Chief Technical Architect

Company Description

Telefónica Tech (part of the Telefónica Group) is a leading NextGen Tech solutions provider with a highly diversified team of over 6,000 exceptionally skilled employees and +60 nationalities.

We serve more than 5.5m customers every day in over 175 countries, with a global ecosystem of market-leading partners. Global strategic hubs: Spain, Brazil, the UK, Germany.

The Telefónica Tech UK&I hub has an end- to-end portfolio of market leading services and develops integrated technology solutions to accelerate digital transformation through: Cloud, Data & AI, Enterprise Applications, Digital Workplace and Cyber Security & Networking.

Values: Open, Bold, Trusted

We don’t believe hiring is a tick box exercise, so if you feel that you don’t match the job description 100%, but would still be a great fit for role, please get in touch.

Trusted Partners:

• Microsoft: Top 3 Service Providers, Azure Expert Status, Fastrack & Inner Circle Partner
• HPE: Platinum Partner – FY23 UK&I Solution Provider of the Year
• Palo Alto & Crowdstrike: part of our NextDefense Cyber Security Portfolio
• Fortinet: Elite VIP Program – one of only 2 in the UK
• AWS: Premier Tier Services Partner

The Chief Technical Architect (CTA) is the senior technical authority for a major account, responsible for defining and governing the technical architecture, ensuring service resilience, and acting as the trusted advisor to the customer. This role is pivotal in maintaining service uptime, resolving complex technical challenges, and aligning technology solutions with strategic business objectives. The CTA will lead technical governance, drive innovation, and ensure compliance with healthcare and regulatory standards. 

Key Responsibilities

Service Availability & Resilience

• Set and own the enterprise strategy for availability, resilience, scalability, and disaster recovery.
• Ensure platforms consistently meet uptime, performance, and resilience targets.
• Proactively identify architectural weaknesses and drive remediation before service impact.

Technical Authority & Incident Leadership

• Act as the final technical escalation point for critical incidents and systemic issues.
• Lead rapid root cause analysis and define long-term corrective actions.
• Partner with engineering and operations to eliminate recurring failure patterns.

Client Advisory & Strategic Alignment

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior client stakeholders.
• Translate business objectives into secure, compliant, and sustainable technology solutions.
• Shape client technology roadmaps in line with industry best practice and regulatory standards (including NHS where applicable).

Architecture Governance & Assurance

• Define and enforce architecture principles, standards, and frameworks (e.g. TOGAF).
• Assure solution designs for security, compliance, operability, and cost efficiency.
• Govern major transformations, migrations, and platform modernisation initiatives.

Change & Risk Governance

• Provide architectural oversight for high-impact and high-risk changes.
• Ensure technical risk is assessed, understood, and accepted before change approval.
• Maintain a forward-looking view of architectural, operational, and security risk.

Commercial & Presales Leadership

• Support presales by shaping viable, differentiated technical solutions.
• Balance innovation with cost, delivery risk, and commercial return.
• Contribute to bids, proposals, and pricing strategies to ensure solutions are competitive and deliverable.

Leadership & Mentoring 

• Lead technical teams across domains (Azure, infrastructure, networking, cyber). 
• Mentor architects and engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence. 

Essential Skills & Experience 

• Proven experience as a senior architect or technical authority in large-scale environments. 
• Expertise in Azure, IaaS, networking, and security architectures. 
• Strong understanding of healthcare IT systems and compliance frameworks. 
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills. 
• Certifications: TOGAF, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, ITIL (preferred). 

At Telefónica Tech, we believe inclusion is the bridge that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. We celebrate and respect our differences because diversity drives innovation and makes us stronger.
 
Be yourself with us, and feel that you belong. 

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and identities regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. 
 
We are also committed to equity, accessible hiring practices, and creating an inclusive culture through many means including TogetHer (Women's network) and our Employee Resource Groups which include Diversity and Inclusion, Telefónica Tech Pride, Neurodiversity, ELEVATE (African and Caribbean heritage network), and Sustainability.

 We don’t believe hiring is a tick box exercise, so if you feel that you don’t match the job description 100%, but would still be a great fit for role, please get in touch.