Senior Manager Architecture Governance

Description:

Your role at a glance

The Senior Manager, Architecture Governance (m/f/d), leads the global Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) governance function for NTT Global Data Centres. This role is responsible for defining and operating the enterprise architecture governance framework, including the Architecture Review Board (ARB), architecture standards, governance processes, decision management, exception handling, and architecture review practices.

Serving as the primary governance and alignment point across Enterprise Architecture, domain architects, IT leadership, and delivery teams, the role ensures consistent architecture governance, risk management, and decision-making across regions and technology domains.

The role provides governance oversight for strategic technology initiatives and will build and lead the Architecture Governance/EAM capability, including Data Governance Architecture and Integration Architecture functions, driving enterprise standards, architecture alignment, and decision support across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Governance

Own and operate the Architecture Review Board (ARB) and architecture governance processes.
Define, maintain, and continuously improve architecture governance frameworks, standards, guardrails, decision processes, and review practices.
Ensure architecture reviews are consistent, risk-based, and aligned with enterprise strategy and technology standards.
Maintain traceability of architectural decisions, exceptions, and outcomes, ensuring transparency and stakeholder awareness.
Architecture Oversight & Risk Management

Provide governance oversight and architectural guidance across solution and technical designs.
Conduct architecture reviews to ensure alignment with enterprise principles, security requirements, and target-state architectures.
Lead architecture risk assessments and facilitate resolution of complex cross-domain design issues.
Evaluate emerging technologies and contribute to modernization and enterprise platform roadmaps.

Architecture Review Intake & Governance

Own architecture review intake, triage, and routing processes.
Ensure review submissions are complete, and architecture engagement occurs early in delivery lifecycles.
Monitor review effectiveness, governance quality, and cycle times to drive continuous improvement.
Enterprise & Cross-Domain Alignment
Align domain architects to enterprise architecture principles, standards, and governance expectations.
Foster an architecture community that promotes knowledge sharing, reusable patterns, and consistent practices.
Facilitate resolution of cross-domain dependencies, conflicts, and architectural trade-offs.

Data & Integration Architecture Governance

Provide governance leadership for data and integration architecture initiatives in partnership with the Data Office and other key stakeholders.
Define and maintain architecture standards, patterns, and guardrails for data platforms, integrations, APIs, data flows, and system interoperability.
Ensure solutions are scalable, reusable, and aligned to enterprise architecture and data governance objectives.

Team Leadership & Capability Development

Build and lead the Architecture Governance / Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) capability.
Establish governance operating models, roles, responsibilities, and ways of working.
Coach architecture practitioners and develop scalable governance practices that support enterprise growth and transformation.
Stakeholder Management

Serve as the primary liaison between enterprise architecture, domain architects, portfolio governance, delivery teams, transformation programs, and IT leadership.
Communicate architecture decisions, risks, exceptions, and recommendations in a clear and business-focused manner.
Provide leadership with insights into governance trends, risks, decision bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.

Continuous Improvement

Continuously enhance architecture governance processes, tools, standards, and repositories.
Simplify governance where possible while maintaining appropriate oversight and control.
Drive adoption of architecture practices through training, templates, communications, and community engagement.
Ensure the architecture governance capability evolves in line with business priorities, transformation initiatives, and the IT operating model.

Knowledge & Attributes

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business Information Systems or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
Enterprise architecture certification such as TOGAF or equivalent is preferred.
Azure, cloud architecture, security, data architecture, integration architecture or architecture governance certifications are advantageous.
ITIL Foundation or equivalent service management certification is advantageous.
SIAM – Service Integration and Management Foundation is advantageous.
Strong knowledge of enterprise architecture governance, standards, principles, and decision frameworks.
Broad understanding of enterprise technology domains, including applications, data, integration, infrastructure, cloud, and security.
Ability to assess solution and technical architectures from a governance, risk, and strategic alignment perspective.
Understanding of data architecture, data governance, MDM, enterprise data platforms, and integration architecture concepts.
Familiarity with EAM platforms such as LeanIX, Alfabet, Ardoq, MEGA, or similar tools.
Strong stakeholder management, influencing, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and decision-making capabilities.
Ability to build teams, mature governance capabilities, and drive organizational change.
Who we are

As the third largest data centre provider, we operate over 150 data centres in more than 20 countries and regions. We understand that every business – large and small – has its own unique needs and goals. We offer local-to-global data centre expertise, aligned with our connected platform of AI-ready data centres to create solutions that enable our clients to seamlessly scale their digital businesses, anywhere and anytime