Solutions Architect

ZipRecruiter; Luton; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks an experienced Solutions Architect for a high-impact Data Centre Exit & Obsolescence Programme. This role offers the opportunity to lead cloud migration strategies, particularly to Microsoft Azure, while working with a collaborative team. The position is remote with travel to client sites as needed and is outside IR35, providing flexibility in a fast-paced environment. If you thrive under pressure and have a proven track record in architectural leadership, this is your chance to shape a major transformation programme.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Data Centre Exit and Obsolescence programmes.
• Strong background in cloud migration and architectural analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery and assessment activities across a complex estate.
• Engage with business stakeholders to capture architectural requirements.

Skills

Cloud Migration Strategies

Architectural Leadership

Azure Cloud Services

7Rs Methodology

Infrastructure Architecture

Application Architecture

Stakeholder Engagement

Legacy Systems Interpretation

Job description

Job Description

Solutions Architect – Contract (Outside IR35)

Location: Remote / Flexible, with travel to client sites as required

Rate: Competitive day rate (Outside IR35)

Clearance: SC eligible

Duration: 6 month rolling

We’re working with a major defence and technology client seeking an experienced Solutions Architect to support a Data Centre Exit & Obsolescence Programme. This is a fast-paced, high-impact project requiring strong architectural leadership, business engagement, and practical experience in cloud migration strategies, particularly to Microsoft Azure.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and support discovery and assessment activities, working at pace across a complex estate using the 7Rs approach.
• Conduct architectural analysis to assess current applications and determine future state solutions.
• Engage directly with business application owners and stakeholders to capture and validate architectural requirements.
• Drive quick, evidence-based treatment determinations for applications and systems.
• Lead lift-and-shift (re-host) strategies as an initial approach, with scope for re-architecting where appropriate.
• Work with cross-functional teams to reverse engineer and document both source and target application/system architectures.
• Support the migration of workloads to Microsoft Azure, leveraging deep understanding of cloud architectures and capabilities.
• Operate under pressure to meet tight timelines and deliver consistently at pace.

Essential Experience:

• Proven experience on a Data Centre Exit and Obsolescence programme, ideally in a complex or regulated environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and contribute to discovery and assessment at speed using the 7Rs methodology (Retire, Retain, Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, or Replace).
• Strong background in both infrastructure and application architecture, including hands-on cloud migration.
• Solid experience with Azure cloud services and deployment models.
• Track record of facilitating and leading meetings with business stakeholders, extracting and challenging requirements as needed.
• Ability to interpret and reverse engineer undocumented legacy systems.
• Experience operating in high-pressure programmes with immovable deadlines

Desirable Skills:

• Exposure to security architecture or governance within transformation programmes.
• Familiarity with tooling to support architecture analysis and migration planning.
• Knowledge of defence, aerospace, or secure government environments.

Why Apply?

• High-profile, fast-paced transformation programme
• Outside IR35 with flexibility to work remotely
• Opportunity to shape a major infrastructure and application migration to Azure
• Work with a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team