Solution Architect

National Physical Laboratory; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization as a Solutions Architect, where you'll lead innovative projects in a dynamic IT landscape. This role offers the opportunity to shape solution architectures across various projects, from SaaS to custom-coded software. Collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders, ensuring compliance and quality while leveraging your expertise in emerging technologies. If you're passionate about driving clarity and excellence in solution delivery, this position is perfect for you. Be part of a team that values creativity and technical prowess in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in Solutions Architecture or a clear pathway to it.
• Ability to lead technical analysis and drive clarity.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture of solution options and designs.
• Engage with stakeholders for effective decision-making.

Skills

Solutions Architecture

Business Analysis

Communication Skills

Diagramming Tools (Draw.IO, MS Visio)

Technical Architecture Sketching

Information Security Knowledge

SDLC Understanding

Tools

Draw.IO

MS Visio

Job description

NPL has an ever-evolving IT and technical landscape. You will be joining our small Solution Architecture (SA) team near the start of our journey, to lead on Solution Architectures across a range of individual projects, developing ideas and solutions to meet the needs of the business: Pure SaaS, COTS, low code, custom coded software and database-only projects, through to full spectrum software, hardware and connectivity solutions (people, process, software and hardware). We run a mixture of on-premises and cloud services. This is a generalist SA role, where we aim to match projects to strengths when practical.

Key responsibilities include:

1. Lead the architecture of solution options and designs:
   • Within constraints: project & business needs, Enterprise Architecture (EA), technology limits and evolving technology strategies.
   • Fully costed, highlighting pros, cons, risks and benefits, and providing recommendations.
   • Enabling effective decision-making by stakeholders.
   • Ensuring compliance with internal and external governance including quality, information security, health & safety, and environmental legislation.
   • Ensuring clear handover and providing continued architectural support throughout delivery, ensuring the built solution aligns with the agreed design.
2. Build up knowledge of current systems and capabilities, reusing or adapting existing solutions.
3. Perform continuous research on emerging and alternative technologies to stay updated and improve architectures.
4. Input to improvement projects within SA, EA practices, Digital Delivery team, and CIO Department.

Stakeholder engagement:

Work with project managers, business analysts, EA function, technical teams, SMEs, vendors, and internal customers.

Essential Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• Background in or clear career pathway to Solutions Architecture.
• Ability to lead business and technical analysis, driving clarity.
• Research existing and new solution components and blueprints.
• Excellent communication skills, including active listening and influencing.
• Experience in diagramming and visual representation tools (Draw.IO, MS Visio).
• Ability to sketch/draw technical architecture, processes, graphs, and charts.
• Capability to coordinate and shape solutions relying on others' technical expertise.
• Adapt approach to project/business area/vendors.

Highly Desired Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• Experience with a broad range of projects.
• Knowledge of information security and supply chain assurance.
• Experience in Science R&D organizations at enterprise and local levels.
• Understanding of SDLCs and software engineering principles.
• Knowledge of data storage, processing, governance, and scientific solutions.
• Experience with data pipelines, transfer, storage, and archiving, especially for scientific data.
• Hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.

Beneficial Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• UML / SysML / MBSE.
• Azure architecture frameworks and design patterns.
• Networking protocols and data transfer mechanisms.
• Project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, PMI, DSDM).
• Knowledge of LOD models or TOGAF.

Note: Applicants must obtain BPSS security clearance. The application review and interview process will be ongoing, and the closing date may be advanced. We encourage early applications.