrixed regional or global organisations.
- Familiarity with enterprise architecture concepts and frameworks (TOGAF awareness advantageous).