Lead Solution Architect

NHS England; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS England is seeking a Lead Solution Architect to drive architecture across national programs, reporting to the Chief Solution Architect. You will lead a team of 5–10 staff, coordinate across directorates, and shape the technical direction for multi‑million pound spend.

The role covers data, security, applications and platforms with governance, roadmaps and community of practice; expect board interaction and a role that blends strategy with hands‑on leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience leading architect teams across large programmes.
• Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders at board level (CxO).
• Experience with architecture governance and roadmaps.

Responsibilities

• Have responsibility for ~5 to 10 staff across directorates and programmes.
• Hold accountability for architecture across a portfolio of national products and programmes.
• Drive and support the team in decision-making.
• Manage and influence executive stakeholders at a board level (CxO).
• Be responsible for NHS England technical governance, roadmaps and strategic planning.
• Develop and mentor staff in your team and beyond.
• Lead in supporting architecture function and community of practice.

Skills

Team leadership

Enterprise architecture

Cloud services

AI

Data analytics

APIs and integration

IoT

Stakeholder management

Job description

Are you looking to use your expertise to help transform digital health and care services across England? Do you want your work to have a direct and positive impact on the health and wellbeing of millions?

Do you have knowledge and experience of leading teams of architects in designing and delivering enterprise solutions across cloud services, AI, data and analytics, next-generation networks, APIs and integration platforms, and IoT?

Are you a highly experienced, strategic thinker with experience in setting out digital strategy across large and complex landscapes?

If so, then we may have a job for you…

This is an exciting time to join NHS England as one of our Lead Solution Architects as we embark on delivering against the NHS 10 year plan. 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future - GOV.UK

The Architecture Profession provides a range of services to our internal and external stakeholders. We provide architecture design, technical consultancy and architecture ownership to large scale NHS programmes and organisations.

As a Lead Solution Architect reporting into the Chief Solution Architect, you will:

• Have responsibility for ~ 5 to 10 staff, made up of permanent, interim and suppliers, co-ordinating across multiple directorates and complex programmes.
• Hold accountability for the architecture across a portfolio of national products and programmes, delivered through a combination of internal and supplier teams.
• Drive and support your team in their decision making
• Manage and influence executive stakeholders at a board level (CxO)
• Be responsible for the NHS England technical governance, architectural roadmaps and contribute to strategic planning
• Have broad experience across technical disciplines including Data, Security, Applications and Platforms alongside specialisms.
• Develop and mentor staff in your team and more widely.
• Lead in supporting and developing the architecture function and community of practice as well as participating in departmental leadership.
• Active participation in architecture governance, including attendance at relevant Boards.
• Able to influence direction across NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, other arm's length bodies and the wider supplier community.

The role does not have significant direct financial responsibility but will have direct influence over setting technical direction for multi-million-pound spending decisions.

NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.

Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms - enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.

If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.

We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Richard McEwan Job title: Chief Solution Architect Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 07798571984