Head of Architecture, Enterprise & Operations Systems

Location: Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Porto, Porto District, Portugal

Department: Transformation, Information Technology (IT)

Workplace: hybrid

Employment Type: full

Description

Unilabs is on a multi-year journey to become Europe's leading diagnostics company. To achieve this, we need to operate our markets, build synergies that leverage our size and scale, and ensure we are best setup to meet the evolving needs of patients, medics and healthcare ecosystems.

As part of our ongoing wider transformation journey to build a more agile, efficient, and patient-centred organisation and strengthen our medical, operational and commercial performance – we are looking to recruit an Head of Architecture, Enterprise & Operations Systems, based in Barcelona, Spain or Porto, Portugal.

Purpose of the Role

Lead the definition and execution of the enterprise architecture and application strategy for core Enterprise and Operations systems (incl. LIS, RIS, ERP and related platforms), ensuring alignment with business priorities, scalability, and cost efficiency within the UniTech operating model.

This role is a cornerstone of UniTech Value Delivery, the global capability to ensure IT solutions deliver value in alignment with global standard across all geographies, thus ensuring that a highly heterogeneous landscape evolves into a coherent, platform-driven ecosystem, enabling scale, cost efficiency, and the integration of next-generation capabilities such as AI in clinical and operational workflows.

Key Responsibilities

1. Enterprise Architecture Leadership

· Define and govern the target architecture across Enterprise and Operations domains

· Ensure standardization, simplification, and scalability of the application landscape

· Establish and enforce architecture principles and guardrails covering security, data protection and regulatory compliance.

· Define and operate the Technical Design Authority (TDA) as the governing body for architecture decisions

· Drive build vs buy decisions and technology selection

2. Ownership of Enterprise & Operations Systems

· Own the strategy and roadmap for:

o Laboratory Information Systems (LIS)

o Radiology Information Systems (RIS) and Imaging (incl. Sectra IMD / PACS)

o ERP / Finance and enterprise platforms

o Core operational and clinical-adjacent systems

· Drive platform consolidation and modernization (fit-to-standard approach) and a stringent Application Rationalization in order to future proof and streamline the technology stack for Unilabs.

· Ensure systems support clinical, operational, and regulatory requirements

3. Technology Scope (Core Platforms & Ecosystem)

Accountable for architecture and coherence across the enterprise technology landscape, including:

· Enterprise Solutions

o Microsoft ecosystem: Dynamics 365, Azure, Fabric, M365, Defender, etc

o Coupa, Nava, Kyriba, Oracle HCM

· Clinical & Operational Systems

o LIS, RIS, Imaging platforms (Sectra IMD / PACS)

o Increasing incorporation of AI solutions (clinical and clinical-adjacent) into the ecosystem

· Integration Layer

o Mirth (HL7/FHIR integration)

o Azure Integration Services (API, messaging, eventing)

Ensure end-to-end architectural coherence across these domains

4. Integration & Data Architecture

· Define and drive enterprise integration strategy (API-first, event-driven, interoperability standards)

· Enable scalable, low-touch integrations across markets and platforms

· Ensure alignment with data platform strategy (e.g. Azure Fabric) and data governance

5. Value Delivery & Transformation

· Partner with peers in Value Delivery to:

o translate business demand into scalable technology solutions

o ensure architectural integrity of major programs (e.g. LIS modernization, OneERP, AI enablement)

· Ensure all major programs (e.g. LIS modernization, ERP, AI) are architecturally governed through TDA checkpoints

· Drive technology simplification and cost efficiency

· Enable adoption of AI-driven capabilities across clinical and enterprise domains

6. Governance & Portfolio Alignment

· Lead architecture governance (TDA) across global and in-market initiatives

· Ensure all investments align with:

o target architecture

o cost reduction objectives

o UniTech operating model

· Provide clear technical decision-making and escalation

7. Vendor & Ecosystem Management

· Drive/support strategic vendor selection and partnerships

· Ensure vendor solutions align with architecture standards and integration principles

· Manage technical dependencies across a multi-vendor ecosystem

Success Measures

· Reduction of application landscape complexity and fragmentation

· Progress in platform consolidation (LIS, RIS, ERP, enterprise platforms)

· Increased standardization and reuse across markets

· Scalable integration and reduction of point-to-point interfaces

· Effective incorporation of AI capabilities into core workflows

· Contribution to IT cost reduction targets (−30%)

Requirements

· Proven experience in enterprise architecture leadership in complex, multi-country environments

· Strong exposure to:

o Healthcare systems (LIS, RIS, imaging)

o Enterprise platforms (Microsoft ecosystem, ERP, finance systems)

· Experience with integration platforms (HL7/FHIR, APIs, middleware)

· Track record in large-scale transformation and platform consolidation

· Strong stakeholder management at executive level

· Pragmatic, outcome-driven, balancing standardization, cost, and business needs

Benefits

• Hybrid working model (Porto/Barcelona office & remote flexibility) 

• Opportunity to work on Swiss-market healthcare and laboratory platforms with real clinical impact 

• International, collaborative, and regulated product environment 

• Competitive compensation and benefits 

• Long-term ownership of a strategic healthcare product