IT Application Architect

To ensure our services and applications are fit for the modern market, our IT team collaborates with every department. They develop, they explore and they implement the new ideas helping us to change the future of accounting, tax and business consulting. But, just as importantly, they maintain the tech that keeps us advancing. By testing and adopting the future of financial technical solutions, they find new and exciting ways to drive us forward. And you could too. In an IT role at BDO, you'll become part of a team that act as the backbone for our business. No matter who you are or what your skillset is, we'll give you the training and support you need to achieve whatever you put your mind to. We'll help you succeed Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships. You'll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO's partners to help businesses effectively. You'll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with. In this busy and rewarding role you'll also:

• Lead the design and architecture of stream specific applications so they adhere to the overall organisational goals, principles and standards as well as industry best practices.
• Design and implement integrations that enable seamless data and process flow between departmental systems, core organisation solutions (ERP, CMS, etc) and within the wider data and application landscape while ensuring interoperability between applications to facilitate efficient working practices.
• Analyse existing business processes and workflows, identifying opportunities for optimisation and collaborating with business and IT teams to implement improvements.
• Advocate for a cohesive, enterprise-wide approach to technology investments that supports scalability, cost-efficiency, and long-term alignment with business goals.
• Ensure that agreed best practices, governance standards, and legal and regulatory compliance requirements across the technology ecosystem are followed, collaborating with compliance and risk management teams as needed.
• Work with security, governance and product teams to implement security best practices and ensure regulatory compliance within applications.
• Document all application architecture design and analysis work.
• Ensure technology and delivery approaches are aligned between delivery teams and with the overall IT and Architecture strategies.
• Represent BDO UK, Stream and IT interests when working with the BDO Network and 3rd party suppliers.
• Identify the organisational impact (for example, on skills, processes, structures or culture) and financial impact of the application architecture.
• Ensure that IT Architecture is, and is recognised as, a valuable asset to BDO.
  
  Proven experience of working as an Application Architect delivering successful greenfield and migration projects in a product orientated organisation.
• Experience in designing and deploying products utilising vendor-hosted SaaS platforms and Azure PaaS resources.
• Proficiency in integration tools and technologies (eg, APIs, ESBs, iPaaS) and familiarity with cloud and hybrid architectures.
• Knowledge of security, compliance, and data governance best practices in an enterprise setting.
• Demonstrated ability in technology partner management practices including the ability to lead vendors/partners in defining architectures.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication, including presentation skills, to a range of audiences.
• Demonstrate a good knowledge of IT industry trends, suppliers and products.
• Excellent analytical and technical skills.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Strong understanding of practice management software systems (e.g., CMS, ERP, Finance, and Marketing automation tools) and their integration points advantageous.
You'll be able to be yourself; we'll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We're committed to agile working, and we offer every colleague the opportunity to work in ways that suit you, your teams, and the task at hand.

We're BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today's changing world. We work with the companies that are Britain's economic engine - ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high-growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them., At BDO, we'll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development. We're in it together Mutual support and respect is one of BDO's core values and we're proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we'll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs. Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you'll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work. We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we've invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO's people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we'll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you'll never stop learning at BDO.