Solution Architecture Manager

Vwfs Uk; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-target bonus

Pension 9%

Company car schemes

Private medical insurance

Life assurance 4x salary

Retail discount vouchers

Job summary

VWFS UK invites applications for a Solution Architecture Manager to lead a community of Solution Architects, delivering secure and scalable technology solutions across diverse programmes and platforms. You will guide architecture practice, mentor teams and partner with stakeholders to ensure designs meet strategic and regulatory requirements.

Leveraging experience in complex environments, you’ll champion governance, drive continuous improvement and shape the technology landscape while building a

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading solution Architects teams.
• Strong understanding of architecture practices and the SDLC.
• Experience managing architecture activities across multiple products, projects or programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and collaborate at all levels.
• Experience working within complex matrix-managed environments.
• Knowledge of architecture design and modelling practices and associated tools.
• Experience managing third-party suppliers and external partners.
• Excellent communication skills translating complex technical concepts into business language.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a team of Solution Architects.
• Oversee the quality and consistency of solution designs across a broad portfolio of change initiatives.
• Collaborate with project, product and technology teams to ensure the right architecture support.
• Ensure solutions meet security, governance and compliance requirements.
• Partner with UK and Group IT stakeholders to support strategic technology direction.
• Drive continuous improvement in architecture processes and best practices.
• Support resource planning and supplier management for effective delivery.

Skills

Solution architecture leadership

SDLC knowledge

Stakeholder management

Team coaching

Architectural modelling

Tools

EA modelling tools

Job description

We're looking for a Solution Architecture Manager to lead and develop our community of Solution Architects, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, secure and scalable technology solutions across Volkswagen Financial Services UK. This influential leadership role will be instrumental in driving architectural excellence, supporting business transformation, and ensuring solution designs align to strategic, operational and regulatory requirements. Working across a diverse portfolio of programmes, projects, products and platforms, you'll help shape the future of our technology landscape while inspiring and developing a talented team.

What you'll be doing: Leading, coaching and developing a team of Solution Architects, creating a strong and collaborative Architecture Community of Practice. Overseeing the quality and consistency of solution designs across a broad portfolio of change and transformation initiatives. Working closely with project, product and technology teams to ensure the right architecture support is in place to deliver business outcomes. Ensuring solutions meet security, governance and compliance requirements while aligning to enterprise architecture standards. Partnering with UK and Group IT stakeholders to support strategic technology direction and delivery. Driving continuous improvement in architecture processes, standards and best practice. Supporting resource planning and supplier management to ensure effective delivery across the architecture function.

What you’ll bring: You’ll be an experienced solution architecture leader with a track record of developing high-performing technical teams and delivering quality outcomes across complex technology environments. You’ll have a passion for coaching others, driving continuous improvement and enabling successful business transformation through collaboration, influence and strategic thinking. Essential experience & skills

Proven experience leading, coaching and mentoring Solution Architects or similar technical professionals. Strong understanding of architecture practices and the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). Experience managing architecture activities across multiple products, projects or programmes simultaneously. Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and collaborate at all levels. Experience working within complex matrix-managed environments. Knowledge of architecture design and modelling practices and associated tools. Experience managing third-party suppliers and external partners. Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business language.

Why join VWFS UK? You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference by helping us to achieve our mission. Our mission is straight forward; we want to be ‘The Key to Mobility’. That means we make getting from A-to-B as easy and simple for as many people as possible.

To truly meet the mobility needs of people in a changing world, our offering goes beyond traditional vehicle financing. We do this by providing a range of finance and aftersales products on Volkswagen Group vehicles, as well as developing innovative mobility products designed to solve real problems and support our customers. No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we’d love to learn more about you! VWFS is proud to be an inclusive employer and encourages applications from a diverse range of candidates. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion isn’t just a statement for us, we encourage and aspire for all our colleagues to be their 100% self. If you need any reasonable adjustments to assist you with the application and/or recruitment processes, please contact our Resourcing Team.

Bonus: Discretionary 10% on-target bonus (based on personal and Group company performance) Pension: Employer pension contribution of 9% (based on employee contribution of 3%). VWFS will pay 6% if employee chooses a 2% employee contribution. Car schemes

• : Choice of Employee Car Ownership (ECO) scheme for petrol/diesel and hybrid vehicles plus car insurance and fuel card.
• OR Company Car scheme for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) plus car insurance cover for you and a partner/eligible family member.
• Other benefits: From day 1 we provide income protection, life assurance (4x salary), retail discount vouchers, access to Care Concierge (a service to support carers of adults), along with other salary sacrifice options including a will writing service and cycle to work (subject to scheme restrictions). Following successful completion of probation, you will have access to private medical insurance for you (with the option to buy additional family cover), access to our loan car scheme for up to 2 cars for your partner or eligible family members (subject to scheme restrictions) and during our annual benefit window you can purchase critical illness cover and dental cover, so you can select the benefits that matter to you.