Business Systems Architect

Job description

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities. GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career. Job Summary The ERP/PLM Architect is responsible for the strategic design, governance, integration, and continuous improvement of ERP, PLM, and related enterprise manufacturing systems that support critical aerospace business operations. Serving as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders, this role partners with engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, finance, and IT stakeholders to define, analyze, and translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and sustainable technology solutions that align with organizational objectives and long-term growth strategies. The Architect provides leadership across the full solution lifecycle, from business requirements and solution design through implementation, integration, governance, and ongoing optimization. Key responsibilities include architecting solutions that support Manufacturing Part, Bill of Materials (BOM), and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) traceability, validation, reporting, data governance, and regulatory compliance while ensuring system reliability, performance, and data integrity. This role drives enterprise-wide process improvement initiatives, develops technology roadmaps, evaluates emerging technologies, and establishes architectural standards that enhance operational efficiency, business agility, and decision-making capabilities. Success in this role requires a strong combination of enterprise application expertise, manufacturing business process knowledge, and architectural leadership. The ideal candidate is an analytical and strategic thinker with exceptional problem-solving abilities, outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, and a highly professional, collaborative approach. This individual must be capable of effectively influencing and partnering with executives, business leaders, technical teams, vendors, and external stakeholders while leading complex initiatives that deliver measurable business value and operational excellence across the enterprise. Job Responsibilities Lead the architectural design, governance, and continuous improvement of ERP, PLM, and related manufacturing systems to support the organization's strategic business objectives. Partner with business leaders, engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and IT teams to define, analyze, and prioritize business requirements, translating them into scalable and sustainable enterprise solutions. Develop and maintain ERP/PLM application roadmaps, ensuring alignment with business goals, technology strategy, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices. Architect solutions supporting Manufacturing Part, Bill of Materials (BOM), and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) traceability, validation, reporting, and data governance to ensure operational excellence and compliance. Evaluate business processes, system capabilities, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for optimization, standardization, automation, and continuous improvement. Define solution architectures, integration strategies, data models, and system design standards to support enterprise-wide business processes and future growth. Assess and recommend technology solutions, enhancements, and upgrades based on technical feasibility, business value, scalability, maintainability, and total cost of ownership. Serve as the primary liaison between business stakeholders, development teams, infrastructure teams, software vendors, consultants, and system integrators to ensure successful solution delivery. Provide architectural oversight and guidance throughout the solution lifecycle, including requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and post-implementation support. Establish and maintain application governance, ensuring compliance with corporate standards, security requirements, data integrity policies, and regulatory obligations. Lead complex projects and initiatives by coordinating functional and technical resources, managing project priorities, tracking deliverables, mitigating risks, and ensuring successful outcomes. Oversee the development and maintenance of enterprise reporting, analytics, dashboards, and data solutions to support operational, financial, and executive decision-making. Develop and maintain architectural documentation, process flows, technical standards, and system design specifications to support knowledge management and organizational continuity. Provide leadership, mentorship, and subject matter expertise to business analysts, developers, system administrators, and support personnel while promoting best practices and knowledge sharing across the organization. Support internal and external audits, compliance initiatives, and regulatory requirements, ensuring enterprise systems meet established controls and documentation standards. Collaborate with external partners, auditors, consultants, and software vendors to evaluate technologies, resolve complex issues, and advance strategic business initiatives. Drive enterprise-wide continuous improvement initiatives focused on process efficiency, system performance, user experience, data quality, and operational effectiveness. Provide architectural guidance and escalation support for complex ERP, PLM, and manufacturing system issues impacting business operations. Maintain flexibility to support business initiatives and stakeholders across multiple U.S. time zones as needed. Support Month-end reporting/closing Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 8 years of experience supporting enterprise manufacturing ERP systems, preferably within an aerospace or manufacturing environment. 8 years of experience with Infor LN or a comparable enterprise manufacturing ERP platform. 8 years of experience with manufacturing business processes, including material management, production, inventory control, engineering change management, and reporting. Proven analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose complex business and system issues. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders while maintaining a high level of professionalism, collaboration, and customer service. Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment. U.S. Person status as defined by ITAR regulations to comply with export control and site security requirements. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting aerospace manufacturing systems and business operations. Experience with AS/400 (IBM iSeries / IBM Power Systems) environments. Experience with American Software Incorporated (ASI) ERP systems. Experience using iQuery, Query/400, DBU, DFU, or similar IBM i data management and reporting tools. Programming experience with RPG/400, RPG ILE, COBOL/400, CL, SQL/400, SQL Server, or related technologies. Experience supporting ERP integrations, reporting solutions, and data analysis initiatives. Strong planning, organizational, and project coordination skills. Experience working within an Information Technology organization supporting enterprise business applications. Ability to proactively identify opportunities for improvement and drive solutions with minimal supervision. Experience collaborating with geographically dispersed or remote teams. Compensation Data Salary Range: $120,441.00 - $150,551.00 We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go? A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work. We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know. We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology. ​ ​