Solutions Architect

Location: Birmingham (other locations considered - Manchester, Cardiff, or Leeds)

Working arrangements: Hybrid (2-3x a week)

Industry: Professional Services (Legal sector)

Overview

The organisation is hiring an experienced Solution Architect to join the Architecture & Design team. The role is responsible for designing and delivering secure, scalable, and robust technology solutions that support strategic objectives, including a Cloud First approach and ongoing digital transformation. Working closely with business stakeholders, IT delivery teams, and external partners, you will translate requirements into high-quality architectural designs.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate business requirements into clear, end-to-end solution architectures.
• Define target architectures and create transition roadmaps.
• Analyse current (“as-is”) architecture to identify gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure solutions meet security, regulatory, and performance standards.
• Design integrations with existing systems.
• Align architectural designs with enterprise roadmaps and support future technology direction.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical oversight throughout solution delivery and resolve complex design issues.
• Act as a liaison between delivery teams and IT technical functions.
• Support policy-related decisions, including data residency.
• Influence and contribute to enterprise architecture roadmaps.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Communicate solution options clearly and support informed decision-making.
• Build trusted relationships with business and IT stakeholders.
• Drive consensus and influence key technical and strategic decisions.

Innovation, Governance & Risk

• Stay informed on emerging technologies and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Highlight architectural risks and propose mitigation strategies.
• Maintain the information asset register.
• Ensure compliance with security, data handling, and regulatory policies.

Skills & Experience

• Experience across one or more IT domains.
• Proven background as a Solution Architect in complex enterprise environments.
• Strong capability in Microsoft Azure (IaaS, PaaS) and cloud-native architectures.
• Knowledge of enterprise integration patterns and API management.
• Understanding of security, compliance, and data privacy best practices.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Ability to take ownership of technical challenges and deliver solutions.
• Knowledge of project delivery cycles and quality assurance.
• Proactive learner with interest in emerging technologies.
• Understanding of data governance and information security standards.
• Experience within legal or professional services.
• Familiarity with TOGAF or similar architecture frameworks.
• Experience with DevOps tools and practices.
• Exposure to business analysis and large-scale process change.
• Experience working with third-party or offshore delivery teams.
• Identity & Access Management.
• Networking and infrastructure fundamentals.
• Agile and modern delivery methodologies.

Personal Attributes

• Strong strategic thinking, influencing, and diplomacy skills.
• Excellent communication and leadership capability.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Detail-oriented with excellent written and verbal communication.
• Resilient, adaptable, and solution-focused.
• Ability to prioritise and work independently.
• Positive, proactive, and committed to continuous development.