Business Systems Architect
Date: May 14, 2026
Location: East Cowes, GB
Company: GKN Aerospace Careers
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 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.
Job Summary
Based at our thriving manufacturing centre of excellence in East Cowes, this role reports directly to the Site IT Manager and plays a key part in shaping how our business systems support day-to-day operations.
As a Business Systems Architect, you’ll be a hands-on and knowledgeable member of the team, helping to analyse business needs and design practical, scalable solutions to our manufacturing enterprise. You’ll work closely with stakeholders to ensure our applications not only meet requirements but follow best practice and support the wider business strategy.
Working as part of our global Centre of Excellence (CoE), you’ll be involved in both building new solutions and supporting existing systems. The focus is on continuous improvement—making sure your application area runs smoothly, evolves with the business, and meets agreed service levels.
You’ll also be part of a wider IT applications team within our global IT organisation. In this role, you’ll collaborate with IT business partners, project teams, security specialists and operations to deliver reliable, effective systems. Just as importantly, you’ll act as a trusted partner to the business—someone who understands their challenges and helps translate them into smart, workable solutions.
Relocation assistance available for candidates currently living on The Mainland
Job Responsibilities
- Works as part of a global team of subject matter experts to deliver support within agreed SLAs
- Works alongside the other global IT functions (including IT operations, security, project management office and IT business partners) to support the delivery of the IT strategy in line with the IT operating model.
- Ensures the business/function are aware of the latest capabilities and drive standard application best practice.
- Ensures IT security requirements are observed and designed into future demand/requirements.
- Provides structured training for business/function(s) for maximum effectiveness.
- Supports the implementation of global IT standards.
- Application lifecycle management.
- Be a trusted partner to the business in providing fit for purpose applications and solutions.
- Liaising with external parties (e.g. consultants, software vendors, auditors etc.) where required.
- Ability to generate a unified definition of a target landscape based on functional and non-functional requirements to determine solution and environment selection.
- Gathers functional and non-functional requirements of systems, processes and business models.
- Communicates global standards and guidelines to specialists and developers.
- Supports the implementation of new solutions, upgrades and/or enhancements to existing ones.
- Supports the change request process during implementation performing an impact assessment where required, and collaborate on compliance monitoring post-implementation (plan-do-check-act).
- Assist in determining time and cost estimates for assigned projects.
Job Qualifications
Suitable candidates must be able to demonstrate:
Essential
- Previous experience working within technical project management in an information technology environment.
- Experience working within either manufacturing and/or business systems.
Desirable
- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field.
- Knowledge of manufacturing systems
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.
