Head of Architecture

Head of Architecture (Microsoft & D365 Focus) 📍 London or East Midlands | Senior Leadership Role Overview An exciting opportunity has arisen for a strategic and hands-on Head of Architecture to shape and lead the technology vision within a rapidly growing, highly regulated organisation. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for defining and governing architecture across a modern, cloud-first technology estate. You will bridge business ambition and technical execution, ensuring scalable, secure, and high-performing platforms—primarily leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem and Dynamics 365. The Role You will own and evolve the architecture strategy, setting clear standards, principles, and patterns that enable delivery teams to move quickly without compromising quality or governance. Operating within a distributed architecture model, you will influence across multiple domains and teams, embedding architectural best practice while avoiding centralised bottlenecks. Key focus areas include: Establishing organisation-wide architecture standards, governance, and design patterns Driving Microsoft-first architecture across cloud, data, integration, and business platforms Leading architecture alignment across digital, operational, and business systems Translating business strategy into scalable, secure technical solutions Acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on technology direction and investment Technology Landscape This organisation is heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, with a strong focus on: Azure (cloud platform, integration, security, and scalability) Dynamics 365 (Customer Engagement, Finance & Operations, and Power Platform integration) Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI) Modern Data Platforms (Azure Data Services, data governance, analytics) API-first & event-driven architectures Enterprise-scale integration across SaaS and legacy systems Key Responsibilities Define and govern the architecture roadmap aligned to business priorities Lead architectural design across D365 solutions and Microsoft cloud platforms Establish best practices for integration, data architecture, and platform engineering Chair architecture governance forums and ensure high-quality decision-making Develop architectural guardrails, patterns, and reusable frameworks Mentor and uplift a distributed community of architects and engineers Ensure compliance with regulatory, security, and data governance standards Support large-scale transformation programmes, particularly around ERP/CRM modernisation and D365 adoption What We're Looking For Proven experience leading architecture functions in complex, regulated environments Strong expertise across the Microsoft technology stack, especially Azure and Dynamics 365 Demonstrable experience delivering D365 transformation programmes at scale Deep understanding of: Cloud-native architectures (Azure) Data and integration (APIs, event-driven design) SaaS platforms and hybrid environments Ability to operate in matrixed organisations, influencing at executive level Experience embedding architecture within Agile delivery models Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts into business outcomes Why Join Opportunity to shape architecture in a cloud-first, Microsoft-led environment Strategic role with real influence over technology direction and investment Work at the intersection of business transformation and modern platforms Lead a forward-thinking architecture capability with strong executive backing Ideal Background This role would suit someone currently operating as: Head of Architecture Lead / Principal Architect Chief / Lead Architect within a Microsoft-focused organisation with strong exposure to: D365 (CE, F&O, or both) Azure-based platforms Large-scale digital or ERP transformation programmes