Principal Solution Architect

ZipRecruiter; Dalkeith; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment consultancy in the UK seeks a Principal Solution Architect with a strong background in consulting and public sector. This role involves the delivery of high-impact digital transformations and requires expertise in cloud platforms. Offering a salary of £100,000 to £150,000 with performance-based bonuses, this position allows hybrid working across the UK.

Benefits

Performance-based bonus

Pension & healthcare

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering modern software architectures in complex environments.
• Experience in consulting in public sector or public health.
• Hands-on expertise with public cloud platforms.
• Excellent communication skills to articulate complex design decisions.

Responsibilities

• Deliver large-scale, high-quality solutions across multi-team programmes.
• Provide architectural assurance balancing delivery pace and design integrity.
• Define architectural principles with senior stakeholders.
• Lead and mentor architectural teams and engineers.
• Contribute to business development activities.

Skills

Architecture Design

Cloud Platforms (AWS, Azure)

Communication

Leadership

Commercial Awareness

Job description

Job Description

Principal Solution Architect

£100,000 to 150,000 GBP Bonus Hybrid WORKING

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland - United Kingdom

Type: Permanent

Role: Principal Architect

Work Type & Location: Remote-first, UK-wide (office hubs available)

Start Date: Immediately

Anson McCade is a leading recruitment and transformation consultancy, partnering with a global client delivering complex, high-impact digital transformation across the public sector and beyond. We are seeking a highly skilled Principal Architect to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering enterprise-scale solutions across major programmes.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who has progressed from a software engineering background into architecture, with a strong consulting pedigree and significant experience operating within public sector or public health environments.

As a Principal Architect, you will:

1. Take accountability for the successful delivery of large-scale, high-quality solutions, often spanning multi-team programmes.
2. Provide architectural assurance, helping teams balance delivery pace with design integrity, while making informed technical and commercial decisions.
3. Partner with senior stakeholders to define architectural principles, strategic direction, and solution designs.
4. Lead, mentor, and develop architects and engineers, ensuring the capability thrives and talent is nurtured.
5. Shape policies, standards, and best practices across architecture while contributing thought leadership on emerging technologies.
6. Support business development activity, contributing to account strategy and engaging credibly with C-level stakeholders.

A successful Principal Architect will have:

1. A proven track record of delivering and assuring multi-tiered modern software architectures in complex environments.
2. Experience in consulting, working directly with senior stakeholders in public sector or public health contexts.
3. Strong grounding in engineering, with the ability to communicate effectively with development teams while maintaining strategic oversight.
4. Hands-on expertise with public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), SaaS and PaaS.
5. The ability to incorporate and prioritise non-functional requirements within designs.
6. Excellent communication skills, able to clearly articulate complex design decisions across written, verbal, and visual mediums.
7. Demonstrated leadership in managing, coaching, and developing architects and engineers.
8. Commercial awareness and experience influencing the business success of delivered solutions.

Desirable experience:

1. Active contribution to technology communities, knowledge sharing, and thought leadership.
2. Visible engagement in technology discussions, blogs, or conferences.

Key Benefits:

• £100,000 - £150,000 (other levels available)
• Remote-first working, UK-wide
• Performance-based bonus
• Pension & healthcare

Not sure if you're the perfect fit? Still apply—we have a range of opportunities at different levels and would be happy to discuss how your background could fit across our open roles.

Reference: AMC-AQU-SSAKNE

Postcode: EH1