Principal Solution Architect

BT Group; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company seeks a Principal Solution Architect for its Broadband team in Birmingham. This senior role involves driving innovative solutions in Content Delivery Networks (CDN) and Edge Compute, facilitating strategy development, and collaborating with partners to enhance customer experiences. The ideal candidate will possess extensive background in software development, cloud technologies, and technical leadership, contributing to BT Group's vision of the future.

Benefits

15% on target bonus

Health Care

Life Assurance Cover

Exclusive colleague discounts

Enhanced family leave benefits

25 days annual leave

24/7 private virtual GP appointments

World-class training opportunities

Qualifications

• Expertise in designing complex solution architectures for CDN and edge compute.
• Industry experience in TV and content distribution technologies.
• Proven leadership and strategic thinking capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Drive development of content delivery network strategies across BT Group.
• Create and implement cross-domain technical solutions for CDN and Edge compute.
• Provide technical leadership and coaching to teams.

Skills

Solution Architecture

Cloud Technologies

Agile Methodologies

Technical Leadership

CDN Expertise

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

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Unit: Networks

Location:

Snowhill, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Working locations: Birmingham, Bristol, London

Working Style: (Hybrid) 3 days a week in office, 2 days anywhere

We are seeking a Principal Solution Architect to join our Broadband team as the overall design authority for Content Delivery Network (CDN) and Edge Compute solutions across BT, EE, and Plusnet’s broadband and mobile services. As a senior techical leader, you will drive the development and delivery of a pan-BT strategy for edge compute and content delivery, collaborating with Customer Facing Units and strategic partners to:

• Create innovative services for customers and partners
• Develop and expand revenue streams
• Enhance customer experience
• Simplify and consolidate CDN and edge compute functions
• Deliver strategic transformation using cloud technologies and agile methodologies

We’ve seen an explosion in the volume of TV delivery across our network—a trend we expect to accelerate. To meet this demand, we’re looking for someone with significant CDN (Content Delivery Network) design expertise to help us co-create cutting-edge solutions with our content partners and deliver the best possible experience to our customers.

Aligned with this, we also anticipate the continued convergence of CDN and edge compute capabilities. Experience in both domains will be highly valuable as we evolve our network to support new services, unlock fresh opportunities, and deliver enhanced performance at the edge.

You’ll bring thought leadership, shape strategy beyond your immediate remit, and share your expertise across teams. A strong background in TV and content distribution technologies, combined with a passion for innovation and product development, will be key to helping us build the future of content delivery.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop, influence and deliver strategy to address highly commercial and technical opportunities that are complex, cross-domain or of high impact to customers in support of BT Group goals.
• Create and implement cross-domain technical solutions for CDN and Edge compute,
• Operate as a technical expert to architect, design and oversee implementation of CDN and edge compute solutions for BT Group’s strategic partners, including software development and additional innovative capabilities.
• Draw on industry and market insight, together with emerging technologies, whilst understanding the internal and external impact of solutions.
• Ensure solutions support BT’s commercial, technical and strategic objectives.
• Provide technical leadership for CDN and edge compute to our people across BT Group, developing engagement, vision, skill and capability in the team through inspiring communication, mentoring, coaching, knowledge sharing and participation in goal setting and evaluation.
• Provide expert technical expertise to consult on end-to-end technical solutions in the CDN and edge compute domain.
• Identify opportunities to redefine standards of practice within a CDN and edge compute, continuously enhancing ways of working.
• Provide coaching, leadership and technical guidance to other engineers and developers working in the area.
• Develop design patterns across CDN/edge and associated domains.
• Develop close and effective relationships with customers/partners, suppliers and colleagues at a senior level up to CxO, and be able to confidently present information, facilitate negotiations, and provide thought leadership to them.
• Drive transformation of the technology platform and operating model through the adoption of agile methodologies and automated capabilities

What you'll bring

• Demonstrated ability to design and develop complex solution architectures, introducing innovative technologies—often for the first time—across multiple domains in a critical service provider environment.
• Deep expertise across a broad range of disciplines, including software development, IP networking, cloud/server infrastructure, broadband, mobile, and TV distribution technologies.
• Proven capability in developing both end-to-end solution architectures and detailed designs for specific CDN (Content delivery network) and edge compute capabilities.
• Strong knowledge and hands-on experience with both on-premise and public cloud deployments.
• Track record of delivering end-to-end solution architectures for complex, large-scale, customer-facing service provider products.
• Aligned technical and project delivery plans with overarching business strategy and values, while also demonstrating the ability to lead or contribute to projects outside of core areas of expertise.
• Skilled in making sound decisions in ambiguous situations, often with incomplete information or conflicting viewpoints.
• Experience in leading strategy development.
• Recognised subject matter expert and thought leader in a significant technology domain.
• Proven leadership in design communities within complex carrier, service provider, or web-scale network environments.
• Proficient in agile methodologies and ways of working.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or contribute to projects outside of core areas of expertise, showcasing adaptability and breadth of knowledge.

Desirable (not essential)

• Certified Product Owner with practical experience managing a significant, related product.
• Strong background in media production and distribution technologies.
• Experience in a senior technical leadership role within a service provider, hyperscaler, or media production/distribution organisation.

What's in it for you

• 15% on target bonus
• Health Care
• Life Assurance Cover
• Exclusive colleague discounts on our latest and greatest BT broadband packages, BT TV with TNT Sports and NOW Entertainment
• From January 2025, equal family leave: receive 18 weeks at full pay, 8 weeks at half pay and 26 weeks at the statutory rate. It’s for all parents, no matter how your family is made up.
• Enhanced women’s health support: including help with menopause symptoms, cancer screenings, period care and more.
• 25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays), increasing with service
• 24/7 private virtual GP appointments for UK colleagues
• 2 weeks carer’s leave
• World-class training and development opportunities
• Option to join BT Shares Saving schemes.

About us

BT Group was the world’s first telco and our heritage in the sector is unrivalled. As home to several of the UK’s most recognised and cherished brands – BT, EE, Openreach and Plusnet, we have always played a critical role in creating the future, and we have reached an inflection point in the transformation of our business.

Over the next two years, we will complete the UK’s largest and most successful digital infrastructure project – connecting more than 25 million premises to full fibre broadband. Together with our heavy investment in 5G, we play a central role in revolutionising how people connect with each other.

While we are through the most capital-intensive phase of our fibre investment, meaning we can reward our shareholders for their commitment and patience, we are absolutely focused on how we organise ourselves in the best way to serve our customers in the years to come. This includes radical simplification of systems, structures, and processes on a huge scale. Together with our application of AI and technology, we are on a path to creating the UK’s best telco, reimagining the customer experience and relationship with one of this country’s biggest infrastructure companies.

Change on the scale we will all experience in the coming years is unprecedented. BT Group is committed to being the driving force behind improving connectivity for millions and there has never been a more exciting time to join a company and leadership team with the skills, experience, creativity, and passion to take this company into a new era.

Although these roles are listed as full-time, if you’re a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please still get in touch.

We will also offer reasonable adjustments for the selection process if required, so please do not hesitate to inform us.

Studies have shown that women and people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification and criteria. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement on the Job Description, please apply anyway - you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.