Solutions Architect

Synaxia Group; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working (2 days in office)

Wellbeing programme

Job summary

Synaxia Group in Manchester is seeking a Solution Architect to help rebuild and shape the architecture function after a major transformation. You will sit in the design authority and governance forums, turning strategic requirements into actionable designs across business, information, application and technology domains.

You’ll influence senior stakeholders, drive legacy-to-cloud modernization, and define IT strategy and architecture standards for the organisation, in a role with hybrid working

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in a design authority or architecture governance board.
• Fluency across business, information, application and technology architecture.
• Track record of legacy-to-cloud modernization in large/regulated environments.
• Ability to influence senior non-technical stakeholders under scrutiny.
• Comfort with governance and structure; not a greenfield build.

Responsibilities

• Lead Solution Architecture across business, information, application and technology domains.
• Sit inside the design authority and governance forums to test proposals.
• Shape IT strategy and architecture standards used by other architects.
• Turn ambiguous business requirements into buildable solutions.
• Scan horizon for what the organisation should adopt next.

Skills

Design authority governance

Stakeholder influence

Legacy-to-cloud modernization

Cross-domain architecture

Executive communication

Education

TOGAF certification (not sufficient)

Tools

Azure

Design authority forums

Job description

Tired of Designing Architecture That Someone Else Decides Whether to Build?

This Solution Architect role is different for one structural reason: the organisation is rebuilding its entire Architecture function right now, not backfilling a seat someone else already defined. You'd be one of the people the function gets built around — not the newest voice trying to be heard inside an established hierarchy.

The organisation is one of the UK's most critical systems — a household name and has just come off a major legacy-to-cloud migration onto Azure. The high-risk, unglamorous modernisation work is done.

What's left is the interesting part: deciding what the architecture becomes next. A new Head of Architecture has just landed, so you'd be joining while the shape of the whole function is still genuinely up for grabs.

You'll lead Solution Architecture across business, information, application and technology domains — not just the slice you happen to specialise in. You'll sit inside the design authority and governance forums, where your proposals get tested properly rather than rubber-stamped.

You'll shape the IT strategy and architecture standards other architects work inside, turn ambiguous business requirements into solutions that are actually buildable, and scan the horizon for what the organisation should adopt next.

What you'll bring:

• Genuine hands-on experience inside a design authority or architecture governance board — not just a TOGAF certificate


• Fluency across business, information, application and technology architecture, not one specialism dressed up as all four


• A track record of legacy-to-cloud modernisation inside a large, complex or regulated organisation


• The ability to influence senior, non-technical stakeholders and hold your ground under scrutiny


• Comfort with governance and structure — this isn't a greenfield build

What you'll get:

• Permanent, hybrid — a minimum of 2 days a week in the office, your choice of site.


• A 35-hour week, 25 days' annual leave rising to 30


• Up to 11.5% pension contribution, private healthcare, and genuine wellbeing and volunteering programmes.