Senior Solution Architect

E.ON Gruppe; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

E.ON Gruppe in Solihull is seeking a Senior Solution Architect to maintain the integrity of the I&C technology landscape and ensure alignment with business strategy and architectural guidelines. You will lead architectural governance across I&C, translate business requirements into IT designs, and drive the IT solution roadmap while partnering with delivery teams and external suppliers.

This 12-month fixed-term contract offers hybrid working, a competitive salary of £72,277 to £86,060 plus

Qualifications

• Significant experience providing architectural governance in outsourced environments.
• Proven track record maintaining architectural integrity across complex IT landscapes.
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture guidelines and modelling techniques.
• Experience leading IT architecture across multi-application and multi-project landscapes.
• Ability to translate business requirements into effective IT solution options.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with governance experience.
• Knowledge of IT service integration and delivery lifecycles.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and manage relationships.
• Experience with LeanIX and recognized architecture certifications (e.g. TOGAF).

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end I&C functional landscape and solution design, including integration points.
• Drive the I&C IT solution roadmap and architecture governance across teams.
• Translate business requirements into IT system, application and process designs.
• Collaborate with business teams and Change Management to deliver solutions.
• Provide architectural direction to implementation teams and suppliers.
• Act as the centre of expertise for solution architecture and stay updated on industry developments.
• Identify continual improvements to the I&C architecture and systems landscape.
• Maintain architectural assets and documentation within LeanIX.

Skills

Architectural governance

Enterprise architecture

Stakeholder management

TOGAF

LeanIX

Tools

LeanIX

Job description

We're looking for a Senior Solution Architect to join our Digital Technology & Change team on a 12-month fixed term contract. Based at Solihull on a hybrid basis.

Senior Solution Architect

Here's what you'll be doing

Salary - £72,277 - £86,060 plus excellent employee benefits
Location- Solihull, Hybrid working. 12- month Fixed Term Contract

npower Business Solutions (nBS) is the E.ON UK Industrial and Commercial (I&C) pillar and a market leader in the B2B energy retail sector. I&C is a £6 billion revenue business serving c60,000 customers and around 300,000 meter points with a view to becoming the number one B2B energy supplier in the UK.

Digital Technology & Change (DT&C) drives the delivery of the nBS strategy through innovative technology, creating market-leading digital experiences for customers and colleagues. Working across nBS, E.ON UK, and Group Digital Technology, DT&C plays a key role in delivering digital transformation and IT services for the E.ON I&C business.

The Senior Solution Architect, reporting to the Digital Data & Technology Manager, is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the I&C technology landscape and ensuring it aligns with business strategy and E.ON UK architectural guidelines. As the architectural authority for I&C, the role provides strategic direction, oversees architectural governance and assurance, and ensures technology solutions are efficient, sustainable, and adaptable while supporting the reduction of Total Cost of Ownership across the I&C estate.

• Take overall responsibility for the end-to-end I&C functional landscape and solution design, including all functional integration points.
• Own the IT solution design for the I&C business, driving the I&C IT solution roadmap.
• Lead IT architectural governance across I&C, ensuring architectural decisions align with business strategy and technology standards.
• Translate business requirements into IT system, application and process designs, covering both functional and non-functional requirements.
• Collaborate with I&C business teams and Change Management to ensure the right IT solutions are designed, delivered and deployed.
• Provide architectural direction and guidance to implementation teams and third-party suppliers throughout the solution design process.
• Act as the key intermediary across delivery teams and architecture functions to ensure alignment with the overall IT roadmap.
• Provide independent architectural advice and expertise on regulatory and business-critical IT projects and programmes.
• Act as the centre of expertise for solution architecture, keeping up to date with emerging technologies and industry developments, and sharing knowledge with business and DT&C stakeholders.
• Identify and drive continual improvements to the I&C IT architecture and overall systems landscape.
• Work with E.ON UK and Group Digital Technology Architecture teams to develop and maintain I&C architectural delivery roadmaps.
• Maintain a comprehensive view of the I&C systems landscape, ensuring a sustainable roadmap for future development.
• Align with E.ON Group architecture to maximise synergies and opportunities through shared services.
• Contribute in architectural governance activities across I&C.
• Manage the risks associated with architectural decision-making, ensuring appropriate risk management standards, policies and governance are applied.
• Partner with the DT&C Leadership Team to support the ongoing reduction of Total Cost of Ownership across the I&C technology landscape.
• Maintain accurate architectural assets and documentation within the architecture tool (currently LeanIX), ensuring asset information is effectively managed through established processes.

What we need from you

• Significant experience providing architectural governance in a predominantly outsourced environment, including assuring third-party solution proposals.
• Demonstrable experience leading and maintaining architectural integrity across complex IT environments.
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture guidelines, architectural modelling techniques and key technologies.
• Proven experience leading IT architecture across complex, multi-application and multi-project landscapes.
• Ability to translate business requirements into effective IT solution options, balancing functional, technical and financial considerations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience applying architecture policies, governance and continuous improvement.
• Sound understanding of IT service integration, business services, project lifecycles and delivery methodologies.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships and influence senior business and IT stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and sensitive situations.
• Customer-focused, detail-oriented and able to make pragmatic decisions by balancing risk and reward.
• Knowledge of the UK Energy industry and its impact on enterprise architecture.
• Experience with recognised architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, Zachman, FEA or similar.
• Knowledge of ITIL and/or SIAM processes and architectural integration.
• Experience using enterprise architecture tools such as LeanIX.
• Relevant architecture certifications (e.g. TOGAF, CITA, Microsoft or equivalent).

Here’s what you need to know

Award-Winning Workplace - We’re proud to be named a Sunday Times Best Place to Work 202 6 and the Best Place to Work for 16–34-year-olds .

Outstanding Benefits - Enjoy 26 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, a generous pension, life cover, bonus opportunities, and access to 20 flexible benefits with tax/NI savings.

Flexible & Family-Friendly - Our industry-leading hybrid and family-friendly policies earned us double recognition at the Personnel Today Awards 2024 . We’re open to discussing how flexibility can work for you.

Inclusive & Diverse - We’re the only energy company in the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers . We’re also proud winners of Best Employer for Women and Human Company of the Year — recognising our inclusive, people-first culture.

Support at Every Stage of Life - We’re Fertility Friendly and Menopause Friendly accredited, with inclusive support for everyone.

Accessible & Supportive - Do you consider yourself as having a disability? As a Disability Confident Employer, we ensure that disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria move forward to the next stage of our recruitment process, and will make any adjustments needed during the process.

Invested in Your Growth - From inclusive talent networks to top-tier development programmes , we’ll support your growth every step of the way.

About us

E.ON is a privately owned international energy company. Our 75,000 colleagues in 15 countries work daily towards the improvement of technical innovations and user-friendly customer solutions for the new energy world. We are the first large energy company to focus more heavily upon the energy of the future through our three business areas of energy networks, renewable energies and customer solutions.