Lead Platform Architect

Job Description

Lead Platform Architect - Airline Ops ( 17186 )

Description

We are easy

Jet – a FTSE-250 listed, £multi-billion low-cost airline that serves tens of millions of customers every single year. If you’re reading this, you have probably already been an easy

Jet customer, and you’ll know that there is no more iconic (or Orange!) travel brand in Europe. We fly more than 1,207 routes, connecting 38 countries across Europe, and employ more than 18,000 colleagues. We’re on a mission to make low-cost travel easy – and whatever your role here, you’ll connect millions of people to what they love using Europe’s best airline network, great value fares, and friendly service.

What makes us easy

Jet? Our Promise Behaviours – we are Safe, Bold, Welcoming and Challenging. Four Behaviours. One Spirit. One easy

Jet.

Are you an expert systems thinker who thrives on turning complex, multi-domain environments into streamlined, resilient digital platforms?

We are seeking a Lead Platform Architect to serve as the ultimate architectural authority for our Airline Operations Platform. This is not a role for a passive observer. You will actively govern and evolve a mission-critical enterprise asset that directly impacts flight operations, crew management, and overall system reliability.

You will unite diverse operational  Missions —including Crew, Airports, Flight Operations, and Engineering—under a single, highly resilient, and interoperable platform architecture.

Your primary mission is to ensure our Airline Operations Platform runs as a unified, coherent system rather than a fragmented collection of independent tools. You will own the target architecture, service models, and integration patterns, driving multi-Mission reuse while ruthlessly eliminating duplication and integration complexity.

• Own Platform Integrity:
  Define the target architecture and roadmap to ensure a shared enterprise asset.
• Enforce Reuse:
  Design all platform capabilities for multi-Mission reuse to eliminate duplicate systems.
• Set the Standards:
  Establish service contracts, API-first rules, and default integration patterns.
• Manage Change:
  Govern platform evolution to prevent unmanaged dependencies and friction.
• Align Globally:
  Partner with Enterprise Architecture to match platform goals with enterprise strategy.

• Act as Authority:
  Serve as the final design review voice and technical authority for the platform.
• Guide Engineering:
  Provide technical leadership to engineering teams on scalability and resilience.
• Run Design Reviews:
  Lead architecture assurance activities to ensure alignment with target models.
• Control Deviations:
  Review, document, and strictly control any deviations from established platform standards.
• Architect Core Layers:
  Design core layers for identity, operational data, orchestration, and event streaming.
• Drive Real-Time Data:
  Champion event-driven architecture, streaming, and shared data services.
• Scale Smart Tech:
  Define reusable AI, automation capabilities, and telemetry workflows.
• Follow Industry Standards:
  Ensure platform alignment with aviation and industry standards (e.g., IATA).

• Secure by Design:
  Embed identity, authentication, federation, and data privacy into all layers.
• Mitigate Risk:
  Identify architectural risks to protect critical, real-time flight operations.
• Cultivate Talent:
  Mentor architects and engineers across teams on platform-first design principles.

• Systems Thinker:
  Ability to think in large, interconnected systems rather than isolated components.
• Strategic Leader:
  Proven experience aligning distinct product demands with overall business strategy.
• Integration Expert:
  Deep mastery of scalable, API-first, and event-driven architectures.
• Aviation Domain Knowledge:
  Direct experience with aviation data frameworks and industry standards (e.g., IATA) is highly desirable.
• Governance Champion:
  Strong track record of running design reviews and managing technical debt in complex environments.
• Superb Communicator:
  Ability to…