Lead Architect - AI & ML

Purpose of the role

To design, develop, and implement solutions to complex business problems, collaborating with stakeholders to understand their needs and requirements, and design and implement solutions that meet those needs and create solutions that balance technology risks against business delivery, driving consistency. 

Accountabilities

· Design and development of solutions as products that can evolve, meeting business requirements that align with modern software engineering practices and automated delivery tooling. This includes identification and implementation of the technologies and platforms.

· Targeted design activities that apply an appropriate workload placement strategy and maximise the benefit of cloud capabilities such as elasticity, serverless, containerisation etc.

· Best practice designs incorporating security principles (such as defence in depth and reduction of blast radius) that meet the Bank’s resiliency expectations.

· Solutions that appropriately balance risks and controls to deliver the agreed business and technology value.

· Adoption of standardised solutions where they fit. If no standard solutions fit, feed into their ongoing evolution where appropriate.

· Fault finding and performance issues support to operational support teams, leveraging available tooling.

· Solution design impact assessment in terms of risk, capacity and cost impact, inc. estimation of project change and ongoing run costs.

· Development of the requisite architecture inputs required to comply with the banks governance processes, including design artefacts required for architecture, privacy, security and records management governance processes.

Vice President Expectations

· Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.

· Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.

· Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.

· Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.

· Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.

· Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.

· Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.

· Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Join us as a Lead Architect - AI at Barclays where you'll spearhead the evolution of our digital landscape, driving innovation and excellence. You'll harness cutting-edge technology to revolutionise our digital offerings, ensuring unapparelled customer experiences.

Are you ready to lead a team at the forefront of AI innovation? We're on the hunt for a 'customer obsessed' and forward-thinking Solution Architect to helm our Conversational Assistant & AI function within the Digital Customer Experience team.  

This isn't just any job — it's a journey where you will be required to help shape and guide our organization! Imagine shaping the next generation of AI-powered conversational solutions that redefine how we operate and overhaul the service we provide to millions of our customers and clients.  

You'll get to channel your visionary leadership, share your knowledge, develop our people, and drive our strategic agenda to create a vibrant, dynamic environment where creativity and cutting-edge technology come together and thrive. You'll also be collaborating with cross-functional teams to craft groundbreaking AI solutions and help set new standards. If you're excited by this challenge, speak to us!

Key Roles of a Solution Architect in AI, you will: 

• Design and Develop AI Solutions: Lead the design and development of AI-powered solutions that meet business requirements and enhance customer experiences. 

• Collaborate with Cross-Functional Teams: Work closely with data scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of AI projects. 

• Ensure Scalability and Reliability: Design AI systems that are scalable, reliable, and maintainable, ensuring they can handle large volumes of data and complex computations. 

• Stay Updated with AI Trends: Keep abreast of the latest advancements in AI technologies and methodologies to continuously improve and innovate AI solutions. 

• Provide Technical Leadership: Offer technical guidance and mentorship to team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. 

• Evaluate and Select AI Tools: Assess and select the appropriate AI tools and technologies that best fit the project requirements and organizational goals. 

• Ensure Ethical AI Practices: Promote and ensure the ethical use of AI, considering privacy, fairness, and transparency in AI solutions. 

To be successful as a Lead Solution Architect in AI you should have experience with:

• Delivery methodologies and organizational structures
• A background in complex delivery, operations and product engineering
• Excellent stakeholder management skills
• Communication skills focused on both technical and business language
• The ability to measure the value of different approaches to technical problems

Other highly valued skills include:

• Experience in architectural roles that have had broad applicability across financial services
• experience in managing technical engagements to design and deliver positive outcomes in complex systems engineering
• Experience in AWS, AI/ML or payments is highly valued.

This role will be based out of our Knutsford campus.