Careers

About Ashurst

Ashurst is a leading progressive global law firm with a rich history spanning more than 200 years. We are proud of our history and are future-focused, having expanded into new technologies through our NewLaw division, Ashurst Advance, and our consulting arm. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing excellent standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions and governments in all areas of commercial law. To find out more please visit www.ashurst.com .

Department/Role overview

The purpose of this role is to lead the Architecture team and provide Enterprise Architecture guidance and governance for all architects within (and external to) Ashurst.

The Architecture Team Lead will work as part of the Architecture Team to design, document and facilitate the implementation of the Ashurst application, technology and enterprise architectures through the various IT teams and technology partners. IT Architectures must support the overall Ashurst business strategy. The co-ordination of and attendance at relevant boards and committees. This role has direct reports.

Main responsibilities

Enterprise and Business Architecture

• Translating business strategies and objectives into an operating model
• Assessing current capabilities and identifying required changes in capabilities to achieve objectives
• Describing the interrelationships between people, organisation, service, process, data, information, technology and the external environment
• Creating, iterating, and maintaining architectural models and views embodying the key principles that describe the organisation's future state, and that enable its evolution
• Implementing enterprise architecture working practices to support and enable iterative/agile working
• Interpreting business goals and drivers
• Documenting and communicating constraints, standards and guiding principles necessary to define, assure and govern the required evolution
• Using architectural models and processes to facilitate changes in the organisation's structure, business processes, information or data, business systems and infrastructure
• Describing where and why the enterprise will benefit from cloud-based services.

Solution Architecture

• Defining the planned operation and maintenance of the solution within a production environment — include changes to services, process, organisation, and operating models as well as technology
• Ensuring that existing and planned solution components are compatible with relevant architectures, strategies, policies, standards and practices
• Considering requirements for security, privacy and testing of solutions
• Taking account of relevant architectures, strategies, policies, standards and practices
• Identifying appropriate cloud services
• Developing roadmaps to migrate components to cloud services
• Developing and communicating an implementation roadmap
• Providing guidance and risk-based governance to support solution implementation including managing requests for changes and deviations from specifications.

System Design

• Using design concepts to develop system design and provide the basis for systems construction and verification
• Designing or selecting system components
• Designing systems compatible with cloud computing architectures and selection of components such as infrastructure as a service, platform as a service and software as a service
• Developing a complete set of detailed models, properties, and/or characteristics described in a form suitable for implementation
• Adhering to regulatory requirements and organisational standards including security

Network Design

• Designing communication networks to support strategic and operational requirements and producing network strategies, architectures, policies and related documentation

Consultancy

• Leading the team on consultancy assignments
• Delivering consultancy assignments

Specialist Advice

• Provide detailed and specific advice regarding the application of specialism to the organisation's planning and operations
• Actively maintain knowledge in one or more identifiable specialisms
• Collaborate with other specialists to ensure advice given is appropriate to the organisation's needs
• Maintain a network of recognised experts (inside and/or outside the organisation) who can deliver expert advice in relevant areas

Risk and Control: Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with our regulatory requirements and internal policies.

Essential skills
and experience

Requirements Definition and Management

• Eliciting and analysing requirements — both functional and non-functional
• Specifying and validating requirements and constraints to a level that enables effective development and operations of new or changed software, systems, processes, products or services

Leadership

• Leads and embeds a culture with high levels of psychological safety, openness and emotional inclusivity, where people speak without fear or embarrassment about their own wellbeing or the wellbeing of a colleague
• Challenges behaviour that is inconsistent with Ashurst values or desirable workplace behaviours and practice
• Remains calm in the face of pressure and shows respect for the wellbeing of others
• Contributes to the creation of a culture of open and honest communication
• Acts as a role model regarding continuous and timely feedback to teams on a regular basis
• Reflects on lessons learnt and implements process improvements
• Delivers strong communication in times of ambiguity and change
• Actively monitors the wellbeing of team members and raises any concerns in an appropriate manner
• Leads in effective personal and team time management to deliver outcomes, and enables others to do the same
• Provides opportunity for team collaboration and delegates effectively
• Encourages a flexible approach on hours of work where required and enable and empowers team members to do the same
• Acts as a role model to promote and encourage new ways of working and challenges the status quo
• Thinks strategically about applying new ideas and understands the associated business impact
• Thinks differently about the best ways of achieving goals and understands the strengths and development of the team

Client & stakeholder experience

• Leads and empowers team members to develop knowledge and understanding to deliver exceptional service
• Proactively builds effective working relationships across business services, the firm and external clients
• Applies strong knowledge and insight as a trusted advisor
• Drives and builds strong and collaborative relationships, and empowers teams to do the same
• Enables effective networking across teams and projects to help deliver extraordinary outcomes

People/Team Management

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal including active listening
• Ability to identify and analyse alternative approaches to dealing with issues and problems
• Demonstrates commitment to the firm's values
• Exhibit confidence in dealing with various levels of the organisation both within Ashurst IT and the business units, including executive management levels
• Demonstrate ownership and responsibility for deliverables/services
• Excellent customer service and consulting skills

Desired skills and experience

• Demonstrate good experience in the IT industry with expertise in many areas of infrastructure and applications, preferably in a technical or enterprise architecture capacity
• Have demonstrable experience in design, strategy and architecture related activities
• Experience around infrastructure hardware components
• Experience with enterprise application and integration architecture
• Demonstrate a good knowledge of IT industry trends, suppliers and products, preferably in the legal sector
• Experience with sizing, performance and high availability
• Experience with data backup, business continuity and disaster recovery strategies and technologies
• Good knowledge of cloud technologies
• TOGAF certification or knowledge is an advantage

Background checks

In order to comply with regulatory and client requirements, Ashurst will undertake appropriate vetting of staff. When applicants accept a job offer, Ashurst, alongside a specialist provider, will undertake professional verification and background checks. These checks are only undertaken with consent, and in accordance with our legal and regulatory obligations.