Enterprise Architect - WPP Media

Why we're hiring:

WPP Media, as part of WPP ET, is undergoing a significant transformation, modernising our ways of working, adopting cloud-native architectures, and prioritising AI and data-driven insights. This role is crucial for infusing AI-first thinking at every level. You will bridge the gap between high-level business strategy and hands-on technological exploration, acting as a catalyst for innovation. We need someone who can work closely with our teams to discover, design, and help deliver a truly reimagined future powered by AI, ensuring solutions align with our enterprise architectural principles and standards.

Are you a hands-on technologist with a solid understanding of the media or advertising business, eager to explore and apply cutting-edge AI? This isn't a traditional Enterprise Architect role focused purely on mapping and integration. Instead, we're seeking an aspiring architect who thrives on discovery and practical application.

You will be instrumental in exploring how emerging technologies, especially agentic AI, can fundamentally reimagine our business operations and client services. You'll also identify opportunities to accelerate our existing strategic programs, enhancing underlying systems (like ERPs) with AI rather than replacing them. This role is a unique opportunity to grow into a full Enterprise Architect by actively contributing to the strategic application of AI, working closely with product and engineering teams to turn vision into reality, all while learning to navigate and contribute to our architectural standards and governance processes.

1. AI-Driven Innovation: Directly contribute to identifying, prototyping, and integrating agentic AI solutions that challenge conventional business models and create new value.
2. Operational Acceleration: Leverage AI to enhance the efficiency and intelligence of existing in-flight programs and core business systems.
3. Strategic Growth: Help shape the future technology landscape of WPP Media, defining how AI will underpin our next generation of products and services.
4. Learning & Development: Gain invaluable experience in enterprise-level architectural thinking, directly influencing major technology decisions and business strategy, including adherence to governance.

What you'll be doing:

• AI Opportunity Identification: Actively research and identify high-impact opportunities for leveraging agentic technologies and broader AI/ML capabilities across our media business operations and client offerings.
• Concept Prototyping & Validation: Work hands-on with cross-functional teams to prototype, test, and validate AI-driven concepts, demonstrating their potential to reimagine workflows or accelerate programs.
• AI-First" Solution Design: Collaborate with Solution Architects and Product Owners to embed AI capabilities into the design of new products and enhancements for existing systems.
• Business Process & AI Mapping: Assist in mapping current business processes, identifying specific areas where AI can be introduced for significant efficiency gains or new value creation, and contributing to high-level capability models.
• Technology Trend Monitoring: Keep abreast of the latest advancements in AI, machine learning, and agentic systems, sharing insights and potential applications with the wider team.
• Architectural Contribution & Governance Support: Contribute to defining and documenting architectural principles and patterns specifically tailored for AI-powered solutions, ensuring scalability, security, and ethical considerations. You will also support efforts to ensure new projects and solutions align with WPP's architectural standards and compliance guidelines.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Translate complex concepts into clear, actionable insights for business leaders, fostering understanding and buy-in for new initiatives.
• Learning & Growth: Actively engage with senior architects and technical leaders, seeking mentorship and opportunities to expand your enterprise architectural knowledge and skills.
• Focus on WPP ET goals that require architecting to align WPP Media to the rest of WPP ET, particularly in the area of AI capabilities 

Key 2026 Goals:

• AI-Driven Innovation & Exploration:Actively contribute to the identification, exploration, and initial validation of innovative AI and agentic technology applications that either reimagine core business operations or accelerate strategic programs.
• Strategic Solution Design:Collaborate with business and technology stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into high-level solution designs, ensuring alignment with defined business capabilities and technology roadmaps.
• Architectural Standards & Governance Contribution:Support the application and evolution of WPP's architectural principles and governance frameworks, contributing to the development of design standards and ensuring solution compliance.
• Continuous Architectural Development:Proactively engage in continuous learning and mentorship opportunities to deepen understanding of enterprise architecture practices, technology trends (especially AI), and their application within the media business.

What you'll need:

• Media Business Acumen: Solid understanding of the media and advertising industry, including its key players, workflows, and operational challenges. Familiarity with common media production tools and workflows.
• AI/ML Foundations: Demonstrated interest and foundational knowledge in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning concepts, including Generative AI and/or agentic systems. You should be excited by the potential of AI to transform business operations and client offerings.
• Business Analysis & Requirements Gathering: Proven ability to gather, analyze, and document business requirements, translating them into actionable insights and technical specifications.
• Business Process Understanding: Experience in analyzing business workflows and processes, with an eye towards identifying areas for improvement or re-imagination through technology.
• Technical Acumen: Strong grasp of modern technology stacks, cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP), APIs, data structures, and the software development lifecycle. Working knowledge of public cloud technologies and basic DevOps principles.
• Solution-Oriented Problem Solving: Ability to break down complex business challenges into manageable parts, identify opportunities for technological intervention (especially AI), and propose practical, innovative solutions.
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong oral, presentation, and written communication skills. Ability to clearly articulate technical concepts to diverse stakeholders and foster effective collaboration.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Interpersonal Skills: Proven ability to build rapport, influence, and collaborate effectively with various stakeholders, including business leaders, product owners, solution architects, and development teams.
• Growth Mindset & Curiosity: Eagerness to learn, adapt to new technologies, and proactively seek opportunities for professional development within the enterprise architecture domain. This includes an interest in Enterprise Architecture frameworks (like TOGAF®) and methodologies.
• Collaboration Tools Proficiency: Proficiency in modern collaboration tools, including the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, for effective remote and hybrid teamwork.

Who you are: