Solution Architect - Advice & Marketing

mgpru; Stirling; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

M&G is seeking a Solution Architect to work across the Life portfolio with responsibility for Advice and Marketing. The role translates business and technology requirements into pragmatic end-to-end architectures spanning customer and colleague experiences, applications, integration, data, AI, security and infrastructure.

You will ensure alignment with enterprise principles and governance. The position involves collaboration with business stakeholders, architects, product managers and delivery

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Solution Architect within a complex organisation, ideally financial services or another regulated environment.
• Experience designing end-to-end solutions across applications, integration, data, security, digital and cloud technologies.
• Ability to structure complex or ambiguous problems and turn them into clear architectural choices and recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and communicate end-to-end solution architectures translating business requirements into technology solutions.
• Define target-state views, transition architectures and delivery roadmaps for areas of change.
• Assess build, buy and reuse options and make clear recommendations balancing value, cost, risk and flexibility.
• Ensure proposed solutions align with Enterprise Architecture, principles and standards.
• Provide architecture governance and assurance throughout delivery.
• Identify opportunities to simplify the technology estate and promote standards and reuse.

Skills

Solution Architecture

Cloud technologies

Data & Security design

SaaS & cloud services

Financial services domain

Job description

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions.

Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.

Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent.

We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

Department and team: Technology - Enterprise Architecture (Life Architecture) Management level: Manager / Expert Reports to: Head of IT Architecture, Life

The Role

A new opportunity has arisen for a Solution Architect within the M&G Enterprise Architecture team. The successful candidate will work across the Life portfolio, with direct responsibility for Advice and Marketing. You will translate business and technology requirements into clear, pragmatic end-to-end solution architectures spanning customer and colleague experience, applications, integration, data, AI, security and infrastructure. You will ensure solutions align with M&G's wider Enterprise Architecture, architecture principles and standards. The role is business-facing and delivery-focused. You will work with business stakeholders, Enterprise and Solution Architects, product managers, technology teams, delivery teams and third parties to shape solutions, evaluate options and trade-offs, make clear recommendations and provide architectural assurance throughout delivery. While this role is focused on Advice and Marketing, it is fundamentally a Solution Architecture role. Experience within Advice, Wealth, Marketing or related customer-facing financial services would therefore be particularly valuable.

Key Work Level Accountabilities

• Accountable for delivering expert advice or service, using specialist knowledge and Solution Architect - Advice & Marketing subject matter expertise.


• Applies judgement to deliver outcomes, evaluating a range of potential solutions and considering the impact for customers, cost and risk.


• Manages conflicts that may impact delivery.


• Challenges upwards based on knowledge of delivery, complex systems and the broader picture.


• Identifies and anticipates opportunities to continuously improve quality and efficiency.


• Manages resources and risks using expert judgement, know-how and experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Solution architecture: Develop, maintain and communicate end-to-end solution architectures that translate business requirements into pragmatic technology solutions.


• Roadmaps: Define target-state views, transition architectures and delivery roadmaps for assigned areas of change.


• Options and recommendations: Assess build, buy and reuse options, including third-party solutions, and make clear recommendations balancing business value, cost, risk and future flexibility.


• Architecture alignment: Ensure proposed solutions align with M&G's wider Enterprise Architecture, principles, standards and agreed patterns.


• Design assurance: Work with delivery teams to ensure detailed design and implementation remain consistent with the agreed solution architecture.


• Technology guidance: Provide pragmatic technology and architecture advice to business, product, change and IT stakeholders.


• Data and integration: Design solutions that make appropriate use of governed data, reusable data products and integration patterns.


• AI and emerging technology: Identify appropriate opportunities to apply AI and other technologies, using M&G-approved approaches and appropriate governance and controls.


• Security and resilience: Ensure solutions consider security, identity and access, privacy, third-party risk and operational resilience requirements.


• Governance: Present and defend designs through the appropriate architecture and design governance forums and provide assurance through delivery.


• Simplification and modernisation: Identify opportunities to simplify the technology estate, reduce duplication, modernise legacy technology and improve reuse.


• Standards and reuse: Contribute to and promote common architecture frameworks, standards, reference architectures, patterns and practices.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential

• Proven experience as a Solution Architect within a complex organisation, ideally financial services or another regulated environment.


• Experience designing end-to-end solutions across applications, integration, data, security, digital and cloud technologies.


• Experience designing solutions using SaaS, COTS and cloud services.


• Knowledge of modern integration approaches.


• Ability to structure complex or ambiguous problems and turn them into clear architectural choices and recomme