Principal Solution Architect :Virgin Atlantic

Manor Royal Business District; Crawley; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Virgin Atlantic is looking for a Principal Solution Architect to lead architectural initiatives and design scalable solutions that align with their vision of becoming the most loved travel company. This full-time role requires considerable experience in architecture, strong leadership skills, and the ability to engage effectively with senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Considerable experience in architecture roles, including solution and/or enterprise architecture.
• Strong track record designing solutions across complex portfolios.
• Previous leadership or line-management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Solution Architects and provide architectural leadership.
• Design and review end-to-end technical solutions.
• Influence enterprise architectures and make insight-driven decisions.

Skills

Cloud-native development

Integration

Agile delivery

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Flexible working – up to 3 days a week in our VHQ, Crawley

Full-time | 37.5 hours per week | Monday to Friday Permanent contract Competitive salary

Closing date: 25th July 2025

In a nutshell

At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world. As we set our sights on becoming the most loved travel company, we’re reimagining what’s possible. Guided by our spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, we’re rewriting the rules of travel—and we’re looking for trailblazers to join us.

We’re on the hunt for a Principal Solution Architect—a visionary leader and technical strategist who thrives in complexity and can design scalable, future-ready solutions that align with our bold ambitions. As our Principal Solution Architect, you’ll be a key player in shaping Virgin Atlantic’s technological future. You’ll provide architectural leadership across a wide-ranging portfolio of initiatives, ensuring every solution is robust, aligned, and fit for our evolving enterprise.

Not only will you lead a team of Solution Architects, but you’ll also work closely with senior stakeholders—translating business strategy into practical, actionable architectures that balance innovation, risk, cost, and complexity.

Day to Day

Building trust and credibility with senior business leaders through clear, strategic guidance Leading and supporting a high-performing team of Solution Architects Designing and reviewing end-to-end technical solutions across multiple business domains Assessing technical capabilities, promoting reuse, and identifying opportunities for innovation Shaping technical requirements to ensure non-functional needs are met Contributing to vendor selection and procurement decisions Influencing and evolving our enterprise and reference architectures Making confident, insight-driven decisions across a highly matrixed organisation Championing inclusive behaviours and leading by example

About You

Considerable experience in architecture roles, including solution and/or enterprise architecture Strong track record designing solutions across complex portfolios and transformation programmes Expertise in cloud-native development, integration, and enterprise platforms Agile and hybrid delivery experience, with familiarity in DevOps culture Previous leadership or line-management experience (highly desirable) Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, especially at senior levels Confidence to drive strategy while keeping delivery grounded and pragmatic Our recipe for success At Virgin Atlantic, our leaders empower teams to thrive through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Explore our Leadership Recipe and discover the 20 core ingredients that define what it means to lead with us, driving our mission to be the most loved travel company and achieve sustainable profit. Want to learn more?Click here

Be Yourself

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong. To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey.

We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team,([e-mail])feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered.