Solutions Architect - Leading Global Hire Orgnaisation - REF 1082

Interface Recruitment; Morley; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Cash Plan

Health Insurance

Flexible Working

Job summary

Interface Recruitment is seeking an experienced Architect to deliver architecture and design across agile product teams. You will own end-to-end solutions, chair the technical design group, and work with Leeds-based development teams and Leicester-based transformation and infrastructure units.

The role is strategic and hands-on, translating big-picture vision into actionable designs. You will guide IT strategy, drive architecture governance, and ensure security and monitoring are inbuilt.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified with software development background.

Responsibilities

• Take end-to-end ownership of leading solutions and deliver.
• Chair the technical design group.
• Deliver application architecture and designs to meet business requirements for critical systems.
• Ensure alignment with wider IT strategy and enterprise architecture.
• Collaborate with third party suppliers to implement architectural changes.
• Design prototypes, applications and interfaces for business-critical systems.
• Provide technical advice on architecture, design and development.

Skills

Azure infrastructure knowledge

Leadership

Architectural design

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

Degree-qualified in software development/related field

Tools

Azure Functions

Logic Apps

App Services

SQL Azure

CosmosDB

VMware

Hyper-V

Job description

Enterprise / Solutions / Technical Architecture

Contact number

0113 2990570

Pension + Cash Plan Health Insurance + Flexible Working (Office Based when required)

Region

West Yorkshire

Description

We are looking for an Architect to work within agile product teams, you will deliver innovative design and solutions architecture for applications and servers. You will drive the design and delivery of high-end solutions within a wider team of likeminded professionals.

You’ll work closely with the software development teams based in Leeds, the head office teams (transformation, infrastructure and business representatives) based in Leicester and business unit leaders in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. The role is both strategic and hands-on – this is not a role for a theorist, but for someone who is able to see the big picture, communicate that vision, and then assist in execution through problem-solving.

Responsibilities:

• You will take end-to-end ownership of leading solutions, making the right approach as well as being hands-on to deliver.
• Chair the technical design group.
• Deliver application architecture and designs using industry standard processes and techniques to meet requirements defined by the business for critical production systems.
• Ensure projects are aligned with the wider enterprise architecture as part of the IT Strategy and where appropriate Group wide.
• Identify IT infrastructure opportunities for innovation based on technical knowledge, best practice and industry trends.
• Collaborate with third party suppliers and partners to implement architectural changes in IT Infrastructure.
• Employ extensive experience working with relevant development technologies to design and deliver prototypes, applications, and interfaces to business-critical applications.
• Work with internal business and operational teams to deliver system designs in line with the technical roadmap.
• Provide technical advice and guidance both internally and externally on the architecture, design, and development of business-critical production systems.
• Liaise with business and operational teams to ensure deliverables are produced which meet business expectations and requirements.
• Liaise with development and testing teams to ensure the design is clearly understood and implemented in line with the core business architectural principles.
• Provide input for improvements and enhancements to the development strategy.
• Ensure alignment of IT strategy and business strategic goals, and the translation of the strategy into a comprehensive and flexiblearchitecture.
• Ownership and delivery of all artefacts, including a roadmap; plans for Business, Data, Applications and Technology; plans for key platforms and services. Translation of those plans and roadmaps into technical solutions which fit the group’s risk appetite, resource boundaries, and wider business goals.
• Responsible for production of high-level designs including non-functional requirements.
• Rigorous strategic analysis of architectural issues.
• Supporting, challenging and collaborating with senior managers and decision makers.
• Develop and promote standard architectures, frameworks, and technology platforms for reuse.
• Provide architectural support at the front end of projects and continue to provide support as projects deliver, including interfacing between the business, IT and partners.
• Work with the senior leadership team to develop future projects and provide budgetary costs.
• Ensure all solutions have security inbuilt by design.
• Ensure solutions have effective monitoring in place to alert issues as they occur.
• Be the principal evangelist within IT and across the business for the rationale for our architecture and roadmaps, able to translate technical issues into plain English.
• Monitor external technology innovation to ensure that the organisation remains technologically competitive, including suppliers, competitors and adjacent sectors.
• Responsible for ensuring the introduction of any new service, hardware, software or supplier into the IT Portfolio remains aligned with the IT and Business Strategy.

QualificationsandExperienceRequirements

• Degree-qualified, with a professional background in software development
• 3+ years enterprise, solutions or technical architecture experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of architecture management techniques in the areas of migration planning, implementation, change management and governance.
• Experience of designing architectures that enable digital transformation and transition from legacy systems.
• Experience of in-house developed systems, on-premise hosting and the transition to cloud services.
• Experience of influencing non-technical executive stakeholders from around the business.
• Experience in the planning/costing of implementing process and technology change programmes.
• Experienced in commercial engagements and in contributing to contracts and statements of work from a service delivery perspective.
• Experience of CRM, e-commerce, group collaboration tool implementations would be an advantage.
• Ability to understand the long-term ("big picture") and short-term perspectives of situations and how they relate to achieving targeted business outcomes.
• Ability to estimate the financial impact of technology alternatives.
• Ability to apply multiple technical solutions to enable future-state business capabilities that, in turn, drive targeted business outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others and be respected as a leader.

Knowledge/Skills

• Good understanding of the Azure infrastructure and key services such as Azure Functions, Logic Apps, App Services, SQL Azure and CosmosDB
• Familiar with some of the following technologies:
  • XaaS: SaaS; IaaS; PaaS(Software, Infrastructure, Platforms).
  • Cloud Solutions: Azure, AWS (Amazon Web Services).
  • Microsoft technologies: Windows 10; Office365; SharePoint; Active Directory.
  • Server architecture.
  • Mobile Technologies: iOS; Android(Incl. mobile device management).
  • Content Management Systems: Kentico EMS.
  • Enterprise Service Management: ServiceNow.
  • Virtualisation: VMware and Hyper-V.
  • Understanding of network topology in an enterprise setting.
  • Experience of KPIs, SLAs and service management.
  • Strong leadership skills.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Must be able to explain clearly why certain design decisions were made.
  • Must be able to document the architecture proposed.
  • Must be able to communicate well with technical teams and with non-technical project teams.
  • Excellent analytical and technical skills.
  • Excellent planning and organisational skills.
  • Knowledge of many, if not most, aspects of an enterprise technology architecture.
  • Knowledge of financial models and budgeting.
  • Understanding of network and security architecture.
  • Understanding and knowledge of system development life cycle methodologies (such as waterfall, agile software development and DevOps).
  • Understanding of development frameworks such as .Net, JavaScript and OpenEdge
  • Knowledge and understanding of different modelling languages.
• TOGAF certification, with the experience and mindset to adapt and flex approach.
• Understanding and knowledge of IT service management (ITSM) and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), qualified to at least ITIL Foundation level.