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Head of Architecture

location_onCrawley
Permanent
Competitive
08-01-2025

Job Details

Salary:     Competitive per annum
Hours:     37.5 per week, Monday to Friday
Location: Flexible working with up to 3 days a week in our VHQ, Crawley
Contract: Permanent 
Closing Date:  8th January 2025  

At Virgin Atlantic Airways, we believe that everyone can take on the world, and it’s our vision to become the most loved travel company.  As we embark on this next exciting stage of our journey, we’re harnessing our spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation to challenge the status quo.  
 
Join our team of forward-thinkers who approach the world with a different lens.  We value individuals who are vocal about driving positive change and are willing to dive into both big and small tasks.  If you’re ready to take your career to new heights, this opportunity is for you.  

In a nutshell

This role is responsible for driving the modernization and innovation of Virgin Atlantic's IT Estate. By developing capability roadmaps and implementing flawless technical and solution architectures, you will own the long-term strategic Architecture objectives for VA (Airline & Holidays).  

Day to day

  • Lead the development of transformation architectures to meet current and future Virgin Atlantic needs, setting the direction for Modern Airline Retailing.
  • Influence future Business Strategies, ensuring no technology opportunities are missed.
  • Identify new technologies' opportunities and integrate them into business roadmaps.
  • Strategically influence Delta and other technology partners to support Virgin Atlantic transformation.
  • Ensure delivery of fit for purpose solution architectures that balance cost, quality, and reuse, while successfully implementing business outcomes.
  • Use solution architectures to drive IT Estate modernization, ensuring reuse of Enterprise Assets (e.g., APIs) and adopting modern architectures.
  • Manage Total Risk across the IT Estate, finding opportunities for improvement.
  • Align Technical Strategies with Business Strategy, business roadmaps, and solution designs.
  • Drive the delivery of technical guardrails needed to form effective solution architectures.
  • Ensure effective architectural governance for both agile and waterfall projects.
  • Line management and pastoral care of the team, including performance management and career development.
  • Encourage the team now, build the talent for the future.
  • Ensure the team has the right skills, processes, and tools to be effective.

About you


  • Proven experience in leading strategic architecture at a senior level, with the ability to understand, influence and drive business strategy.
  • Track record of identifying technology opportunities and embedding them into business roadmaps, ensuring solutions are fit for the future.
  • Ability to challenge, drive, and influence the organization to think long-term while delivering on short- and medium-term goals.
  • Experience in driving major strategic transformations.
  • Understanding of the Airline Industry and industry disruptors such as Modern Airline Retailing.

Internal info

Hiring manager:  Gary Walker 
Global grade:      F 

Our recipe for leadership

At Virgin Atlantic, our leaders empower teams to thrive through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Explore our Leadership Recipe and discover the 20 core ingredients that define what it means to lead with us, driving our mission to be the most loved travel company and achieve sustainable profit. Want to learn more? Click here

Be yourself

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.

To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team, ([email protected]) feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered.