Solution Architect - Long Standing Customers

Royal London Group; Alderley Edge; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mutual life and pensions company in Alderley Edge is looking for a Solution Architect to drive technology innovations and improvements. Candidates should have experience in cloud computing, data migration, and architectural modelling. The role is hybrid and is focused on enhancing the organization’s capability to serve its customers effectively, with opportunities for continuous learning and personal development.

Benefits

28 days' leave

Pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Experience in modern architectural practices.
• Hands-on experience with modelling languages.
• Understanding of domain-driven design and microservices.

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale migrations of Policy Administration Systems.
• Collaborate with business analysts to understand requirements.
• Develop personal and team capabilities through mentoring.

Skills

Cloud computing

Data migration

C4 modelling

Agile methodologies

DevOps

Education

Relevant technical qualification or experience

Tools

Azure Data Factory

Bravura Sonata

TCS BaNCS

FNZ

Job description

Job Title: Solution Architect

Business Value Stream / Platform: Long Standing Customers

Contract Type: Permanent

Working style: Hybrid (50% home/office based)

Closing date: 14th August 2025

Context

Royal London Group's Solutions Architects play a key role in evolving our technology landscape. Your main goal is to enable the organization to safely leverage technology to better serve society. Your work impacts our customers, members, and business growth across various domains such as Protection, Assurance, Equity Release, Long-term Savings, Pensions, and Annuities.

Solutions Architects collaborate with senior colleagues to develop technology products and solutions for core propositions. You will bring experience in modern architectural practices to innovate and refresh our estate, working on projects involving cloud computing, AI, migration, integrations, and simplification. Solutions typically involve changes to business processes, operating models, applications, data flows, infrastructure, and third-party services.

You should have a solid understanding of business goals, objectives, capabilities, value streams, and processes, and their importance in solution architecture.

We support your growth through continuous learning, mentorship, and professional development. Join a team that values collaboration, trust, empowerment, and collective achievement.

We seek passionate and experienced Solutions Architects with a strong technical background who are enthusiastic about driving innovation and making a significant impact.

About the role

• Reports to the Principal Architect (Lead Domain Architect) and works within the Business Value Stream to deliver innovative solutions aligned with strategic goals.
• Leads large-scale migrations of Policy Administration Systems and explores modern architecture options.
• Works in a fast-paced, regulated environment, preferably within insurance, life assurance, pensions, or annuities.
• Develops personal and team capabilities, mentoring other architects.
• Explores emerging technologies and applies architecture modeling languages like ArchiMate, C4, and tools such as Ardoq, BizzDesign, LeanIX, Orbus Infinity, and frameworks like TOGAF and Zachman.
• Collaborates with business analysts to understand requirements and manages architecture design through governance processes.
• Ensures designs consider all architecture aspects and supports engineering teams during implementation.

Responsibilities across three key dimensions:

• Interpret Business Needs: Use decision trees and architecture patterns to translate requirements into executable designs, working closely with analysts and engineers.
• Assess Technology: Monitor current solutions, support decisions on retiring or refreshing systems, and identify opportunities for technical improvements.
• Apply Technology: Evaluate and design solutions based on enterprise strategy, ensuring integration into broader architectures and collaborating with project teams.

Core Competencies:

• Interpersonal Excellence: Effectively communicate concepts to stakeholders and peers.
• Business and Technology Strategy: Align technology with strategic goals and build resilience.
• Critical Thinking: Challenge legacy assumptions and solve complex problems.
• Digital Enablement: Incorporate design thinking and manage interdependencies.
• Architecture Foundations: Design transition architectures supporting future states underpinned by robust frameworks.

Skills

You should have a broad technical background, hands-on experience with modelling languages like C4 and ArchiMate, data migration technologies such as Azure Data Factory, and knowledge of core policy platforms like Bravura Sonata, TCS BaNCS, FNZ, and legacy systems. Skills in modernizing architectures, observability, data principles, and SDLC methodologies like Agile and DevOps are essential. Understanding domain-driven design, microservices, and event sourcing is also important.

Engineering experience in areas such as CI/CD pipelines, cloud migration frameworks, Java/.NET, databases, and observability platforms is preferred.

About Royal London

We are the UK's largest mutual life, pensions, and investment company, offering protection, savings, and asset management products. We promote an inclusive, responsible, and fulfilling workplace, with benefits like 28 days' leave, a pension scheme, and private medical insurance.

Inclusion, diversity, and belonging

We celebrate diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which enrich our skills and workplace culture.