Chief Architect - NGV

At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. As the energy transition accelerates, we’re building the technology and infrastructure needed for a cleaner, more secure and resilient energy future.

This is a pivotal leadership opportunity within National Grid Ventures (NGV), the commercial arm of National Grid plc. NGV develops, operates and invests in energy projects, technologies and partnerships that are helping shape the future of energy.

We’re looking for an innovative, delivery-focused and commercially minded Chief Architect to shape NGV’s technology strategy, target architecture and architecture capability, influencing major investments and transformation across its portfolio.

So, join us as a Chief Architect and find your superpower.

This role is based in Warwick and operates under a hybrid working model.

As Chief Architect for National Grid Ventures, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the technology direction of the business. You’ll set the architectural vision, connecting business ambition, technology strategy and investment priorities to ensure NGV is equipped for the future.

Leading across a high-impact portfolio, you’ll define future-state blueprints and roadmaps, establish architecture standards and governance, and provide strategic direction across major programmes and investments.

Working alongside senior business, digital, technology, product and delivery leaders, you’ll turn strategy into clear architectural direction, helping teams make better technology decisions, deliver effectively and create sustainable enterprise value.

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Enterprise Architecture and Technology Strategy, with a dotted-line relationship to the Chief Information and Digital Officer for NGV, you’ll also provide leadership and direction across NGV’s wider architecture community.

As Chief Architect for National Grid Ventures, you’ll set the architectural direction that connects strategy, investment and delivery across NGV. You’ll:

• Shape the future of NGV’s technology landscape
  , defining the architecture vision, future-state blueprint and strategic roadmap aligned to business and enterprise priorities.
• Own architectural quality and direction
  , acting as the design approval authority for key architecture decisions across NGV.
• Influence at the highest levels
  , partnering with senior business and technology leaders to turn strategic ambition into clear, actionable technology direction.
• Guide major investments and transformation programmes
  , ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, cost-effective and aligned with enterprise standards.
• Set the standards for great architecture
  , evolving governance, principles, patterns and design assurance to enable consistent, high-quality decision-making.
• Lead and strengthen NGV’s architecture community
  , guiding Product Line and Solution Architects and driving greater consistency, reuse and alignment across the portfolio.
• Turn emerging technology into opportunity
  , assessing market trends and innovations to identify where AI, data, platforms, applications and infrastructure can unlock value, improve agility and reduce complexity.
• Protect the long-term technology landscape
  , ensuring investment decisions minimise unnecessary technical debt, duplication and fragmentation.
• Lead architecture reviews and design assurance
  , navigating complex trade-offs, identifying risk and providing clear direction to delivery teams.
• Build architecture capability and talent
  , coaching, mentoring and developing technology professionals across NGV.
• Bring outside thinking in
  , representing National Grid in relevant industry forums and staying connected to developments across technology, architecture, utilities and digital…