Lead Architect - China

Shanghai, China

Job Family Group:

Information Technology (IT)

Worker Type:

Regular

Posting Start Date:

September 30, 2026

Business Unit:

Information & Digital Technology

Experience Level:

Experienced Professionals

Job Description:

What’s the role

The Lead Architect will be accountable for shaping and governing China’s end-to-end architecture strategy across infrastructure, applications, data and products. The role will balance global enterprise standards with China-specific regulatory and market needs, deliver scalable and compliant solutions, and progressively build architecture capability to support business growth and transformation.

What you’ll be doing

• Own and continuously evolve the China architecture strategy, roadmap and governance across business domains, infrastructure, applications, data and future platforms.
• Translate business priorities, transformation needs and BAU localization requirements into fit-for-purpose, compliant and future-ready solution designs.
• Balance enterprise standards with China regulatory, market and technology requirements, guiding technology selection and adoption accordingly.
• Drive architecture assurance, stage gate reviews, risk management, technology standards, architecture artefacts and Tech Radar maintenance.
• Partner with IDTMs, business stakeholders and global architecture/engineering communities to shape portfolios, prioritize work and enable delivery.
• Provide thought leadership on emerging technologies, including China-specific digital and AI capabilities, while scaling architecture capability as demand grows.

What you bring

• 15+ years’ digital and IT experience, including 10+ years in business- and technology-focused IT architecture, with proven architecture impact and successful delivery.
• Strong end-to-end architecture experience across applications, integration, infrastructure and large-scale platforms; prior software engineering or solution architecture experience is preferred.
• Solid knowledge of Downstream, China infrastructure, China regulations and compliance, ERP/SAP, AI, and Sales & Marketing and/or Supply Chain domains.
• 10+ years’ experience leading and developing people, particularly architects and technical design teams.
• Strong delivery mindset with agile and product-focused ways of working, logical problem solving and results orientation.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and bilingual communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across virtual, cross-cultural and geographically dispersed teams.

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