Solutions Architect

We are seeking an experienced Solutions Architect for an initial 6-month contract to provide hands-on architectural and technical leadership across a complex technology and business systems environment. This is a broad, operationally focused role requiring someone who can balance day-to-day technical management with hands-on solution design and delivery. You will work across business-critical applications providing practical architectural guidance and resolving technical challenges as they arise. You will take ownership of the day-to-day architecture function, ensuring existing services remain robust and fit for purpose while supporting projects, system changes and ongoing improvement initiatives. The role will also provide day-to-day leadership and management for a team of four technical specialists, ensuring priorities are managed effectively and the team has the technical direction required to deliver.

Key Responsibilities

• Take day-to-day ownership of the Solutions Architecture function, providing practical technical leadership across applications
• Work hands-on with technical teams to design, troubleshoot, review and implement solutions, rather than operating solely at a strategic architecture level.
• Provide operational oversight of the organisation's technology landscape, identifying technical risks, issues, dependencies and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead the design and delivery of solutions across business applications, integrations, identity, security, cloud and infrastructure environments.
• Assess existing architecture and recommend practical improvements to improve resilience, performance, security and supportability.
• Provide technical guidance and escalation support for complex operational and service issues.
• Review proposed technical changes and ensure solutions are appropriate, supportable and aligned with wider architecture principles.
• Produce and maintain solution designs, architecture documentation, technical standards and diagrams.
• Work closely with operational IT teams, project teams and third-party suppliers to ensure solutions are successfully implemented and transitioned into service.
• Support the delivery of infrastructure, application and cloud-related change initiatives.
• Provide practical architectural input into upgrades, migrations, integrations and system improvement programmes.
• Ensure appropriate consideration is given to security, resilience, performance, scalability and compliance when designing or changing solutions.
• Work with technology suppliers and managed service partners, challenging proposed designs and ensuring technical solutions meet requirements.
• Identify opportunities to simplify the technology estate, improve service delivery and reduce technical debt.
• Provide day-to-day management and technical leadership for a team of four technical professionals, helping prioritise workloads, resolve technical blockers and maintain delivery.
• Work closely with senior technology stakeholders to translate business and operational requirements into achievable technical solutions.

About You

You will be an experienced Solutions Architect or Technical Architect who is comfortable operating in a hands-on environment. This role would suit someone who can move seamlessly between architecture, operational technology and delivery. You will be equally comfortable producing a solution design, reviewing an integration, working through a technical issue with engineers, challenging a supplier or advising senior stakeholders. This is not a purely strategic architecture position. The successful contractor will be expected to get into the detail and provide practical technical support and direction where required.

Essential Experience

• Strong experience working as a Solutions Architect, Technical Architect or hands-on Technical Lead within a complex technology environment.
• Proven experience designing and delivering practical technical solutions across business-critical systems.
• Broad technical knowledge across applications, infrastructure, cloud services, integrations, identity and security.
• Experience working across both cloud and on-premise environments.
• Strong understanding of solution architecture principles, technical standards and governance.
• Demonstrable experience taking architectural designs through into implementation and live operational environments.
• Ability to troubleshoot technical problems and provide hands-on architectural guidance to engineering and operational teams.
• Experience reviewing existing technology environments and identifying improvements, risks and technical debt.
• Experience supporting system upgrades, migrations, integrations and technology change.
• Strong supplier and third-party management skills, with the ability to challenge technical designs and proposed solutions.
• Experience leading or managing technical professionals.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving contract environment where priorities may include both strategic projects and immediate operational requirements.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within Higher Education, the Public Sector or another large and complex organisation.
• Knowledge of enterprise platforms such as ERP, HR, Finance, CRM, Service Management, Identity Management, Student Systems or comparable business-critical systems.
• Experience working with Microsoft cloud and identity technologies.
• Experience working with managed service providers and external technology partners.
• Experience supporting architecture governance or Technical Design Authorities.

Pay: Up to £650.00 per day

Work Location: Hybrid remote in London