Overview

As an Enterprise Solution Architect, you play a pivotal role in driving digital transformation by aligning technology strategies with business objectives. You lead the design and integration of scalable, secure, and future-ready solutions across complex enterprise ecosystems, ensuring seamless interoperability between legacy systems and modern platforms. By collaborating closely with stakeholders across IT, operations, and business units, you translate strategic goals into actionable architectural roadmaps. Your expertise in cloud technologies, data architecture, and enterprise applications enables organizations to accelerate innovation, improve agility, and enhance customer experiences while maintaining governance and compliance standards throughout the transformation journey. The architect oversees in-house software development efforts, guiding teams through planning, implementation, and continuous improvement. They also evaluate and collaborate with external vendors to ensure proposed solutions meet technical and operational standards. The role encompasses responsibility for supporting a broad spectrum of application models—including B2C, B2B, B2T, and enterprise-scale solutions—ensuring each is architected to address its distinct functional and technical requirements. In addition, the architect mentors development staff, promotes best practices in software engineering, and fosters a culture of innovation and technical excellence to support the organisation\'s evolving needs. Continuously assess the health and performance of existing applications. Identify opportunities for optimisation, modernisation, or retirement, and drive initiatives that enhance system efficiency, user experience, and long-term maintainability.

Responsibilities

• Continuous Improvement: Stay updated with the latest industry trends and technologies, and continuously improve the architecture and processes
• Create proofs of concept and detailed implementation designs
• Translate business requirements into technical prototypes and architectural blueprints. Validate feasibility and performance through rapid prototyping, and document implementation strategies that guide development teams through delivery.
• Identify project risks and propose solutions
• Proactively assess technical and operational risks across projects. Develop mitigation strategies, communicate potential impacts to stakeholders, and ensure that contingency plans are in place to maintain delivery momentum.
• Lead Technical Strategy
• Define and drive the enterprise-wide technical vision and roadmap, ensuring alignment with business goals and long-term IT strategy.
• Integrate Systems and Platforms
• Ensure seamless integration across internal and third-party systems, enabling efficient data flow and operational consistency.
• Support B2B, B2C, and Enterprise Applications
• Provide architectural oversight and technical support for customer-facing and internal applications, ensuring reliability and user satisfaction across all segments.
• Evaluate and Select Technologies
• Assess emerging technologies and tools, recommending those that best fit the organisation\'s needs and ecosystem.
• Ensure Security and Compliance
• Embed security and compliance requirements into architectural designs, mitigating risks and aligning with regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with Stakeholders
• Work closely with business leaders, product owners, and project managers to translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Drive Continuous Improvement
• Regularly review and refine architectural practices, promoting innovation, efficiency, and adaptability across the technology landscape.
• Extensive Architecture Background: Over 8 years of experience in solution or enterprise architecture for complex environments, with expertise in architectural frameworks (e.g., TOGAF, Zachman) and a strong focus on Azure infrastructure and Microsoft technologies.
• Digital Transformation Projects: Hands-on experience leading or supporting major digital transformation initiatives, such as cloud migrations, legacy modernization, enterprise platform integration, or data-driven innovation.
• Technology Expertise: Deep knowledge of enterprise technologies including cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), APIs, DevOps practices, and enterprise integration patterns.
• Business Acumen: Experience working closely with business stakeholders to translate strategic goals into technology solutions, demonstrating a strong understanding of business processes and value drivers.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work across IT, operations, and business units, influencing and guiding teams through architectural decisions and change management.
• Leadership & Mentoring: Experience mentoring technical teams, fostering architectural best practices, and contributing to the development of enterprise-wide standards and guidelines.
• Communication & Documentation: Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and produce clear architectural documentation.
• Bachelor\'s or Master\'s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Strong ability to prioritise and execute tasks effectively under pressure, adapting quickly to shifting project requirements.
• Solid grasp of modern software engineering principles, design patterns, and best practices.
• Hands-on experience with Azure DevOps
• Demonstrated ability to deconstruct complex architectural challenges into manageable, logical components.
• Proven experience in building and deploying secure, cloud-native applications.
• Knowledgeable in designing systems with high security standards, including awareness of common vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies.

Bright Horizons are committed to creating inclusive environments where everyone has a sense of belonging and has the opportunity to contribute and thrive in meaningful and impactful ways. We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants. Please note, due to our sector all roles are subject to an Enhanced DBS.