Role Title

Lead Solution Architect - Infrastructure & EUC

Salary - £66,240 - £86,940 DOE

Location - Derby, Manchester OR Warrington offices - Hybrid working flexibility

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

We are now recruiting for the exciting role of Lead Solution Architect - Infrastructure & EUC to be involved in industry leading, cutting-edge design project for a new type of power station.

The Lead Solution Architect is a technical leadership role responsible for guiding, governing, and overseeing the design and development of technology solutions within a defined business Digital/IT delivery domain. This role ensures that individual solutions are strategically aligned, technically sound, and integrated within the broader solutions within that domain and with the wider enterprise architecture. This includes overseeing the end-to-end solution lifecycle, but with particular focus on initial concept architecture, requirements gathering and technology selection. They work closely with business stakeholders, enterprise architects and solution architects within the delivery team, to ensure that solutions are integrated, scalable, and aligned with strategic objectives and design principles.

Key Responsibilities

• Solution Design Leadership - Provide architectural direction across multiple projects and technical areas, ensuring that solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with business and IT strategy.
• Governance and Assurance - Act as the design authority within the domain, leading design reviews and ensuring adherence to architectural principles, integration standards, and security policies.
• Integration and Alignment - Ensure that all solutions integrate effectively with existing systems and platforms, and contribute to a cohesive and sustainable technology landscape.
• Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement - Work closely with business stakeholders, enterprise architects, and delivery teams to translate business requirements into effective solution designs.
• Mentoring and Capability Development - Support and mentor solution architects and technical leads, promoting best practices and architectural thinking across delivery teams.
• Domain Architecture Development - Define and maintain domain-specific reference architectures, patterns, and standards to guide consistent and high-quality solution delivery.

SFIA framework - Rolls-Royce SMR’s Digital & Information Technology team use SFIA (Skills Framework for the Information Age) to define key accountabilities. The key SFIA competency areas and accountability levels for this role are stated below.

Key Results & What can be achieved in the role

Short-Term Goals (First 6 Months)

• Define Concept Architecture Approach - Create a clear and consistent method for shaping early-stage solution designs across the domain.
• Lead Discovery for Key Initiatives - Support early solution shaping by running discovery sessions and producing concept architectures for priority projects.
• Set Up Technology Selection Criteria - Develop a simple framework to help teams evaluate and choose technologies that align with enterprise standards.

Medium-Term Goals (6 to 18 Months)

• Build a Library of Concept Designs - Capture and share reusable concept architectures and patterns to guide future solution work.
• Support Business Case Development - Ensure early architecture input is included in business cases to improve planning and decision-making.
• Align Solutions Across Domains - Work with other Lead Solution Architects to make sure solutions integrate well and support the wider enterprise systems strategy.

Key Selection Criteria

• Oversees the development of architectures for complex solutions ensuring consistency with agreed requirements.
• Establishes policies, principles and practices for the selection of solution architecture components.
• Manages trade-offs and balances functional, service quality, cost efficiency and systems management requirements within a significant area of the organisation. Communicates proposed decisions to stakeholders.
• Coordinates and manages the target architecture across multiple projects or initiatives. Maintains a stable, viable architecture and ensures consistency of design and adherence to appropriate standards across multiple projects or initiatives

SINT - Systems integration and build - Level 5

• Plans and drives activities to develop organisational systems integration and build capabilities including automation and continuous integration.
• Identifies, evaluates and manages the adoption of tools, techniques and processes to create a robust integration framework. Provides authoritative advice and guidance on any aspect of systems integration.
• Leads integration work in line with the agreed system and service design. Assesses risks and takes preventative action. Measures and monitors applications of standards.
• Contributes to the development of organisational policies, standards and guidelines for systems integration.

Additional SFIA areas

• DESN - Systems design – SFIA Level 6
• STPL Enterprise and business architecture – SFIA Level 5

Other important SFIA Skills:

• Requirements definition and management REQM
• Data management DATM
• Information systems coordination ISCO
• Data modelling and design DTAN
• Emerging technology monitoring EMRG
• Stakeholder relationship management RLMT

Pay and Benefits

• Salary - £66,240 - £86,940
• A performance related bonus of up to 12.5%
• An attractive pension scheme with 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
• Flexible benefits allowance of £2,200
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
• BUPA personal health cover
• £250 one-off cash allowance on joining for home-office set-up

About Rolls-Royce SMR

Rolls-Royce SMR blends a world-class brand with a startup mindset to tackle a challenging mission, contributing to a sustainable energy future. We emphasise strengths-based development and offer growth opportunities across roles and functions.

Our Culture

We value diversity and inclusion and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.

Closing date - 20/09/2025