I've been working as an architect for a large technology company for a little over a year -- or rather, I was snookered into working as an "architect" while actually doing post-sales (and some pre-sales) stuff.
I managed to avoid focusing solely on solutions from my employer and managed to get some fun out of the job, but day-to-day work is dreary, crammed with endless meetings, presentations, and visiting customers to peddle stuff they quite likely don't need.
It's destroying me, blunting my tech skills and has become really depressive of late, but due to this career turn (and age, and having stopped development for a year) I am now apparently unable to find jobs as a "proper" systems architect or team leader (which is what I was before).
Any advice on how best to turn this around besides sticking to a regimen of submitting applications and doing more networking?
Zero-in on decision-making targets. Cold email/cold call individuals who you can help (ie CTO/CIO's, VPs & Directors Engineering) at interesting companies in your market.
Share your story, seeking advice. Ask if they have time for a 10-15 minute Skype/call. These guys will relate to your situation. And likely qualify whether your background is a good match for their team. But do everything you can to avoid the HR Flunky filter.