Senior Solution Architect

Transport for London; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Final salary pension scheme

Free travel on TfL network

Hybrid working

Job summary

Transport for London is seeking a Senior Solution Architect to lead architecture across high-value, revenue-generating systems. The role involves delivering end-to-end designs for in-house or partnered solutions, gaining cross-team consensus, and ensuring governance-aligned outcomes.

You will navigate on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, applying patterns and best practices while communicating effectively with stakeholders at all levels.

Qualifications

• Proven experience operating as a Solution or Technical Architect on large-scale, revenue-generating systems.
• Experience designing event-driven architectures and integrating enterprise messaging patterns.
• Proven ability to architect solutions across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployment models.
• Ability to define and apply solution design patterns and produce designs using UML/EA tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end solution architecture for high-value projects.
• Develop high-level and low-level designs aligned with enterprise architecture principles.
• Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to build consensus and approved designs.
• Provide cost and delivery estimates, manage risks and decisions transparently.

Skills

Solution Architecture

Cloud & Hybrid Deployment

Stakeholder Engagement

Architecture Documentation

Education

TOGAF / Enterprise Architecture qualification

Relevant IT Degree

Tools

UML

Visio

Office 365

Sparx EA

Job description

• Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.
• All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right‑to‑work checks. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. At the present time TfL is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Job title: Senior Solution Architect

Salary: £70-85k

Grade: 3

Contract type: TfL Reference: 3894

Contract details: Permanent Location*: North Greenwich, London

Application closing date: 13/9/2026 at 23:59

Overview

TfL exists to move London forward safely, inclusively, and sustainably. London’s success depends on colleagues continuously improving and innovating to make moving around our city more safe, inclusive, and sustainable. We have the opportunity to improve people’s lives and help our city navigate the future more than almost any other transport body in the world.

To do this we have to navigate an ever-changing environment. Technology is evolving at breakneck speed. When and how customers use our network is shifting. The climate emergency is accelerating. TfL needs Solution Architects to work on projects that cover all of its responsibilities: public transport, roads, walking, cycling, real estate, asset management, regulation, and enforcement.

We are looking for solution architects who are passionate about working for TfL, have the business and technical skills to help deliver complex solutions across multiple technologies, business units and technical teams. Interpersonal skills are as important as your technical capabilities. You must be a critical thinker, with the ability to research and provide summarised results. You must be comfortable presenting your recommendations to all role levels within impacted business and technical teams. You must be able to prioritise your work, meet deadlines, anticipate, and resolve problems.

The role requires you to be in the office 50% of your time. The technology and development teams are based in North Greenwich.

Overview Of Project/role

You will be responsible for the creation of project level architecture designs for solutions that are built in-house or are delivered by partners. In creating the solution architecture, you will build consensus and gain approval from impacted business and technical teams. You will support project teams through delivery to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved and design changes are fully considered, agreed, and approved.

Key Accountabilities

• You will ensure that the project vision, scope, and desired outcomes are properly defined and will meet the needs of the business.
• Understand organisational objectives and external drivers. For example, legislation or industry compliance.
• Lead the end-to-end solution architecture for projects involving high-volume mission critical revenue generating systems.
• Work within business and technical constraints.
• Work with colleagues in other technical teams to ensure principles and best practice are applied.
• Ensure that functional and non-functional requirements are fit for purpose. Ensure they align with project scope, vision, and criticality of the service.
• Stay up to date with technology trends and approaches.
• Analyse and present solution options to business and technical stakeholders. For example, develop build verses buy options.
• Work with technical teams to build costs and delivery estimates.
• Manage risks, decisions, and assumptions in a transparent way.
• Design and document high-level and low-level designs aligned with TfL enterprise architecture principles. Ensure their approval through formal governance.
• Communicate and work collaboratively with business and technical stakeholders. Help teams to understand technical and business perspectives in order to build consensus.
• Support project teams through delivery to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved and design changes are fully considered, agreed, and approved.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Proven experience operating as a Solution or Technical Architect on large-scale, revenue-generating systems.
• Strong experience designing event-driven architectures, including the use of enterprise messaging and integration patterns.
• Demonstrated expertise in architecting solutions across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployment models.
• Able to define and apply solution design patterns.
• Able to produce designs using UML, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architecture, Visio and Office 365.
• Experience of working on medium and large-scale public sector IT procurement projects.
• Qualification in a relevant subject area is desirable (e.g., Solution Architecture, TOGAF).
• Design for high availability, disaster recovery, and regional resilience.
• Industry knowledge of Information technology trends, particularly those within public transport operations and payments.
• Design scalable microservices architectures using Kubernetes-based platforms.
• Design and govern solutions using Microsoft Azure services including:
• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• Azure App Services
• Azure API Management
• Azure Functions
• Azure Service Bus / Event Grid

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria.

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the level of role but mostly include the below:

• Final salary pension scheme
• Free travel for you on the TfL network
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home or 75% reimbursement on a 28-day flexi ticket
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
• TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers
• Discounted Eurostar travel
• We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.

Vetting Process

At Transport for London, safety, trust and fairness sit at the heart of how we recruit. Our Vetting Charter (https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/careers/our-vetting-process) explains the checks we carry out before you join us, helping ensure we create a safe, inclusive and reliable network for everyone who depends on our services. We simply ask that the information you provide is honest and accurate so we can progress your application smoothly. If something doesn’t match or can’t be verified, we may not be able to move forward with your application, but we’ll always treat you with transparency, respect, and clear communication throughout.