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Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Onsite
Principal Architect
Are you passionate about designing future‑ready systems that balance performance, reliability, and simplicity?
Do you thrive on setting technical direction and influencing engineering strategy across teams?
About the team:
A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world.
About the role:
This position contributes to the definition of Enterprise Architecture within Elsevier, specifically related to the Shared Technologies that underpin our product portfolio. The position communicates/evangelizes the architecture and technology roadmap (principles, policies, standards, and patterns) to development groups, business groups, and customers.
Responsibilities include governing adherence to architectural principles and standards and working with Architects and Sr. Architects as a key interaction point for communication, evangelism, governance, and feedback. The position also requires working closely alongside our Business and Product partners to understand their strategies and enable timely, efficient, and governed delivery of solutions to support them.
Key responsibilities:
Translate business needs and technology direction into scalable architectural solutions.
Communicate complex technical concepts in a clear, business‑focused manner to support decision‑making.
Partner with architects across the organization to ensure alignment, governance, and shared architectural direction.
Collaborate with product and business strategy teams to anticipate long‑term technological needs.
Evaluate new technologies and potential acquisitions as required.
Define and implement technology strategies that promote standardization, reuse, and simplification.
Plan for the evolution, retirement, and replacement of systems within the business unit.
Provide architectural leadership and promote software engineering best practices.
Review and approve changes to infrastructure components and subsystems.
Lead architectural design for large‑scale development efforts.
Act as a bridge between enterprise architecture and engineering teams.
Work collaboratively with architects across different groups to ensure cohesive solutions.
Introduce and support teams in adopting new technologies.
Lead teams in identifying and resolving complex technical challenges.
Present findings, risks, and solution options to support informed decision‑making.
Guide technical direction and architectural evolution through reviews and hands‑on leadership.
Identify opportunities to evolve components into shared infrastructure.
Stay current with industry and technology advancements and explore opportunities to apply them.
Advocate for and support the adoption of shared technologies across business units.
Collaborate closely with shared technology teams to provide architectural guidance and support.
Requirements:
Qualifications -
Extensive experience (typically 15+ years) in software or systems architecture.
Significant experience (typically 2+ years) in the design and delivery of customer Identity and Access systems using modern authentication and authorization protocols (e.g., OAuth2, OIDC)
Significant experience leading cross‑functional or cross‑product architectural initiatives with measurable enterprise impact.
Degree in Engineering or Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience
Technical Skills
Deep expertise in architectural design and governance.
Strong understanding of programming concepts, databases, and modern engineering practices.
Experience leading complex technical projects and collaborating with customers or external partners.
Ability to work with vendors to align technology strategies with organizational architecture goals.
Innovative mindset with experience in modern technologies, security, and infrastructure.
Advanced skills in planning, prioritization, and managing multiple initiatives across teams.
Strong problem‑solving abilities, including guiding teams through diagnosing and resolving complex issues.
Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to present technical concepts to diverse audiences, including senior leadership.
Strong research and analytical skills.
Ability to develop architectural business cases aligned with enterprise strategy.
Expertise in APIs, API management, and API governance.
Why join us?
Join our team and contribute to a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence. If you are ready to advance your career and make a significant impact, we encourage you to apply.
Work in a way that works for you
We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organization. We offer an appealing working prospect for our people. With numerous wellbeing initiatives and shared parental leave, we will help you meet your immediate responsibilities and your long-term goals.
Working flexible hours - flexing the times when you work in the day to help you fit everything in and work when you are the most productive.
Working for you
We know that your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. These are some of the benefits we are delighted to offer:
Comprehensive Pension Plan
Generous vacation entitlement and option for sabbatical leave
Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Family Care leave
Flexible working hours
Personal Choice budget
Internal communities and networks
Various employee discounts
Recruitment introduction reward
Employee Assistance Program (global)
About the business –
A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world.






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