Design Lead / Senior Solution Architect (4B08232)

Referment; Manchester; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Referment is seeking a seasoned solution architect to own end-to-end architecture for enterprise-grade platforms. You will define blueprints, standards, and roadmaps, leading architecture reviews and guiding engineering teams across product, platform, UX, DevOps, and cloud teams.

You will design cloud-native solutions on AWS, build microservices and API-led integrations, address security and resilience, and mentor engineers while presenting strategies to executives.

Qualifications

• Experience designing enterprise-scale solutions with .NET and C#.
• Knowledge of solution architecture principles and design patterns.
• Proven microservices, event-driven and distributed systems experience.
• RESTful API design and enterprise integration patterns.
• Modern web platform design using Angular.
• Relational and NoSQL data platforms (SQL Server, MongoDB, Cosmos DB).
• Hands-on AI-enabled tooling and integrating AI services.
• Prompt engineering, LLM integration and RAG architectures.
• Strategic thinking and stakeholder management.
• Degree in CS or related field or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end solution architecture for enterprise-grade applications and platforms.
• Define blueprints, standards and technology roadmaps; lead architecture reviews.
• Design high- and low-level designs addressing functional and non-functional needs.
• Shape deployment, operating models and cloud security for scalable systems.
• Mentor development teams and present strategies to executives.

Skills

.NET

C#

Solution architecture

Design patterns

Domain-driven design

OO design

Microservices

Event-driven

API-led integration

RESTful API design

Angular

SQL Server

MongoDB

Cosmos DB

AI-enabled tools

GitHub Copilot

Prompt engineering

LLM integration

RAG architectures

AI-powered automation

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Azure OpenAI

AWS Bedrock

Hugging Face

GitHub Copilot

Job description

Referment is working with a financial services technology company that builds enterprise data management and automation platforms for banks and asset managers. Engineering is organised around product and platform teams, and architecture is central to how new cloud, distributed and AI capabilities are introduced.

The Role

You'll own end-to-end solution architecture for enterprise-grade applications and platforms, defining blueprints, design standards and technology roadmaps, and leading architecture reviews that set the standard for engineering teams. You'll produce high-level and low-level designs that address functional and non-functional needs, and drive decisions on scalability, resilience, security, observability and performance. Day to day you'll work across product, business stakeholders, UX and engineering leaders, and partner with DevOps and cloud teams to shape deployment and operating models. You'll design cloud-native solutions on AWS, architect microservices, event-driven systems and API-led integrations, and define cloud security, networking and disaster-recovery approaches. A significant part of the mandate is responsible use of AI: integrating services such as Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock and Hugging Face, and championing AI-assisted engineering and intelligent automation. You'll also mentor development teams and present architecture strategies to executive audiences.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience designing enterprise-scale solutions with .NET, .NET Core, C# and modern frameworks.
• Deep knowledge of solution architecture principles, design patterns, domain-driven design and object-oriented design.
• Proven expertise in microservices, event-driven and distributed systems, and API-led integration.
• Experience with RESTful API design and enterprise integration patterns.
• Modern web platform design using Angular.
• Relational and NoSQL data platforms such as SQL Server, MongoDB and Cosmos DB.
• Hands-on use of AI-enabled engineering tools such as GitHub Copilot or equivalents, plus experience integrating AI services and evaluating AI/ML-driven solutions.
• Familiarity with prompt engineering, LLM integration, RAG architectures and AI-powered automation.
• Strategic thinking and stakeholder management, with the ability to make complex technical concepts clear to non-technical audiences.
• A degree in computer science or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Desirable

• Architecting and optimising large-scale distributed cloud systems.
• Performance engineering, observability, monitoring and operational excellence.
• DevOps, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code and platform automation.
• Enterprise security architecture, identity management and compliance frameworks.
• Scripting with PowerShell, Python or Bash.
• AWS Solutions Architect, TOGAF or equivalent certifications.

This could suit a solution architect or technical design lead already operating across enterprise systems who wants broader architectural ownership, or an experienced engineer ready to step into a lead architecture role.