Global Enterprise Architect - Supply Chain

The Role

As the Enterprise Architect for Global Supply Chain, you will define and evolve the strategic architecture vision for Imperial Brands’ global supply chain operations. You will ensure end-to-end alignment of technology, information, process, and application architectures with business objectives across planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and trade compliance. You will work closely with business and IT stakeholders to shape transformation initiatives, drive platform harmonisation (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, Blue Yonder, Salesforce), and embed a hyper-connected, data-driven, and resilient supply chain.

The enterprise architect must:

• Facilitate alignment between business and IT, and across the democratized IT landscape
• Engage business and IT stakeholders, building and maintaining relationships
• Adapt to changing business and operating models
• Analyze trends and disruptions, and assess their impact on targeted business outcomes
• Tell stories to visualize the future state and trigger long-term planning
• Support various operating models such as project-centric and product-centric
• Communicate the value of enterprise architecture, and its portfolio of services
• Drive the evolution of the EA teams services and operating model
• Coach and mentor other architects, product owners/managers and business stakeholders to instill architectural thinking

Principle Accountabilities

• Define and maintain the target architecture and roadmap for global supply chain capabilities aligned to business strategy.
• Provide architectural oversight for major programmes (e.g., supply chain transformation, digital twin, intelligent planning).
• Lead solution architecture governance for platforms like SAP S/4HANA, Blue Yonder, Ariba, and integration via Azure and Informatica.
• Identify capability gaps and architectural debt; propose remediation plans and prioritised investments.
• Collaborate with Product Owners and Domain Architects to ensure architectural integrity across platforms and geographies.
• Support technology evaluations, RFPs, and vendor selections in alignment with architectural standards.
• Champion reuse, interoperability, and simplification across the global technology estate.
• Ensure security, scalability, and regulatory compliance of supply chain solutions.

Critical Decisions:

• Determining the right balance between global standardisation and local enablement within the supply chain architecture.
• Selecting core platforms and integration patterns to ensure end-to-end process orchestration and data visibility.
• Prioritising architectural enablers vs. immediate business functionality in transformation initiatives.
• Identifying and phasing legacy system decommissioning in line with business risk and technical readiness.
• Advising on make vs. buy decisions for emerging technologies (e.g., AI-driven demand sensing, IoT for manufacturing).

Skills and Experience Required

Essential:

• Proven experience as an enterprise or domain architect in global supply chain transformations.
• Deep understanding of supply chain processes (planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, trade compliance).
• Experience with key platforms: SAP S/4HANA (especially MM, PP, TM), Blue Yonder, Ariba, and Salesforce.
• Strong understanding of enterprise integration, data architecture, and platform governance.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior business stakeholders and translate strategy into architecture.
• Strong communication and visual storytelling skills for executive audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others and be respected as an authority.
• Can marshal resources to get things done; can orchestrate multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal; uses resources effectively and efficiently.
• Able to communicate to a senior level with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Can quickly find common ground and solve problems for the good of all; can represent his/her own interests and yet be fair to other groups; can solve problems with peers with a minimum of noise; is seen as a team player and is co-operative; easily gains trust and support of peers; encourages collaboration.
• Comfortable and experienced and accomplished at working with business executives, and able to push back in a professional and diplomatic manner.
• Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probes all fruitful sources for answers; can see hidden problems.
• Motivated by long-term results and achieving targeted business outcomes.
• Multicultural sensitivity and integrity.
• Well organized and delivery and output orientated.
• Openness to change, comfortable with ambiguity.
• Excellent knowledge of governance forums, the role and value of governance, and the ability to run architecture governance forums.
• Can write clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles; can get messages across that have the desired effect.
• Familiarity with Architecture Tools such as EA LeanIX

Desirable:

• Knowledge of modern digital enablers (e.g., AI/ML for forecasting, IoT in manufacturing, blockchain for traceability).
• Experience with supply chain in a regulated industry such as FMCG, pharma, or tobacco.
• Familiarity with agile delivery models and product-centric organisational structures.
• Experience with cloud-based architectures (Azure preferred) and hybrid environments
• Excellent knowledge of governance forums, the role and value of governance, and the ability to run architecture governance forums.
• Can write clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles; can get messages across that have the desired effect.
• Familiarity with Architecture Tools such as EA Sparx, Orbus etc
• Good skills and significant experience in the definition of Architectural artefacts e.g. architectural models, roadmaps, strategies, principles, standards, patterns etc.
• Good knowledge of one or more Architecture Modelling & Notation techniques (methods)
• Experience of leading technology and architecture for large-scale transformation programmes
• Experience of having applied one or more formal Architecture frameworks (e.g. TOGAF, Zachman)
• Excellent knowledge of at least one architectural domain – business, applications, integration, security, data, infrastructure, digital product development.
• Good knowledge of any two further domains.
• Conflict Management & Negotiation Skills
• Certification in an Enterprise Architecture Framework

What We Offer

In return for playing your part in building our future, you will receive a comprehensive compensation package with salary, bonus scheme and further benefits as well inspiring places to work and collaborate with purpose. Here at Imperial we will give you the opportunity to grow and learn, innovate at pace and be a part of our purpose to forge a path to a healthier future for moments of relaxation and pleasure for our consumers.

Everyone Belongs

Everyone belongs in Imperial. We are proud of being a truly inclusive organisation. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, sexual orientation, religions or beliefs and of neuro divergence. We give fair and equal consideration to all our applicants. Please contact us at recruitment@impbrands.com to let us know if we can provide support in helping you complete an application and/or attend an interview.

About Us

We're a truly international company, fourth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by 25,000 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo where people can bring their best selves to work. Our agility and collaboration are driving our ambitions, innovation and success all supported by our award-winning development programmes that creates exciting and rewarding career opportunities for all.  Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference.

As a matter of policy, Imperial Tobacco or its subsidiaries never requests or requires payment as part of any recruitment process.