Head of Architecture (Enablement)

Head of Architecture (Enablement)

I’m currently partnered with the BBC on a key Head of Architecture hire focused on Enablement – a role that will shape how one of the UK’s most complex engineering organisations builds, delivers and operates software at scale.

This sits at the heart of the BBC’s digital transformation, focusing on the platforms, tooling and architectural capabilities that enable over 1000 engineers to work efficiently, securely and at scale across a high-availability environment.

You’ll operate as one of the most senior technologists in the organisation, influencing how engineering is done – not just what is built.

This role is hybrid, with flexibility to be based from your nearest BBC hub – London, Manchester, Salford, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff or Newcastle.

The Role

As Head of Architecture, you will define and support the delivery of the technical architecture across the BBC’s Enablement domain, working as part of the wider Product Engineering leadership team.

This includes shaping the platforms and services that underpin engineering productivity, operational excellence and scalable delivery across the estate.

You’ll work closely with Engineering, Product, Delivery, Data and business leadership to ensure the BBC’s architecture supports both innovation and long-term sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and evolve platform capabilities that enable 1000+ engineers to build, deploy and scale software effectively
• Lead architectural approaches across platform engineering, developer experience and internal tooling
• Drive solutions for observability, monitoring and operational resilience across the estate
• Shape architectural strategy around cloud platforms, shared services and engineering standards
• Lead architectural direction for external partnerships and outsourced solutions
• Drive the adoption of AI across the SDLC, enabling productivity and innovation while maintaining appropriate guardrails
• Line manage and develop a senior architecture capability, while influencing a wider engineering community

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience defining and delivering architecture strategy across platform or enablement domains
• Strong background in platform engineering, DevEx, cloud and large-scale distributed systems
• Experience improving how engineering organisations operate at scale (tooling, processes, standards)
• Ability to drive standardisation and best practice across complex, federated environments
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders and C-level leaders
• Experience leading and developing senior, technically strong teams
• Broad understanding of modern architectures including cloud (AWS), microservices and event-driven systems

The Opportunity

This is a true force-multiplier role – shaping how engineering is done across one of the most recognised organisations in the world, with the scale and complexity to make a real impact.

We’re keen to hear from leaders who want to operate at real scale and shape the future of modern engineering. If you’re inspired by public purpose and ready to lead meaningful, enterprise-level transformation, I’d love to hear from you.