Service Now Architect

Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced ServiceNow Architect for a six-month contract engagement.
The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, optimising and governing enterprise-level ServiceNow solutions within a complex international financial services environment.
This role requires strong expertise in ServiceNow architecture, IT Service Management (ITSM), IT Operations Management (ITOM), CMDB/CSDM, enterprise integrations and technical governance.
Working closely with business stakeholders, Product Owners, enterprise architects and technical delivery teams, the consultant will assess existing platform capabilities, identify improvement opportunities and design scalable, secure and maintainable ServiceNow solutions.
The primary objective is to strengthen ServiceNow platform architecture, improve operational efficiency, enhance automation and maximise standard platform capabilities while minimising unnecessary customisation.
2. Key Responsibilities
ServiceNow Solution & Platform Architecture
Lead the design and optimisation of enterprise ServiceNow architecture.
Assess existing platform capabilities and identify architectural gaps.
Define target-state architecture aligned with enterprise standards.
Produce high-level and low-level solution designs.
Establish architecture principles, technical standards and design governance.
Recommend configuration-led solutions wherever possible.
Ensure scalability, security, maintainability, performance and upgradeability.
IT Service Management (ITSM)
Provide architecture guidance across Incident, Problem, Change, Request, Knowledge and Service Catalogue Management.
Design and optimise ITSM processes and workflows.
Improve service delivery through automation and standardisation.
Ensure alignment with ITIL principles and enterprise service management requirements.
IT Operations Management (ITOM)
Design and optimise ITOM capabilities, including Discovery, Service Mapping and Event Management.
Support infrastructure and application service visibility.
Define integration approaches for monitoring and operational systems.
Ensure ITOM architecture aligns with CMDB/CSDM requirements.
CMDB & Common Service Data Model (CSDM)
Define and maintain CMDB architecture and configuration management standards.
Support CSDM implementation, governance and optimisation.
Design configuration item structures and service relationships.
Establish data quality, reconciliation and ownership controls.
Support integration with Discovery and other enterprise data sources.
Enterprise Integration Architecture
Design secure and scalable integrations between ServiceNow and enterprise applications.
Define integration patterns using REST/SOAP APIs, IntegrationHub and MID Servers.
Collaborate with integration architects, security teams and application owners.
Produce technical integration documentation and interface specifications.
Ensure integration reliability, data security and architectural consistency.
Workflow Automation & Platform Optimisation
Identify automation and workflow improvement opportunities.
Provide architectural guidance on Flow Designer, business rules and platform extensions.
Review existing customisations and recommend technical debt reduction.
Promote out-of-the-box ServiceNow functionality.
Ensure solutions remain maintainable and compatible with future upgrades.
Security, Risk & Architecture Governance
Align architecture with enterprise security and risk requirements.
Provide guidance on access controls, data protection and auditability.
Consider segregation of duties, operational resilience and regulatory requirements.
Participate in architecture reviews and technical design assurance.
Identify architectural risks and recommend mitigation approaches.
Stakeholder Engagement & Technical Leadership
Facilitate architecture workshops and technical discovery sessions.
Translate business requirements into ServiceNow architecture recommendations.
Collaborate with Product Owners, ServiceNow engineers, enterprise architects and delivery partners.
Provide technical leadership and guidance throughout implementation.
Present architecture decisions and design trade-offs to senior stakeholders.
Support implementation assurance, testing, technical documentation and knowledge transfer.
3. Essential Skills & Experience
Proven experience as a ServiceNow Solution Architect, Platform Architect or Technical Architect.
Strong hands-on knowledge of ServiceNow architecture and platform capabilities.
Extensive experience with ServiceNow ITSM.
Practical experience designing ServiceNow ITOM solutions.
Strong understanding of CMDB architecture and CSDM.
Experience designing enterprise integrations using REST/SOAP APIs, IntegrationHub and MID Servers.
Proven experience producing high-level and low-level solution designs.
Knowledge of Flow Designer, workflow automation, configuration and platform extensibility.
Experience with enterprise architecture standards and technical governance.
Ability to assess business requirements against standard ServiceNow capabilities.
Experience supporting complex enterprise platform transformation or optimisation programmes.
Strong knowledge of platform security, access controls and data governance.
Excellent technical leadership, analytical and stakeholder management skills.
4. Highly Desirable Skills & Experience
Experience within banking, financial services, international financial institutions or regulated enterprises.
Experience working in complex, multi-country technology environments.
Knowledge of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM).
Experience with ServiceNow HR Service Delivery (HRSD) or Field Service Management (FSM).
Familiarity with ITIL, IT4IT or TOGAF frameworks.
Experience with platform upgrades, consolidation and technical debt reduction.
Relevant ServiceNow certifications, including Certified Technical Architect (CTA), Certified Master Architect (CMA), Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) or Certified System Administrator (CSA).
Experience working with Agile delivery teams and multiple technology vendors.
5. Expected Deliverables
The successful consultant will be expected to contribute to:
Current-state ServiceNow architecture assessment.
Target-state architecture and technical roadmap.
High-level and low-level solution designs.
ITSM and ITOM architecture recommendations.
CMDB/CSDM architecture and data governance documentation.
Enterprise integration designs and technical specifications.
Architecture standards, design decisions and technical governance documentation.
Platform optimisation and automation recommendations.
Technical design reviews and implementation assurance.
Knowledge-transfer and operational handover documentation.
Deliverables will be prioritised according to the agreed scope and six-month engagement plan.
6. Ideal Candidate Profile
We are looking for a senior, technically strong ServiceNow Architect who combines enterprise architecture expertise with practical experience designing and optimising ServiceNow solutions.
The ideal candidate will be comfortable operating within a complex international financial services environment, engaging with senior technology stakeholders and working alongside cross-functional delivery teams.
They should be capable of assessing existing architecture, identifying technical and operational challenges, and recommending sustainable improvements through standard ServiceNow functionality.
Strong expertise in ITSM, ITOM, CMDB/CSDM, integration architecture and technical governance is particularly important.
The successful candidate must demonstrate sound technical judgement, strong communication skills and the ability to deliver practical architecture recommendations within a time-bound contract engagement.
This is an architecture-focused position, not a purely ServiceNow Developer, Administrator or Project Management role.
7. Key Success Criteria
Clear and maintainable ServiceNow architecture and solution designs.
Improved alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
Stronger ITSM and ITOM architectural consistency.
Improved CMDB/CSDM design and data governance.
Secure and scalable enterprise integration solutions.
Reduced unnecessary customisation and technical complexity.
Effective architecture governance and technical design assurance.
Actionable platform optimisation recommendations.
Successful knowledge transfer and documentation within the contract period.

Work arrangement
Yes