Enterprise Architect

Department: Business Technology
Location: Any UK Office
Duration: Permanent
Reports to: Applications Development & Support Manager
Direct reports: IT Director

The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Enterprise & Solution Architect to play a pivotal role in shaping our technology strategy and delivering innovative solutions across our legal practice. This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic enterprise-level thinking with hands-on solution design within the dynamic and evolving legal sector. You will be responsible for defining the architectural vision, ensuring alignment between business needs and technology solutions, and driving the adoption of modern and secure technologies to enhance our operational efficiency, client service, and overall business objectives. 
You will work closely with stakeholders across the firm, including partners, fee earners, IT leadership, and business operations teams, to understand their requirements and translate them into robust and scalable architectural blueprints. Your expertise will be crucial in navigating the complexities of legal technology, data security, regulatory compliance, and the unique demands of a leading legal practice. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Enterprise Architecture:  
  - Develop and maintain the enterprise architecture framework, including principles, standards, and roadmaps, specific to the legal industry. 
  - Identify opportunities for technology-driven innovation and efficiency gains across the enterprise. 
  - Assess the impact of emerging technologies (e.g., AI, cloud, blockchain) on the legal landscape and recommend adoption strategies where appropriate. 
  - Ensure alignment of IT strategy with the overall business strategy and objectives of the firm. 
  - Develop and maintain an inventory of business capabilities, information assets, and technology assets. 
  - Lead the evaluation and selection of strategic technology platforms and vendors.

• Solution Architecture:  
  - Design and document end-to-end solutions for specific business initiatives and projects, ensuring they align with the enterprise architecture. 
  - Translate business requirements into detailed technical specifications and architectural designs. 
  - Define the architecture for new applications, integrations, and infrastructure components, considering scalability, security, performance, and maintainability. 
  - Evaluate and select appropriate technologies, frameworks, and tools for specific solutions. 
  - Collaborate with development teams, infrastructure teams, and third-party vendors to ensure successful implementation of solutions. 
  - Provide architectural guidance and support to project teams throughout the development lifecycle. 
  - Ensure solutions adhere to relevant legal and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, data privacy). 
  - Contribute to the development of architectural patterns and best practices within the IT department. 

• Stakeholder Management & Communication:  
  - Effectively communicate architectural concepts and solutions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. 
  - Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across the firm to understand their needs and priorities. 
  - Facilitate discussions and workshops to gather compliance requirements and define architectural solutions. 
  - Present architectural proposals and recommendations to senior management and governance bodies. 

• Governance & Standards:  
  - Contribute to the establishment and enforcement of architectural standards, policies, and guidelines. 
  - Participate in architectural reviews to ensure and consistency. 
  - Promote the adoption of best practices in software development, infrastructure management, and security. 

Required Experience and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field (master's degree preferred) or Equivalent Experience   
• Significant experience (typically 8+ years) in IT, with a demonstrable track record in enterprise and/or solution architecture roles.
•  Deep understanding of the legal industry, including legal processes, key applications (e.g., practice management systems, document management systems, CRM), and regulatory requirements. 
• Proven ability to develop and implement enterprise architecture frameworks and methodologies (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman).
• Strong experience in designing and implementing complex solutions, including cloud-based solutions (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP). 
• Excellent knowledge of integration patterns and technologies.
• Solid understanding of security principles and best practices relevant to the legal sector. 
• Experience with data architecture and management principles.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. 
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively.
• Experience working in an Agile development environment is desirable.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies relevant to the legal industry (e.g., legal tech platforms, AI-powered tools) is a plus.

Desirable Experience and Skills

• Professional certifications in enterprise architecture (e.g., TOGAF) or cloud architecture. 

Personal Attributes

• Ability to work well in diverse teams and proven ability to influence others to achieve positive outcomes.
• An open mind to learning new skills and capabilities.
• Strong networking skills with good internal/external links.
• Strong communication, facilitation and relationship building skills.
• Tenacious, passionate and thorough in approach and style; able to adjust communication styles from C level to junior level.
• Awareness of developments in the marketplace and understand the relevance and potential impact to the Legal market. 
   

Firm Profile

Across more than 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organisation by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com

Inclusion and Diversity

We are committed to building an inclusive culture here at Dentons where our people can thrive, regardless of their background or circumstance. As well as being the right thing to do, it makes good business sense too. A richness of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives helps us best serve our clients and the communities in which we operate. You can find out more about inclusion and diversity at Dentons here: Inclusion and Diversity.

Equal Opportunities

Dentons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from everyone including of any age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, neurodiversity, disability, or with parental or caring responsibilities. We also offer flexible working hours.

During the application process, all applicants have the opportunity to tell us about any adjustments or support they require so they are able to perform at their best. Any information you share with us during the application process is treated in confidence.

If you have any questions about this or the role criteria, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com. 

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

If you are interested in applying for this position, we welcome direct applications via our careers page, but if you have any questions beforehand, please email  recruitment.matters@dentons.com. Enquiries only please – applications will not be accepted via email.

Please note that we will not accept unsolicited CVs sent to the business, nor will we accept any associated terms of business.