Senior Middleware Architect

Smartedge Solutions; Houghton-le-Spring; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Smartedge Solutions is seeking a Middleware Architect in the United Kingdom to design high level middleware and integration architectures, and to shape how our platforms meet performance, security and availability needs.

You will maintain the technology roadmap, work with Delivery, Engineering and Operations, evaluate new technologies, and translate business goals into resilient, scalable designs while addressing end-of-support risks and compliance with security-by-design principles.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing middleware and integration solutions.
• Translate non-functional requirements into resilient, scalable architecture.
• Experience evaluating emerging technologies and vendors through structured assessments.
• Familiarity with Linux, containers, and cloud or hybrid-cloud architectures.
• Security-by-design principles and architectural governance knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Produce High Level Designs for Middleware architecture solutions.
• Maintain the technology roadmap for Middleware related technologies in line with end of support dates.
• Work closely with cross functional teams including Delivery, Engineering and Operations.
• Ensure that new solutions conform to policies and standards and meet defined non-functional requirements for performance, scalability, availability, security and manageability.
• Identify, assess and communicate technical risks to the Business and Operations.
• Evaluate products for project and future usage and take responsibility for trialling new technologies.
• A clear understanding of how non-functional requirements such as performance and availability are delivered by a technology solution.
• Proven experience designing middleware and integration solutions, with technical depth in one or more relevant technologies.
• Ability to translate non-functional requirements into resilient, scalable, recoverable and observable architecture designs.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps that address end-of-support risks, technical debt and modernisation priorities.
• Strong understanding of security-by-design principles, architectural standards and technical risk management.
• Ability to identify opportunities for automation, reusable design patterns and platform standardisation.
• Strong stakeholder communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, translating technical decisions into clear business outcomes and actionable delivery requirements.
• Experience with one or more relevant technologies, such as IBM MQ, SWIFT, IBM Workload Scheduler, GoAnywhere or Apache Tomcat.
• Experience working in payments, financial services or other regulated, high-availability environments.
• Familiarity with Linux platforms, containerisation and cloud or hybrid-cloud architectures.
• Exposure to infrastructure as code, configuration automation and CI/CD practices.
• Knowledge of PKI, certificate lifecycle management and secure file transfer.
• Experience evaluating emerging technologies and vendors through structured assessments or proofs of concept.
• A recognised architecture qualification, such as TOGAF certification, with experience applying architectural frameworks to solution design and governance.
• Continually look at the market and competition to identify trends and new technologies that will benefit the company.
• Identify areas for continuous improvement and provide thoughtful and sustainable solutions.
• Be skilled at explaining technical problems succinctly and clearly.
• Be able to communicate your vision and roadmap effectively to a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Always look for potential solutions to solve problems

Skills

Middleware architecture

Integration design

Security-by-design

Cloud/hybrid-cloud

CI/CD

Stakeholder communication

Education

TOGAF certification

Tools

IBM MQ

SWIFT

IBM Workload Scheduler

GoAnywhere

Apache Tomcat

Job description

• Produce High Level Designs for Middleware architecture solutions.
• Maintain the technology roadmap for Middleware related technologies in line with end of support dates.
• Work closely with cross functional teams including Delivery, Engineering and Operations.
• Ensure that new solutions conform to policies and standards and meet defined non-functional requirements for performance, scalability, availability, security and manageability.
• Identify, assess and communicate technical risks to the Business and Operations.
• Evaluate products for project and future usage and take responsibility for trialling new technologies.
• A clear understanding of how non-functional requirements such as performance and availability are delivered by a technology solution.
• Proven experience designing middleware and integration solutions, with technical depth in one or more relevant technologies.
• Ability to translate non-functional requirements into resilient, scalable, recoverable and observable architecture designs.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps that address end-of-support risks, technical debt and modernisation priorities.
• Strong understanding of security-by-design principles, architectural standards and technical risk management.
• Ability to identify opportunities for automation, reusable design patterns and platform standardisation.
• Strong stakeholder communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, translating technical decisions into clear business outcomes and actionable delivery requirements.
• Experience with one or more relevant technologies, such as IBM MQ, SWIFT, IBM Workload Scheduler, GoAnywhere or Apache Tomcat.
• Experience working in payments, financial services or other regulated, high-availability environments.
• Familiarity with Linux platforms, containerisation and cloud or hybrid-cloud architectures.
• Exposure to infrastructure as code, configuration automation and CI/CD practices.
• Knowledge of PKI, certificate lifecycle management and secure file transfer.
• Experience evaluating emerging technologies and vendors through structured assessments or proofs of concept.
• A recognised architecture qualification, such as TOGAF certification, with experience applying architectural frameworks to solution design and governance.
• Continually look at the market and competition to identify trends and new technologies that will benefit the company.
• Identify areas for continuous improvement and provide thoughtful and sustainable solutions.
• Be skilled at explaining technical problems succinctly and clearly.
• Be able to communicate your vision and roadmap effectively to a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Always look for potential solutions to solve problems